In Memory of Sassy and Albie

I recently lost the two pets that I would say I loved the most. Neither dog actually belonged to me but there was definitely a mutual attachment between each of them and me.

SASSY POYNER
Sassafras "Sassy" belonged to the Poyner family, but she was always excited to see me when I stopped by. She wouldsit at the edge of the room and bark or whine until I gave her some attention. She liked to sit for periods time in my lap and always wanted her belly rubbed. No matter the time of day she was always hopeful that I would take her for a walk, even if I was leaving the house at midnight she would be at the front door looking at me with questioning eyes.

I remember the time that I stopped by on a Sunday afternoon to talk with Sue. Someone had locked the front door so I wasn't able to enter the house. Sassy heard me and when I left started crying. Sue had been napping and thought something was wrong with Sassy. She got up just in time to see my car going around the corner.

My favorite memory of Sassy has got to be the first time that I watched her after the Poyner's got a cat. I had bought Molly a cat toy that hung from a stick and had spent some time playing with her. When I was finished I had laid the toy on the coffee table with the string hanging over the edge. Sassy was so jealous that she went over and batted the toy with her paw just like the cat had been doing. Too funny!

ALBIE GUCKENBERG
Albie was my parent's dog. He was definitely a character unto himself. As a daschund he was suppose to be territorial and fierce, but with me he was a marshmallow. If they mentioned that Aunt Dawn was coming he would go spastic with excitement.

When I would get to their house he would want to get to me as fast as he could. They would put him on the couch next to me, he would come over and try to lick my face. He would expose his stomach for a rub and roll his eyes up at me with total affection. Lee never could figure this strange behavior of Albie's. It was quite unusual for a daschund.