This page celebrates current and departed dogs who have touched my life. Through good times and bad they were always here for me. I did my best to take care of them and make good decisions on their behalf. Many of them are gone, but they will always be in my heart.
I am serious about dogs at my house! It all started with Snoopy and then followed by Lacey, Bentley, Jackson, Jasper and finally Wendy. Jackson, Jasper and Wendy are still with us and provide me with much joy.
Snoopy and Lacey in their younger years
Dog Bios
Snoopy
A.K.C. Name: Jacob's Little Snoopy
Breed: Beagle
Birth State: Nebraska
August 7th, 1995 - December 29th, 2012
I got Snoopy when he was a puppy in 1995 as a present for my young son, Jacob. We were living in Lincoln, Nebraska while I went to college. Snoopy came from a puppy mill in Missouri (I didn't know better then) and was bought from one of their associates in Lincoln. When we brought him home his ears were so long he would trip over them. Snoopy had quite the attitude. He had a swagger. Eventually he needed a puppy training class. One night Snoopy came home from class. He was different, the attitude was gone. It turns out Snoopy was acting up in class and Trevor, the trainer, had flipped Snoopy on his back and grapped Snoopy's throat with his own teeth. After that Snoopy was a whipping boy, Omega Dog, no longer Alpha.
Snoopy's kidneys started to fail when he was four or five and he was put on a special diet. Two years before he passed away he took a turn for the worse and we almost lost him. Doc said we might get a few more weeks out of him if we started giving him sub-Q fluids to flush his system. He flourished with the fluid treatment and he lasted two more years. Sadly he lost weight little by little, it was hard to watch a once food obsessed dog lose his apetite. We were buying lactated ringers by the case. Todd pointed out we were nearing the end of a case and we should reassess Snoopy's quality of life. We made an appointment to put Snoopy down on a Saturday. We took him for a hike before the appointment. He walked better than we thought. But it was not the old Snoopy. There was no swagger. Instead of walking side to side on the trail he walked straight ahead. No interest in anything, just a death march. Todd stepped on a piece of ice and it broke and a fragment hit Snoopy and he jumped. He he clearly wasn't enjoying himself. It was time to say goodbye.
Lacey
Breed: Beagle
Birth State: Wisconsin
February 1st, 1999 - November 8th, 2014
Lacey was there most very special dog to me. After college, I moved to Minnesota and after buying my first house settled in for the long winters. I felt Snoopy was lonely and depressed and needed the companionship of another dog so I set out on a quest to find him a sister. I decided on her name before I even met her. It would be Lacey, like lace on a dress, but with an 'e' to make it special. A farmer in Wisconsin had hunting dogs and when the female had puppies he would sell them. The dad had papers, but the mom did not, so Lacey couldn't have papers either. For $75 I got the best companion I could ever dream of in that little beagle.
Lacey took to me immediately and insisted on sticking by my side wherever I went. Lacey slept plastered to my body. After I took up running, Lacey started running also. At first she would stop in front of me without warning and I would try to stop without kicking Lacey. She learned quickly and came up with a plan. If she wanted to stop she would veer off to the side and start to slow down. I would get the hint and stop without any kicking involved.
She was a very strong willed beagle and was always very healthy. In the summer of 2014 she started getting finicky about eating her food. We tried everything but she continued to get more selective on what she ate. We canceled our fall vacation because I was afraid she wouldn't last at the vet being boarded for two weeks. Eventually Todd resorted to putting food in the back of her mouth so she would swallow it. He refered to it as 'ramming food down her gullet'. It was tricky, if he tried too much food she would throw up, but not enough and she would lose weight. Finally in November I decided it was time. Todd and Jackson were going away to Iowa that weekend to meet Jasper and Wendy. I had him make the phone call to the vet, Saturday would be Lacey's last day. Lacey and I started this journey together and we would end it together. Just the two of us. She left peacefully and my heart was broken.
Asta
A.K.C. Name: Birchhurst Asta Charles
Breed: Wire Fox Terrier
Birth State: Florida
December 26th, 1993 - September 26th, 2006
Asta was Todd's first dog. Asta was Todd's soul dog, that one perfect dog that each person has. Todd met Asta when he was six and Asta became Todd's dog when Asta turned eight. He was a faithful companion for adventures great and small. Asta did everything with Todd including most vacations. In life Asta had 29 state high points. Every state east of the Mississippi River or on the western shores of the Mississippi, except Maine and Florida.
Asta died three weeks after the wedding between Todd and myself. Poor little dog was worn out. Asta's ashes have 45 states. I even took Asta's ashes to Illinois with me for my trip to the high point. The TSA screener was in disbelief that I was carrying my husband's late dog's ashes in my carry-on bag.
I did not get Asta. I met him as an old dog. There was not much personality and Asta just did not seem to interact with me. No compassion. Todd wants his ashes to be scattered with Asta's. I did not want my ashes and Asta's ashes together. I told Todd if he died first I would just throw out Asta's ashes. Todd thought I was joking. I was not.
Bentley
A.K.C. Name: Birchhurst Bentley
Breed: Wire Fox Terrier
Birth State: North Carolina
May 23rd, 2003 - September 15th, 2013
Bentley, or Bent, was our first dog together. Bentley was my little puff of fluff. While Asta was quiet and polite, Bentley was a high energy adventure dog. Bentley's first owner was not a terrier person and Bentley was broken. On our very first hike he showed his athletic prowess. We had hiked up to the Appalchian Trail near Bear Mountain. We had some snacks and then turned back. Bentley was under the impression we were abandoning him in the woods. When we convinced him he was coming back with us, he was so happy that he launched himself off the steps. It was like watching Superman sail off a building. I was amazed, "Todd did you see that?" Bentley barely touched the landing and launched again. Todd calmly said, "Wire fox terriers are quite athletic, Asta was just an old arthritic dog by the time you met him."
Jackson
Breed: Wire Fox Terrier
March 16th, 2001(?) - November 25th, 2018
Wendy
A.K.C. Name: Elegant Erma
Breed: Wire Fox Terrier
December 7th, 2003 - July 2017
Jasper
A.K.C. Name: Handsome Maximillion
Breed: Wire Fox Terrier
December 7th, 2003 - March 2017
