Peachy

Pura Raza

Americans usually think of Cuba as having a sick economy, lots of poverty, and few luxuries.  It seems almost incongruous that Cuba could have an active group of purebred dog fanciers.  Once a year Cuba hosts a judged dog show attracting people from many other countries.

I too found the interest in purebreds somewhat surprising, but in my several trips to Cuba I have met members of the Doberman and Rottweiler clubs and the president of the Boxer club.  No matter what our foregone conclusions about Cuba might be, purebred dog fanciers abound in Cuba.

Among the 13 dogs Charlene and I have had, only three were AKC registered purebreds, and we never had the AKC certificate on any of them.  We really didn't care about the certificates, as it wouldn't have made any difference to us if our dogs were registered or not.  Still, as I gaze at my study walls where each of them has a framed photo, I can see echoes of purebred ancestors in many of them.  I use the breed names merely to describe them, not to try to distinguish their ancestry.  In the order we acquired them, let me introduce you to them:

1.     Annie was a 15 inch Beagle who adopted us when she came up out of the Ohio River banks to join us as we restored our old farmhouse.

2.     Boy was a perfect German Shepherd abandoned and starving.  We found him living under a pile of lumber in our barn.

3.     Roscoe looked a little like an Airedale with reddish wiry fur.  Charlene found him walking the road in front of our farm during a rainstorm.

4.     Yo-yo was a beautiful tri-color American Fox Hound who became the light of our lives.

5.     Spotty was a small bird dog like so many who bred casually on the farms in our area.

6.     Pepe was a black purebred miniature poodle, acquired from some people who ignored and mistreated him.  He lived with Charlene's mother for years and finally came to live with us. He lived to 16 years of age.

7.     Casey was a Wheaten Terrier, possibly purebred as we got her from a Wheaten Club rescue group.

8.     Hope was given to us by our vet.  She had been savagely attacked, causing the loss of one eye.  She had long curly scraggly fur and loved living out her life in a good home where she was loved.

9.     Velcro was a white Cock-a Poo, as gentle as a lamb.  She was found at the bridge to our island in a rainstorm by the bridge tender.  Velcro had lung cancer when we found her, but she stayed with us for 13 happy months.

10.  Peachy is a huge Golden Doodle, bigger at 100 pounds than any other we've had.  She to delights us every day of our lives.

11.  Danny was my soul mate, a Border Collie who clearly was the smartest dog we ever had.  He was 9 when his owner died, and we adopted him.  He played catch with me daily, and left us at age 13.

12.  Princess is half Golden Retriever and half something else.  She is white with a faint touch of gold, and she makes us laugh every day.

13.  Nala, a small mixed breed girl, perhaps with a little Dachshund in her and otherwise of unknown provenance.  Not here long, but loved and cherished.

That's quite an inventory of love, devotion, companionship and happiness.  Most could have been purebred judging by their looks, but few came from such fussy backgrounds.  Is the list finished?  I hope not, although Charlene and I have reached an age when we need to downsize our commitments a little.  I do know that if another dog joins our family, it is highly unlikely it will come with "papers."

Les Inglis