January 3, 2007
Dear Friends of Petraits,
Yesterday, I said good-bye to Aberdeen (Petraits attached), my 14-year old Keeshond-mix who has been my sidekick for so many years.
He left the physical world pretty much in the same position he joined me, 13 short years ago ... curled in my arms and looking deeply into my eyes.
We found each other at the expressway on-ramp at Grand and Aberdeen in Chicago. The furry little guy was darting in and out of traffic and I feared for his life. I tried everything I could to corral him, but he grabbed all the treats I offered and ran back to the same tall grassy spot in the median. He ran back to me and barked and barked ... I didn't understand.
I finally ran across the expressway with him. It was then that I realized what he had been trying to communicate. In the tall weeds lay the body of his friend, a tan dog who had been hit by a car. I twirled the dead dog’s collar around to see if she had a tag. When I touched her, Aberdeen looking deeply into my eyes, and rolled on his back. I picked him up curled in my arms and we ran back across the expressway together.
I never found his original owners, but I did find the best canine son, a dog mom could ever ask for. One that encouraged me to rescue more dogs, cats and other assorted creatures. He welcomed each pet into our home with a bark, a sniff and a wagging tail. And, most of the creatures preferred him to me. He was never my only pet, but was always the negotiator, the intermediary, the communicator.
Aberdeen was never ill a day in his life. In fact, on New Year's Day, we did our usual walk around the 'hood and he did his usual meet and greet with all his friends. It wasn't until the middle of the night, that he crawled next to me in bed and told me it was his time. He never stood up again. A vet assisted him with the rest. His departure was as unexpected as his arrival; there were no decisions to be made on either end.
In Aberdeen's memory, please consider making a donation to your favorite rescue organization, offer to foster a pet in your home ... and think about adopting just one more.
Sheri
Petraits Pet Photography
web site: http://www.petraits.com
adoptions: http://www.petraits.petfinder.org
e-mail: petraits@interaccess.com
773-777-2891