Animal Companion Remembrances

King Arthur

King Arthur, beloved companion of Nichole Gray, was a gift from Nichole’s sister Heather. King survived cancer, diabetes, blindness, and deafness, adjusting to his new perceptions of his surroundings and still maintaining his loving attitude. During his twelve years he frequently traveled with Nichole to visit Heather in California, and he was an intrepid flyer. King was well known in his community and got along with all the other dogs and people he encountered. Remembrance by Dean Surkin and Jacqueline Birnbaum, October 2019.

Cuba

In memory of Cuba, wonderful companion to Bonnie Luria and Kelly Gloger. “Cuba by far had the best ears in the dog business. We got to know those ears very intimately over the last 17 years, watching him grow from a 4 week old pupsqueak into the stately, regal looking elder dog he became. He graciously accepted the introduction of another dog and two cats into our household with not a sign of jealousy or anger. He greeted everyone with a tail wag but nothing was greeted with more relish than a hand holding food. He lived for food more than he lived for butt scratches or head rubs. He also loved to chew books or paper when we went out for the evening- his way of protesting our absence or rather the absence of his snack source from his life. When we knew it was his time we sent him off by hand feeding him roast beef in his own bed in our house with the help of a most compassionate vet. Way to live Cuba! Way to go. You were loved greatly.”  Remembrance donation by Judy Wolfe, October 2019.

Mia

Remembering Mia, loyal companion to Kathleen Salmieri. “I rescued Mia from very poor living conditions when she was six months old. It was love at first sight. The day I met Mia, she curled up on my lap, looked at me with those pretty brown eyes and I was immediately hooked. For the past nine years Mia loved and protected me. This sweet Dobie girl made me laugh but could also drive me crazy when she was demanding. Her favorite game was playing fetch in the yard or batting a large egg shaped ball around like she was playing soccer. Mia tolerated my older cat, Gypsy and she loved Stella, my young cat. We all miss her and hope she is enjoying all of her friends at the Rainbow Bridge.” Remembrance donations by Judy Wolfe and Roni Gallagher, August 2019.

Finn

In memory of Irene Egan’s wonderful dog Finn. “I found Finn one evening when she wandered out in front of my car while driving through my apartment complex in Texas.  After determining she was a stray from lack of a collar and some of the neighbors telling me she had been hanging around for a few weeks, I put her in the back seat of my car and our sixteen years together began.  When I found her, she was about six months old and seemed to have been someone’s pet already but like so many others she was left behind to fend for herself.  A year and a half later Finn came with me as I moved back to NJ where she became my mother’s “grand dog”.  Finn was smart and sassy but always knew how to make me smile no matter how I felt.  She loved people but was a bit pickier about her canine friends.  Cats, squirrels, birds, rabbits and groundhogs were for chasing while the chipmunks knew to stay on the other side of the fence taunting her. Finn was a happy dog until the very end and the phrase “who saved who” defiantly applied to Finn.”  Remembrance donation by Judy Wolfe, June 2019.

Shep

In memory of Shep, wonderful companion to Erika and Ron Surkin.  “Shep was a vital part of our family for 13 years. He was a very sweet boy who did his best to cope with a dominant second dog. (See Remembrance for Jersey Girl, December 2018). He was very trainable and loved his cushy dog bed. His favorite activity was to roam, sniff, and roll in a field. We miss his quiet presence. Love you, Shep!”  Remembrance donation by Jacqueline and Dean Surkin, June 2019.

Gretel

In memory of Gretel, loving companion to Ken and JoAnn De Koven. Gretel, aka CH. Caledonian Roberta of Wolfpit, was not quite 12. She achieved her championship but was retired from competing. Ken and JoAnn have lost three dogs to illness and old age this past year; they currently only have one cat, Arwen, to keep them company, and the house feels a little lonely. (see remembrances for Dakota, 7-11-18, and Cole 12/21/17).  Remembrance donation by Dean Surkin and Jacqueline Birnbaum, May 2019.

Teresa

In memory of Maria and Albert’s wonderful cat Teresa.  “Teresa was a stray cat that we took in and she was small, quiet, loyal, friendly, sweet, gentle, delicate, and a little lady.  She had arthritis in her back legs, which sometimes made it difficult for her to jump up on the sofa or bed, but God bless her, she always managed to do so, sometimes with our help. My dad would comb her sometimes and she enjoyed it.  She loved to eat her cat food, especially the gourmet and she also loved Jenny Craig’s beef, green peas, and cheese which I shared with her. I will miss seeing her put her entire body into the cat toy box and put her face right into her toys.  I will miss seeing her sleep on the small bear rug made for cats that I bought for her.  Teresa was warm, cuddly and fragile, all at the same time.”  Remembrance donation by Maria and Albert DiMeglio, April 2019.

Eggs the Dog

In memory of Eggs the Dog, companion to Sarah Milstein and Tony Stubblebine. “We adopted Eggs in California when he was about ten months old; he lived with us in San Francisco and Brooklyn for the next 12.5 years. His accomplishments were numerous: he was the fastest dog in the dogrun for many years; he taught himself to climb up the fully vertical ladder of a boat so he could dive off repeatedly; he loved being clicker trained; he destroyed dozens of toys in mere seconds; he was featured in NYT photos twice; he assumed we were deaf and barked his head off at all noises outside the door or car; he bit a number of tech luminaries; three times after swiping food off the counters, he had to be induced to vomit. He were also a mush who liked to stare into our eyes and nap on top of us–he were a 60-pound lap dog–and he won over friends, family and special dog-care pros. He had the best name we’ll ever come up with, and we loved him enormously.” Remembrance donation by Judy Wolfe, February 2019.

Bear

In memory of Bear, Lynn Odell’s wonderful dog. “Bear was the most enthusiastic greeter; made you feel like no one else existed at that moment in his world. And his goodbys were just as terrific, from his cat -like perch in the window.  We will miss you Bear.” Remembrance donation by Susan Ferla, January 2019.

One-Eyed Jack

Remembering Judy Wolfe’s wonderful friend Jack. “I rescued Jack as a senior dog from Best Friends about two and a half years ago. He brought so much joy to my life. He was friendly with everyone. He loved kids, other dogs, street vendors, my apartment building staff and neighbors. Not a walk went by that someone did not come up to us to chat. Many New Yorkers would yell out ‘WISHBONE’ when they saw us (you might have to google that one). New Yorkers have a soft spot in their hearts for dogs, especially adorable one-eyed dogs. The one flaw he had was his insistence upon rising before daylight. We would traipse out into the dark of night and almost had the city to ourselves. Jack also adored my two cats, Audrey and Roberta and they adored him. The house seems a lot emptier now and it will take awhile for a new normal to emerge. I have already been asked if I am going to get another dog. It is too soon to even contemplate that right now but if I do – I will adopt another senior dog as they need homes, aren’t nearly as cute as puppies but it is the right thing to do. He was a very good boy.” Remembrance donations by Judy Wolfe, Susan Ferla, April Rivkin, Veronica Gallagher, Kathleen Salmieri, Berni Leahy, Peter & Mickey Bickford and Nora Beirne on behalf of all of Judy’s friends in the Animal Department of the Central Park Zoo, December 2018.