(aka Apple)
(1985 - 1998) |
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As I entered the apartment on my
birthday, Randy (about to burst with excitement) quickly
compelled me to look into the downstairs bathroom. As I
opened the door, a mass of white, red, tongue, fur, and
paws bowled me over. Having told Randy that we couldn't have anymore pets (a lease regulation), I had accidentally left the door open by saying the rule was no dogs unless it was a pure bred cocker spaniel. |
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| Faced by the reality of my words, I now had to name this bundle of fur. Wanting an eclectic name, we chose "Appollonia". If you know your Eighties' movies, you'll know that this was the name of Prince's girl friend in the movie "Purple Rain". Still young and very much in love, using a name from the movie we saw on our first date seemed apropos. |
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| We soon became interested in owning a pet store and to get financial assistance from Randy's father, we moved to Cleveland, Ohio. There I was driving at night in the W. Va. mountains, leaving all my family behind, with everything I owned in a truck, freaking as I navigated the twisting curves while Apple kept jumping at something. A tiny hole in the paneling between mine and Randy's seat looked like a bug to my crazy pup and she was determined to get it. |
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| Like all cockers, Apple-Dapple was full of energy and brought tons of life, happiness and frustration to our lives. Randy once had to remind me that she was a sporting dog, and that falling into Lake Erie was not a problem. Her favorite toy was a nyla-ball, which she could find no matter where it rolled. Once, on returning from the movies, we found a huge hole chewed out of the side of our sofa; but Apple had her ball back. LOL |
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| After setting up shop, we decided not to sell puppies or kittens; but that didn't stop us from breeding Apple for our own puppies. We found a reputable cocker spaniel breeder outside of Cleveland and set Apple up for a date with Punch. Sixty-two days afterward, we got our first litter of six pups (that included Elektra, Mr. Peabody 14th, Winston, and McHale). We traded a pup from this litter for our second cat, Sheagra. |
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| A year later, after the move to Canton, Oh., we bred Apple one more time and got another litter of six pups (that included LBB, EightBall, Spot, Ebony and Kyre). Rushing home from a modeling show, we watched for several hours while the pups slowly emerged. Anxious, I called our breeder and found that it could take some time to deliver all the pups. Thinking Apple needed to use the bathroom, I followed her out with a towel and flashlight and was surprised to find her deliver EightBall right on the sidewalk. After all the pups had arrived, Apple not only took a much-needed drink of water, but she went around the house and brought back ALL of her toys for her new little ones. |
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| Unfortunately, Apple, had a mild stroke in 1998. Although, it didn't greatly affect her, with her other old age problems and heavy breathing, she had become a very old, sick dog. At the same time, LBB became ill. So, on Thursday, July 10, I had to have both LBB and Apple put to sleep
at the same time. What a heart-wrenching day that was! By the next day, I had proof that I had done the correct thing. It was much, much quieter in the house without the heavy,
labored breathing that Apple had been doing. |
