Pet Tales

Our pets feel like family members, and we grieve them the same way.  Your pet’s obituary may never make it to the local newspaper, but it can still provide an enormous amount of solace for you and any other family members or friends.

Waverly

~ Beloved companion, loyal co-pilot, sunshine-seeker ~
Estimated age: 10–17 years
Adopted: July 29, 2015 • Passed: June 9, 2025

Waverly and I found each other in the summer of 2015. She was quiet but curious, with a gaze that seemed to hold a lifetime of stories I’d never know—but would get to honor. The truth is, I didn’t rescue her. She rescued me, again and again, in all the quiet, daily ways love works its magic.

We spent ten beautiful years together, though I believe she may have been much older—an old soul with a gentle spirit and a big, bossy heart. She loved belly rubs, sun patches on the floor, claiming her rightful “cheese tax,” and using her Wild West tongue to give kisses to everyone within reach. Her tail wag was subtle, but steady. Her presence filled the room before her paws ever entered it.

Waverly taught me what it meant to be still. To soften. To show up every day even when life feels heavy. She saw me through trauma, growth, grief, and joy—never asking for anything more than a safe place to rest and someone to love her back.

She passed peacefully in my arms after a brief but painful battle with stomach cancer and mast cell disease. Even in the end, she carried herself with grace and stubborn dignity.

To the world, she may have been just a dog.
But to me, she was home.
And I will carry her with me for the rest of my days.

If you’d like to honor her memory, take a walk somewhere new, sit in the grass, share your snack, or curl up with your favorite blanket. That’s what she would’ve wanted.

Thank you, Waverly, for everything.
Forever my best girl.

Pumpkin & Cinder

Cinder (black) Pumpkin (red) Doxie sisters are together again.
David took care of Cinder in 2021 & Pumpkin in 2025.
They were typical dachshunds…yappy, happy, waggy and loved.
We are moving on but their absence is missed by her dad and mom and their brothers from other mothers.

Tuxedo (Tux)

A friend of mine rescued 29 feral cats and asked me to care for them. After 9 months all had been placed in loving homes. I took two of them. This was in 2009 and we think they were around 2 years old.
The personable one (Tux) was like a dog. He loved to play (especially with dogs), retrieve balled up paper and use the doggie door to out on the deck to soak up some sun and go on walks with me.
I miss him so badly. He was my little buddy

Twister

Sleep easy T, I’ll love you forever.

Sophie

I called her Sophina.  I think she liked that name.  One of my students had one too many cats so I wound up with “Smoke”, which I quickly changed to Sophie.  Sophie was quite bossy especially during feeding times.  She made sure I was right behind her going into the kitchen to prepare her meals.  She would sit and wait on the rug.  Her favorite was roasted chicken. 

She loved her soft toy mice sprinkled with catnip.  Sophie is now with her sister, Misty, sitting on a porch watching cars go by.  I know they are.  I miss you.  I will love you always.

Wocket

Wocket was the type of cat that was always happy, he always wanted attention and just to be with people all the time. He was the sweetest and most lovable cat ever, who will never be forgotten. Everyone misses him so much.

Colby

Seems like yesterday that we adopted Colby from the shelter in Tappahannock.  We never knew his age because he was found on the side of the road by my granddaughter (no collar, no ID).  Colby spent most of his life with us sprawled on the sofa, going for long walks sniffing everything, and enjoying his peanut butter filled bones.  We miss him so much!

Nicomachus

I am grateful for every moment I got to spend with Nico. He was with me through every major relationship, every move, all of the best and worst times of my life. He loved to cuddle, climb, play, and do mischief. He was the friendliest, bravest, sweetest boy. He loved and wanted to know every person or creature he came across. I once brought him to visit my dad who has a pit bull. Nico was safe in his cage, but the dog was snarling at him viciously. The dog clearly saw Nico as a snack and not a friend, but there was no fear in Nico. He gently sniffed the air, as close to the dog as his cage allowed.

Nico was diagnosed with cardiomyopathy less than a year after I adopted him; I was told he was prone to sudden death and wouldn’t live long. For a time I lived in constant anxiety over him, but I am especially grateful that he lived another 5 years without any symptoms – long enough that I hadn’t thought about his condition in years. In life, and in death, his heart was oversized – too big for this world.

Piper

I was smitten at first sight. She was carried into the animal shelter (where I worked) by a colleague and when I saw her adorable little 6 week old face, I broke my own rule; don’t fall in love with and then adopt a shelter dog.  But, during our first foster night together, and after she threw up on my bed, I knew she needed me; or I needed her. Either way, she became my Piper.

For the next (one month shy) of 15 years, Piper was by my side. Almost every day and night, to work, shopping, outings, on vacation, and just about everywhere I went, Piper, my four-legged companion was my Plus One. I shared Piper with my two sons, who also accepted her as a little furball ‘sister’.  A few years later, when I met my girlfriend, Piper allowed her to be a part of our lives. We were now three.

Piper became popular in the animal welfare circle of Virginia (and beyond) and was quite the traveler. She attended conferences (all over the country), the ACO (animal control officer) academy, police dispatch centers, animal shelters, and just about everywhere I went. If Piper was with me, she would get the first hello. If she wasn’t with me, folks asked “Where’s Piper”?

I don’t know how to sum up the 15 years of happiness and joy I shared with my little dog, Piper.  I wasn’t prepared, or even wanted, to say goodbye.  On Tuesday May 6, 2025, I let her go and my heart was instantly broken.  I love her with all that I am and will miss her tremendously.

Black n White

I’m blessed to have had the joy of loving Black n White. I still remember the day I adopted him as a kitten from the shelter (along with his brother, who is still with us). He was a sweet boy who charmed me right away. BnW loved tummy rubs, chicken treats and snuggling in bed. He was happily spoiled and enjoyed drinking water poured straight from a bottle – he would meow whenever he saw anyone holding a water bottle! He was so silly, adorable and very vocal – he meowed a lot. Our family always said he was like a little person in a cat with his big personality. He seemed to know when I was sad, and would jump up next to me to comfort me. I will miss his sweet meow and the sound of his paws on the stairs. If love could have kept him alive, he’d have been here forever. Thyroid and kidney problems took my baby away, but his memory will be with me the rest of my life. Always my little boy.