Ms. Hall has been with us from the beginning. Having a soft spot for kitties has led her to feed many a stray. Some she found homes for, a few she kept. Among them was Apple, a long-haired calico with a mind of her own. Apple's long hair requires extra attention. She comes to see Amanda and only Amanda pretty regularly. Amanda is patient with Apple who has a very strong personality. She doesn't always like to be touched and would prefer to stay at home on her cushy round bed.
I asked Ms. Hall how she came up with the name Apple.
"She came from the shelter with that name," Ms. Hall replied, reflecting for a moment. "They told me she was returned......twice." "I kept her and I kept the name." Ms. Hall doesn't mind Apple's attitude. She understands it and her commitment to Apple is firm.
Ms. Ragsdale has a retriever mix named Finn that she adopted six years ago. Recently she stood at the front counter after his annual exam. I asked her how she settled on the name Finn.
"I love that dog," she began. "He's such a great dog." "He's the type that's happy to see you when you walk in the door and he loves to play." She went on to describe how Finn liked to cuddle and play with her cat Scooter and his successful attempts to snuggle up to family members on a regular basis.
"Of course, he doesn't listen," she went on. "If he were to get away from me outside, he would take off and it would be a huge effort for the next hour to round him up." I nodded in agreement, having a dog myself who behaved in a similar fashion. "If I call him he'll ignore me and just keep going," Ms. Ragsdale said shaking her head. "He's the best dog, he really is so loving, but if he gets a chance to run loose he won't listen to me."
"He came from the shelter with the name Finn," Ms. Ragsdale said. Since he was a few years old it didn't fell right to change it."
So many of our clients have adopted what they often describe as "the best dog ever" or "the sweetest cat" from various shelters or rescues. Many keep the name their pet comes with in the hopes of making them more comfortable. Apple has a "strong personality" and Finn doesn't always listen. But they will always be Apple and Finn. And we wouldn't have it any other way.