To the editor:
The bike path between Academy and State St. will be a little quieter from now on. Champ, our black lab, has gone to his reward. Many folks who walk the bike path regularly have seen Gwen being pulled in two by a yellow lab mix in the lead and a huffy puffy black lab taking up the rear, sniffing every interesting thing, making doggie snow angels, or just taking a quick rest.
Champ was the black lab and he loved the bike path and little park better than any place in town. He was very polite, did his business discreetly (we always had bags to clean it up) and had his favorite spots to explore: the evergreens, the beautiful rose hips, the birch trees (later the one birch that was spared by the over zealous chain saws), and the beautiful flowers by Ray and Nelda’s studio and house. Folks at the Grant United Methodist church will remember Champ taking center stage after I gently joked and cajoled Rev. Blackstone into having a “Blessing of the Pets” service a few years ago after I found it in the Methodist list of services. Wisely, Thom held this outdoors!
Sometimes, especially this winter, I would have the honor of walking his majesty. I walk equally slow, allowed him to make as many doggie snow angels as he wanted, and eat as much snow as he could. I guess it was the walking and the love that kept him going until the age of 15 years, six months and some spare change. He lasted 111 dog years.
He went the way he wanted. He had excellent care from Drs. Nick and Andrea Pesut and Dr. James Hotham at Presque Isle Animal Hospital (the first vets he ever liked), but he was having breathing problems that were beginning to impact on the quality of his life. We brought him in after a difficult night, the situation was very serious, and while we were talking about his care options after greeting our old friend, he just fell asleep and was gone. He knew it was time.
Champ was born in Russia and originally was owned by Gwen’s brother Neil and her sister in law Betsy. Neil worked for Dupont in Moscow Russia, and Betsy McKay was a reporter for the Moscow desk of the Wall Street Journal. After six years, with two small children, there was no room in their apartment. A few phone calls later, Neil arranged for us to have a new member of our family!
Champ flew from Russia to Connecticut, rested a few days, and was flown to Cincinnati. We had Champ through Cub Scouts (our den mascot), two inches from my desk as I wrote my dissertation, the first being to congratulate me when I defended it, got my first job, my first tenure track job, and tenure. We’d celebrate by going to McDonalds (when you folks that work the drive-through got an order for a single regular burger that was for Champ). His favorite burger eating haunt was by the soccer field at UMPI.
Champ enjoyed living in Maine after our time in Ohio and South Carolina. The climate was like Russia’s, he loved the snow, and he loved UMPI. Up until he was too old to brave the stairs in 2004, he’d proctor many of my final exams, and students would make sure he gained a few pounds during finals week.
You folks who regularly walk or jog the bike path will miss this regal figure you’ve grown accustomed to seeing. We miss him terribly already. If you want to make a donation to his memory, please give generously to the Presque Isle Animal Shelter.
John, Gwen, Taylor and Nathan DeFelice
Presque Isle
