Whisky is a nice drink from the Scottish Highlands, but it also the name for my dogs since the first one, who was Whiskey I and whom I looked after for a few months in Kabul in 1983. Whiskey II was a nice German shepherd mix and she was born in 1985 in Jerusalem, and like this Whiskey III we brought her to Germany and she lived very happily until 1998 when she died at not such an old age of 13. She was very gentle and loved by all, even people who usually were afraid of dogs, because she was so loving herself. Then this Whiskey, which makes him number III came to us in Islamabad in 1999 because friends of the Philippine Embassy were looking for a good home for the last puppy they had. So we took him in, although we had not planned to get a dog and he turned out to be a smart, fun and courageous dog, and since nobody will be left behind, ever, he came to Germany too where he died in November 2014 after 15 years and 3 months with us. I saw him last in October after I returned from Afghanistan which was close to were we met. I told him about it but I am not sure if he understood as he was already sick. RIP Whiskey. "Keep on walking buddy!!"

Here is his story in his own words:

“I was born on August 2, 1999 in Islamabad, Pakistan. My mother was a beautiful black Labrador and my father a German Shepherd that also seemed to have had some other irregular blood in him, hence the colour white that was included in my coat. It might have come from my mother though; also no one is really sure. I had six or seven siblings that were all given to other people and at the age of 7 weeks I was the only one left with my mother. We lived in a house in F-7 near the Market with a family from the Philippine Embassy in Islamabad. I cannot remember much of my earlier days but one day a nice lady appeared and looked at me and then talked to the other lady who was from the house. After a while the nice lady appeared with a carton and she lifted me up and placed me in the carton and she walked with me away from my mother, who seemed to be relieved I was gone. The lady was nice and talked to me also I did not know what these words were and what she was saying. The only thing I remember is that we drove in a car and all was very shaky and made me feel dizzy. We finally arrived at another house, that of the nice lady, which was very big and with a nice garden. There were some people there and I was given food and a place to sleep. Everybody was very nice to me and I soon felt at home in this big house. Later that day a big man walked into the house and smiled at me, picked me up and looked me into the eyes. He called me Whiskey, which I learned then was my name from that moment on. I had arrived in the house of Rose and Achim. Rose would always feed me very well, rice and chicken and minced meat and many other things and Achim would take me out on these long walks in the forest were we encountered many interesting other creatures like monkeys, wild boar and snakes. Occasionally he put me in this thing called a car which I did not really like but it always transported me to new and nice places, new smells and adventures. For many years we lived in Islamabad and every evening when the Mosque was calling for prayers, I knew it was my time for a long walk in our neighbourhood, so I could run and play. Over all these years we had become a fixture, the white tall man and me walking every evening. Often Rose would join us. Sometimes Rose and Achim went away and I was alone with Rashed and Daniel and Samira who would cook for me. They were generally nice but not as Rose and Achim whom I loved and who loved me. I spend many summer and monsoon seasons in Islamabad and learned that air-conditioning is something nice and it is much better to sleep in a bed then on the floor.

All in all I can say that I enjoyed my life in Islamabad very much. I did not see many other dogs and when I did, either they or I wanted to fight; so many of the encounters did not end so well.

Then one day suddenly there was a change, all the things I had gotten so used to were moved, Achim took me to this wretched Veterinarian who took my blood and came with these horrible needles to inject me, lots of strange people were coming to look at things but then when they came to carry things away I had to show them that I had something to say in this house too and try to chase them away which did not go very well with Achim and Rose and I did not understand why. Then one evening Achim and Rose came and brought with them this big box in which they managed to push me. It was loaded onto a car and I felt very sleepy suddenly and only remember that we drove for some time and then there was a big crowed of people but I was to tired to bark. The last thing I really can remember is that I was in place that was very noisy, to many machines and a big monster I had never seen in my life before, but I was to tired to be afraid. My box was picked up and lifted, I had no idea what was happening to me and if I live or die and I passed out and fell into a very deep sleep, dreaming.

I can not remember anything else and when I woke up I was very hungry and thirsty and again there were so many people, but different as the noise had changed and the smell as well. I did not know if I was alive but when I heard the voice of Achim and soon afterward that of Rose and then they came to look at me I knew I was going to be OK, also I was not sure what was happening.

After another travel in a car, Achim and another man unloaded me in a place I had never seen. Everything was different, it was cold and grey and I knew this was not Islamabad anymore. Then another woman appeared with a smiling and gentle face and both she and the man who was also very nice called me by my name as if they had known me for years. That gave me confidence and made me feel safe so I showed them that I had a voice too and started barking loudly. Suddenly another dog appeared, small and grey and I was not sure what to do. He was friendly and old and kind of gave me the insurance that I was in good place. His name was Grips, he was the senior dog in the house of what I learned where Vater and Mutti, the parents of Achim. I was given food and water and a nice place to sleep and I soon discovered this new world with many trees and green grass but also learned what snow was. The years went by quickly and slowly but surely I forgot about my life in Pakistan and Islamabad. I was a "German" dog now, even Achim always told everyone I was a "Chitrali Hunting Dog" which is complete nonsense as there is no such bread. I made friends with most of the other dogs that passed by or were around from the neighbours, except a few I really did not like or could get along with. There was enough space for all of us, and as long as they wanted not to fight me I was OK more or less with all of them. I noticed that the crows from Pakistan who where stealing my food there had followed me to Germany. I don't know why everyone called them 'Hugo' but it was them who were sitting on the roof and looking at the fine food I was feed, often outside as I like to eat with lots of space around me. I really enjoyed all the space I had in Germany, the garden which is so big and the forest close by. There were all these incredible smells of animals I did not know and most of them I never met but nevertheless they were there. Everyone was so nice to me, Vater, Mutti, Rose and Achim when they were around and later also Ursula who always had some "Leckerchen' for me. All in all I was happy that I had come here and had not been left in Pakistan and abandoned. During my later years, when I was getting older, I always had the attention of everyone and was brought to the Veterinarian whom I hated because he caused me pain, but many times he helped me. I lost many of my teeth when I was old but then the food was changed. I always had a warm place to sleep in the house and sometimes, I know, I drove everyone mad because I was so particular where I was sleeping and wanted my bed moved around. I remember I even woke Vater up at night just to move my bed somewhere else. He was not even mad at me, only shook his head. You know, I understood not everything you told me but most of the words made sense to me and I also tried to, in my own way to communicate with you and you often but not always understood me. Often I had to smile if you were scratching your head because you could not figure out what I wanted and it was funny.

All in all I had a very good life, and when my cancer became really bad you understood and looked after me, not even getting angry when I could not hold my urine anymore and peed into the house. In the end, when I could not live anymore, you had the grace to call the Vet and give me that last injection and helped me to pass on peacefully into another life."

We'll meet in another life. "All dogs go to heaven!"