Catching Up and Thanks
GOOD NEWS
Got some good news from a friend who was dealing with some serious health issues—it looks like she’s going to be OK and I could not be happier for her.
THANK YOU FOR CARDS, LETTERS, FLOWERS and EMAILS
After our beloved Australian Silk Terrier had to be put down for health reasons many of you reached out to us in many ways and I can’t tell you how comforting that was. I knew it would be hard to say goodbye to my old friend, but I didn’t know it would be this hard. I miss that little dog.
When I took ownership of him from a nice family some ten years ago the woman who was his previous owner had told me he was an AKC Certified Yorkie, but she had mislaid the paperwork. One look at him and I thought he must be some kind of mix because as someone who never misses a Westminster Dog Show I know my dog breeds. I didn’t mind because our first meeting sold the deal.
The woman and her two children had asked me to meet her at White City Shopping Plaza, as I pulled into the spot I saw them standing next to their car— inside the car, standing up so he could see out of the back window, was Austin.
The daughter opened the back door and Austin jumped out, walked over and sat completely on my foot. I took it as a signal that he was ready to go. I handed her the agreed upon rehoming fee and asked the kids if they wanted to say goodbye to him. They said no but asked if Veronica was with me so she could sign some issues of Spider-Woman. I apologized and said she hadn’t come along (she was against the idea of a dog at that point) but I offered to take the comics and mail them back to them with her signature.
As I drove home up Belmost Street Austin stood in the passenger seat looking out the window, then he proceeded to come and sit on my lap for the rest of the ride home.
We were instant friends.
My first time taking him to Brimfield I had several people come up to me to compliment him and two ask if I was willing to enter into a breeding agreement— that clued me in that he might actually be a AKC Yorkie.
Further research and I found he was actually an Australian Silk Terrier. Fiercely loyal, they would be the perfect Police K9 if their size matched their attitude. The Silky believe he is part of the family, not a pet. Once walking him I came upon a State Police K9 Officer walking his dog— he warned me to keep my dog away because he didn’t trust his, and before I could react Austin lunged at the Police Dog barking his head off— the Police Dog leapt into the open window of the cruiser and the Officer and I had a good laugh.
We’ll get another dog someday, and I’m pushing for another Silky, but no one will ever replace Austin.
