May 01, 2007
MRS. DOODLE'S DOG
I never had the pleasure of meeting Nigel the terrier. I would read about him from time to time on his fantastic blog, Mr. Doodle's Dog. Along with sister Gimlet and the ubiquitous Joe the Cat, Nigel and his family seemed to be living in what could only be described as a canine fairytale. Lots of toys. Lots of treats. An abundance of love.
I do, however, have the pleasure of knowing Nigel's owner, Pat, a colleague of mine at the Tribune who does a wonderful job designing the Flavor section covers we work on. She and her husband Bill make a lovely home for their pets, which in turn reward them with love and affection. (One of the many bumper stickers on Pat's vehicle: "Dog is my co-pilot.")
Much in the way that Al has skewed my worldview to keep ever vigilant for interesting signs of bicycle life, Pat has tuned my receiver to look for the unique and fanciful in the canine realm. When I saw this display in Chicago a couple weeks ago at a gift store across the street from the Art Institute, I knew I had to pick up a little something to bring home.
My selection?
"Art Dog" by Thacher Hurd.
The storyline:
"Just as Superman and Batman lead quiet lives during the day as Clark Kent and Bruce Wayne, Art Dog spends his days as Arthur Dog, a mild-mannered guard at the Dogopolis Museum of Art. But under the light of a full moon, he undergoes a transformation into a creative force to be reckoned with. Through a little creativity and an astounding nose for art he manages to sniff out and apprehend a band of thieves who have stolen the priceless Mona Woofa."
I picked it because, well, Art Dog reminded me a little of Pat; doing heroic work on the sly, making a huge difference in ways that don't call attention, saving the world one page at a time.
Pat was so touched by the gift that she sent me this photo and caption:
"Gimlet admires the cover of "Art Dog" in the Doodle Dogs main library."
I say all that to tell you that Nigel the dog has passed away. When word got to me in the newsroom yesterday, I was deeply saddened. Not because I knew Nigel, but because I know Pat and I know how much she and Bill love Nigel and how something like that can tear a hole in a family.
On behalf of the Salad Nation - and their respective pets, of course - we extend our deepest sympathies and condolences.
UPDATE: Pat has posted Nigel's obituary. Get ready to pull a couple Kleenex.
Pat sent me this note earlier today:
"Oh, I’m going to be sad for a while. It has to be that way and I know it. That’s what happens when you love someone and they leave you. It makes sense."Gimlet reacted in an extraordinary way.
"We brought Nige home from the vet’s before we took him to the funeral home (you will read more about how Nigel continued to be a groundbreaking dog) we placed him on his dog bed in the kitchen. We brought Gimlet in to see him. Understand she fought him bitterly for years for top dog status. He never relented, but she had to wear a muzzle to bed for three years or more, and they had to be separated completely over a year ago. Well, she came in and began to lick his face and ears, just as she used to do when they were buddies and would sit in the front window together, or sit at my feet in the office while we all blogged. It reminded me of a king’s passage somehow, that the new king of the pack was acknowledging the old.
"It really helped us understand how animals grieve, too, and she is running around the house sighing and moaning and isn’t quite herself."
Posted by Jeff at May 1, 2007 07:47 AM | TrackBack