Almost two years ago we shared a post of our beloved dogs with you. Since then, we’ve had several new team members and their pets join us, and YES we’ve included a cat this time. Apologies to our feline friends for omitting them in the last blog!
As is the circle of life, we’ve said goodbye to our BFFs who crossed over the Rainbow Bridge: Lily (Margy Judd), Charlie (Brad Withers), Ajax (Caroline Weingart), Shadow (Helen Day), Oscar (Margie Biggar). They still make us laugh when we think about their personality and demeanor as well as when we see that squirrel, chipmunk, or rabbit in our yards which they somehow always thought they could outrun. And we smile when see that ragged well-loved toy keepsake as a reminder of our four- legged saints! One of us was sent this poem by Eugene O’Neill, The Last Will and Testament of an Extremely Loved Dog after the passing of their Golden Retriever friend. We highly recommend the reading of and the sending to all who have lost an ‘extremely loved dog’!
Enjoy meeting our current motley crew all who have personality plus and a story or two to tell!
Jeff Kipp Poncherello is a mix German Shorthaired Pointer and German Shepherd that joined the Kipp family in 2019. Raised in the City, he patrols his double lot with pride and keeps it free from squirrels, birds, and other occasional non-human visitors. Ponch loves when his twin brother John, who lives with my sister-in-law, comes over to play.
Margaux Murphy Foley is a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel with the sweetest and kindest demeanor. He grew up with three little girls and he thinks he is my fourth daughter; he wants to be with them everywhere. Foley’s other loves include people, any dog and digging for chipmunks.
Margy Judd Our two-year-old rescue, Bella, is part Havanese, part poodle and 100% feisty ADD energy, who loves nothing more than doing the Zoomies and 3 walks a day – so OK thank goodness I work from home!
Lisa Taylor A big “meow” from 3yo Sterling who we welcomed into our home during the pandemic! This lone EA cat, an Exotic Shorthair’s name evolved from his coloring—sterling silver. Whether he’s scoping out the latest Lego build created by our 6yo son or being held like a baby by my 11yo daughter, he’s a soft and (typically) willing participant. His favorite way to show affection is by cuddling up at the foot of the bed. Sterling is an active yet more low-key member of our family.
Sarah Guyuron Meet our 9mo Cavapoo! When she is behaving, her name is Della Dog. When she is NOT, her name is Dang It Della. Our kids picked out her name the minute they saw her, and all agreed so we stuck with it. She is a very sweet girl and loves to hoard shoes. She doesn’t chew them; she just collects them.
Peg Furnas Daisy is our 2½ yo Golden Retriever. Whereas she would have enjoyed a Golden “sister” or “brother” Daisy is inseparable to two stuffing-less fur animals – they come without inside and not a result of Daisy. Hardly a semblance of their original forms, the purple octopus and the yellow duck are never out of sight. And since Daisy sleeps with her eyes open even though her BFFs have seen better days, there’s no chance we can get away with replacing them with a newer version of themselves.
Cari Ross Our Goldens, Phinda and McKinley, continue to master the art of snuggles and comfort. When finished with their daily activities of running, jumping, frisbee and playing in any available water, they are driven to see how much cuter and more creative they can get with their comfort mission every day.
Kristen Joyce: Our Sunningdale, affectionately known as ‘Sunny’ lives up to his name with his sweet, gentle disposition. His tagline should be ‘I’m a lover, not a fighter.’ His favorite activities are snuggling up to a pair of shoes or slippers and chasing squirrels or rabbits around the yard. He has the gift of youth; our 8yo Goldendoodle still looks like a 2-year-old pup!
Caroline Weingart We have two Samoyeds, Sochi (7) and Starkie (6). Sochi at 1½ yo became a therapy dog and visits families at Ronald McDonald House, patients at Rainbow Babies and Seidman Cancer Center, and steals the show at “Read to Sochi” at Shaker Heights library and elementary school. Stark (ala Game of Thrones) was adopted from a puppy mill in Iowa. They compete to see who can bring the most toys from the house into the yard each day. Starkie is afraid of children, bicycles, strollers, and landscape trucks due to her early trauma at the puppy mill along with 170 other pups. Our dog trainer has helped her and us, a life-long step-by-step work in progress for Starkie to build up her confidence.
Trudy Maposa Everyone in the Maposa household knows the first place to look if any of their socks go missing- Rocco’s Bed! Besides hiding socks, you will find 9yo Yorkipoo Rocco snuggled up with anyone who sits on the couch, he’s not selective, he’s very friendly, if you sit on the couch, you are fair game for snuggles with him.
Jeff Moreau Lulu spends her winters socializing with the little designer dogs in Naples, Florida. But when she’s back in Cleveland for the summer, those friends might be surprised that she prefers the company of Little Italy’s bad boy, a German Shepard named Scarface. You’ll find the two playing in Tony Brush Park, where her jealous boyfriend might bark at the other dogs who try to play with her and who’s always ready to jump in and protect her. You’ll also see this little Shi chon (a Shih Tzu-Bichon mix) walking up Mayfield, sniffing out what the outdoor diners may have dropped.
Annie DePerro Aspen is a 7yo Golden Retriever. She’s an angel, sweet, rarely barks, loves to take walks, be with her people, and visit those with health challenges. Oscar is an 11yo Cavachon who has battled a skin infection recently but is finally a happy guy again with the help of some meds and switching to the Farmers Dog brand food. Baylor (pictured in my trio in the last blogpost) a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel did what many of our candidates do: he relocated to St. Louis Missouri because of a job change! Baylor is keeping my sister Julie company while she is working on her professorship at UMSL. The three see each other on holidays and vacations and are still good buddies!
Laura Uhle We are still “dog sharing” with my son. Tess, a 7yo Schnauzer Terrier mix rescue is with us part time. Steven drives past our house on his way to work and drops her off around 6:30 a.m. and by 8 a.m. she is already on her 2nd walk of the day with her neighborhood dog friends Moose and Bear. I have basically become a doggie daycare 5 days a week!
If you are ready to welcome a pet into your home, have you thought about adopting one? And even if you don’t have room in your life right now to provide a fur-ever home, there are several organizations that will welcome you as a volunteer to walk and/or visit their animals and have opportunities for you to foster. Below are just a few of the orgs we’d recommend checking out.
Cleveland Animal Protective League in Tremont neighborhood
City Dogs of Cleveland Detroit Shoreway neighborhood
Rescue Village east of Cleveland in Russell Township
One of a Kind Pet Rescue in Akron
Northern Ohio Canine Companions national org training service dogs
We are not only pet people we are people people! Those beloved pets are always mentioned in the pre-trip phone call and are a consideration in your candidates and new hires relocation. Each person we work with receives an online Insider’s Guide[book] and if a dog or cat is part of the family we include chapters on the best dog parks, kennels for boarding, veterinarians, and more. We create a customized CLE/AKN area orientation experience for that critical first impression to be an overwhelmingly positive one and make sure that the family’s needs are addressed including those of the four-legged one’s! Call Executive Arrangements, Inc. at 216.23.9311.