How Angel Got His Name
On April 11, 2001 I came home for lunch at noon to find my 6 year old English Springer Spaniel "Spunky" missing from his pen. His younger brother "Shadow", a three year old Beagle, was also missing from the pen but was found hiding behind our Barbeque on the deck. I searched for Spunky all through lunch and unfortunately had to go back to work. When I arrived home at 4 I expected to find Spunky waiting for me on the deck, but he was not there.
I spent the evening with friends and family searching for Spunky but finally gave up at 11 o'clock that night. In a town of just over 5000 people, I really thought that I would find him. Days turned into weeks and weeks into months and no one knew of his whereabouts. I tried everything to find him, from putting his photo in the local newspaper, to calling all the vets in the surrounding area, posting signs with his picture on them everyplace I could and putting a "Lost Dog" announcement on the radio. Despite all I did to find him, Spunky did not return to his family and we did not know what happened to him.
On June 9, 2001 my boyfriend (at the time) and I were reading the newspaper. He went to the section where they advertise pets for sale and pointed out an ad for a male yorkshire terrier puppy. I had always wanted a yorkie and now here was my chance. I had mixed feelings when I picked up the phone to call the breeder. I was very excited but I also felt guilty about getting a new puppy so soon after Spunky's dissappearance. A week later (on the 16th) I picked up my new puppy at the Airport and immediately fell in love with him
Over the next few days I tried to think of a name that would suit him but also pay tribute to our dearly missed Spunky. Our beagle was named after Spunky because of his tendency to follow Spunky everywhere he went, his registered name was Spunky's Shadow. I wanted something similar for my new yorkie and finally decided to call him Spunky's Guardian Angel.
Everyday with Angel eases the pain of our great loss but also helps me remember Spunky in a way I never thought possible. He is truly a mirror image of Spunky's kind personality and loving nature. Whenever I need cheering up he is there, like Spunky was, with a concerned yet caring look in his eyes and tons of kisses. |
