We are pet people. Seems like most of our neighbors are too. Maybe that accounts for the plethora of excellent veterinary talent in our vicinity. Someone recently said she thought you needed a dog, preferably a “Doodle,” to live in Pass-a-Grille. Up in the north end of St. Pete Beach, where we live, there is a lot of variety.
Our son Jordan’s best friend is Albert, short for Alberto, a Coton de Tulear: a cute, fluffy, little, white mop of a dog. He is forever in a happy-go-lucky mood, especially when he gets to check “pee-mail” here in St. Pete Beach.
Albert has a collection of acquaintances too, mostly also a little white dog he has met on his walks around here. We had a big dog when we lived on acreage, but in our 40 years here in St. Pete Beach we have lived with a few amazing cats. Our latest, arguably our most perfect feline friend, was emailed to us by the SPCA after Hurricane Katrina devastated New Orleans in 2005.
Sammy was adopted as an American short hair, suspected of being at least part Russian Blue, but we later found out he was a pure bred Chartreaux, a French breed originally kept in monasteries as mouse catchers. Our vet is sure the fresh fish Sammy taught me to catch him off our seawall each day is what kept him so young and healthy into his senior years. His favorites were ladyfish, trout, jacks, catfish, grunts, and croakers. Our neighborhood blue heron “Gertrude” became Sammy’s fishing companion too.
A social creature, Sammy wanted to be included in whatever we were doing. If we were at the dining room table, in the office, or watching TV in the living room he had his chair. Actually, they were all his chairs, that he let us use sometimes. The kidneys were his weak link, and the pet fountain we got him with a steady flow of filtered water, was a life extender for him. Periodic red tide outbreaks were hard on Sammy. He passed a month after his 18th birthday, on March 16th after a short illness, as gracefully and gently as he had lived. We decided to have him cremated.
There are lots of lessons we learned from Sammy, a trusted friend we will remember fondly for a very long time. I miss our early mornings and sunsets at the water’s edge. Sammy taught us to say hi to strangers, to take time to smell the roses and that it is always a good time for a nap in the shade. He also taught us that a kind word or gesture of love will go a long way toward getting you what you want and need in life.
It is hard when you have to say goodbye, but the pleasure an adopted pet can give you is definitely worth the work and expense. Adopt a pet if you can.