Question 1: Tell us about your experience with dogs?
(Judy Nicastro)
I have a six-month old dog, Ruckus, whom I adopted from the Humane Society. I got him after my 15 year-old dog Hurly died. My family has always had a dog while growing up.(Thomas Whittemore)
Let me begin by explaining my long relationship with animals. My commitment to the protection and understanding of animals led me into academic pursuits which focused on animal behavior, specifically undergraduate and graduate studies of primates in the field. As an cartoonist/illustrator I have illustrated a book, For the Love of Animals published by Living Planet Press, and The Streamkeepers Field Guide published by The Adopt-A-Stream Foundation. Both books were designed to prevent the destruction of species.(Curt Firestone)
I grew up with dogs as pets. We had three different dogs during my childhood. My wife and I shared a dog who was our very close companion until it passed away after living a long and happy life. Tasha played an instrumental role in bringing us together as a family. She was also the neighborhood dog and her passing resulted in a large gathering for a memorial service. One last point, Tasha and I went everywhere together for many years.(Bob Hegamin)
Not pleasant. A dog bit me when I was about eleven years of age. That event took place in China in the late 1930's, which meant that I was forced to take the series of ten rabies shots. Since then I have been a confirmed "cat person".(Peter Steinbrueck)
My family always had a dog as I was growing up, and I have fond memories of each of our family pets. I still have the tags of my last four-footed friend, Ajax, a white lab pup. I lost him under mysterious circumstances. A neighbor who was hostile to dogs repeatedly threatened to "do something" if I couldn’t keep Ajax quiet and tethered. After repeated visits to the animal shelter and endless wandering of the streets, I sadly gave up the search. To this day, ten years later I haven’t forgotten my beloved Ajax, and hope that he lives somewhere in a caring family.(Lenora Jones)
I was almost biten by a dog when I was a girl.(Alec Fisken)
I grew up in a family that always owned dogs, and my family currently owns a dog.(Margaret Pageler)
We had four or five dogs while our children were growing up -- different breeds and personalities. Now we have two granddogs that belong to our daughter, but are ours to take on trips, dogsit, or play with on weekends.(Heidi Wills)
Dogs have been a part of my family all of my life. I was born into a family with two dogs: the furiest dog I've ever known, Sara (please see photo,) and an older dog named Spot. One of my favorite family pets was Bengi - The Jumping Beagle (please see photo.) Tragically, Bengi died in my arms a few years into his life after being hit by a car (hit and run.) Many years later, we had a beautiful, white Zamoyed named Zeesha. I do not own a dog now, as I am at the legal limit allowable for pet ownership in this city with 3 cats. My mother has two dogs, Molly and Zeke, who are also a part of my life.(Dawn Mason)
I grew with dogs as family pets and as an adult I had a dog named Sandy. I kept Sandy until I moved to a different home. My new yard wasn’t big enough for her to adequately run and exercise and she was not trained to a leash. I gave her to a family that lived in a rural area so that she would have freedom of movement. I was one of the saddest days of my life.(Cheryl Chow)
I have very fond memories of my first dog, a cocker spaniel, when I was in grade school. Our family also owned German shepherds, mutts & Great Danes. Owning and caring for dogs taught my brothers and I many life lessons of responsibility and caring for others, whether human or dog!(Charlie Chong)
Mary and I have had three Bouviers. The died over two years ago but Mary is not ready to replace him.