For those pets who have passed

Jasmine passed away on Sunday August 2, 2009 at the age of 11. Jasmine was quite an active dog in her younger years, enjoying walks in the local reservations. She was always up for a rumble with a rabbit (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hv3RiO7R_Vg ). She was a great babysitter and will be missed by her little brothers Aspen and Zack.    Passed away in April 2008 Brie was discarded in the trash with her litter mates in a dumpster at Secor Farm in Mahwah. Brie flourished in her new home in Fair Lawn, NJ with a vet tech and a cat that wanted nothing to do with her. Throughout the years, Brie helped raise children, kittens and delighted many with her Halloween costumes. Christmas time was a time to put her in a new outfit and to splurge on her. She did better at Christmas time than any person. My son squealed in delight when he saw her and she rolled on her back bumping into him. Because she was tortured with endless outfits, hats, booties and bandanas, she is probably one of the most photographed dogs in the world. Brie was an example of what a Pit Bull should be: loyal, 100% trustworthy with children and of course neurotic. Unfortunately for those left behind, there will never be another dog like Brie. The silence she left behind is deafening.    Doak passed away on April 14, 2008 Age: over ten years I first met Doak (Greyhound) in November 2002 when I was a student living in Southern Bergen County. I was Doak’s daily dog walker. I had been walking Doak for about a year and a half when I needed to finish my additional classes for my degree and dog walking wasn’t conducive to it. I had always liked Doak even though he could be moody at times. A couple of years had pasted, I purchased a home of my own and had a child. Then one day, (January 2006), Doak’s owner had called. My number had of course changed but the company name was relatively the same name. Doak’s owner, Joe (or Doak’s Daddy) needed someone to watch his dog. Doak came over for his interview (after all I hadn’t seen Doak in four years). It was like Doak never forgot me. He looked basically the same. He sprinted around in the house and yard like he always did. Doak stayed many times over the next two years. Doak would have an attitude with just a few of the dogs and got into a “scrap” with my child. If he had been any other dog, he wouldn’t have been allowed back. But Doak had me wrapped around his little finger or claw. Doak frequently would sleep on the couch or curl himself up into the tiniest ball and fit on a chair. Doak would have fits of energy and end up clawing some dog with his long lean legs flailing in the air. It was a blur when he did his dashes around the house or the yard. I will miss the Doaker/Doakie (the really special dogs get nicknames around here).