Date of Birth: born 3 February 1996
Place of Birth: Bucksport, Maine
Date of Death: 5 August 2009
Sire: Benjamin's Tekoa
Dam: Northdown Natasha
Description: Coat medium, Red Sable colour; eyes brown.
The Chief is dead. Arthritis finally struck hard
this summer, crippling Ramsay to the point that he could no longer stand up without help, and
lay whimpering at night. Strong and stalwart to the last, he continued to eat and to utter his
gruff "WOOF! WOOF!" at any male dog he saw, including his son Duke Ellington. The 5th of August
was a beautiful bright day, "a good day to die" as the plains Indians would have said. Ramsay had
passed a bad night, so Susan and Jeffrey agreed that it was time to put him down while he still had his
dignity. This valiant old canine warrior rode in one of our small kennel carts to his final resting spot, raised his head and
watched the Chinook kennel barking as he passed by, then laid his head back down as if putting
all the issues of dog hierarchy behind him. The Chief is dead ... long life The Chief! Duke E.
now takes Ramsay's place as head of our canine household.