September 10, 2004

Pet of the Month

Submitted by Sue Stilwell
(For her dog Falkor)

Falkor, a yellow Labrador retriever owned by the Stillwell family, loves to travel.

Name: Falkor – I was named after the large, lovable Luck Dragon in “The Never-Ending Story.” Frankly, I don’t see the resemblance, but my humans adopted me at 10 months of age after a sad beginning; my first owners starved me and the second owners overfed me. My humans renamed me “Falkor” because they thought I was a lucky guy.

Breed: Yellow Labrador Retriever – They call me a “Yellow Lab,” but my breed does not come from Labrador—it comes from Newfoundland. They used us on fishing boats to retrieve buoys and stuff from the water. Many hunters use Labs to retrieve birds from the fields and ponds. We come in black, chocolate or yellow, but we are all the same breed.

Occupation: Good Will Ambassador – At 75-80 pounds, I used to scare a lot of people that are not familiar with dogs, but my good-natured, sunny disposition has won over many children over the years. Children who were once afraid of me now pet me!

Hobbies: Eating, fetching a ball, swimming, drooling, (eating), taking long walks, shedding, sleeping, (eating), getting brushed, going for car rides, playing with squeaky toys and Oh, did I mention I like to eat?

My Mom buys tennis balls at Costco (thank goodness!), because I love to chase a well-thrown ball. I love my doggie treats (any kind), and I love sleeping on Connor’s bed. He says that I’m “his dog,” but in reality, he’s “my boy,” and I love him dearly. I drool whenever I smell “people food,” but hey, I’m a Lab!

Other Interests: Travel. I enjoy traveling with my humans, Sue, Jeff and Connor, to various places, like Lake Tahoe, Yosemite and any place with a seashore. I love chasing balls in the surf, rolling in the sand and camping just about anywhere. I carefully disguise myself as a chocolate lab when I go camping, because I roll in the dirt.

My humans are careful never to allow me to sit in a hot car, and always check on the “pet-friendly” hotels before we leave home. Even places like Universal Studios and Disneyland have kennels for me during the day … NOT my favorite thing to do, but I put up with it to be with my family on vacations.

So, if you see me around Matsumoto School or hiking at Montgomery Hill, say “Hi!”

Sue Stillwell has earned the Evergreen Times’ first Pet of the Month award. She will receive a $20 gift certificate from Evergreen Pet Center located at Silver Creek Marketplace, 1640 E. Capitol Expressway, near Hollywood Video, (408) 274-2555.