We are writing to thank you for making possible our adoption of Petio (nee Elvis) back on April 6, 2007. Petio passed away on Saturday, February 12, 2022, at the estimated age of 17½ years old, surrounded by his loving family and attended by his lifelong veterinarian, but not before sharing nearly fifteen (15) joy-filled years of unconditional love and faithful companionship with us. While we are still disconsolate and miss him so deeply we also recognize that we were most privileged to be with him for as long as we were, although when you truly love someone anything short of forever is destined to end in sorrow & sadness. Every day with Petio was a gift, and we’ll never forget when we first met at an adoption event, when he walked up to me and just sat down between my feet. It is said that the people pick the dog but we really believe that it was Petio who chose us that day. We still recall his foster mom saying, “Wow, he likes you already!”
When we adopted Petio it was not merely as a pet, but our first child, which he will always be. At that point we were childless and decided that we wanted to share our life & love with a living being in need of a good, well, forever home, and within two months we became pregnant with our son, Hugh. After all the doctors, all the pain & suffering, all the tears, and the multiple miscarriages over a decade, who would have thought that it would be this sweet little dog who would make the impossible possible, which makes Petio even more special to us, because of everything he brought us. Petio was bi-lingual, understanding both English and Japanese, and watchful over Hugh like a mini-big brother, even though we never taught or expected that of him. As a member of a Japanese household Petio loved his sticky sushi rice and sashimi, especially his favorite, maguro tuna, something which he knew was special and truly relished, sans the wasabi, of course.
We still have his original A Forever Home profile in which he was portrayed as an “absolute sweetheart” and “a wellloved little dog” who would “make a special pet for a loving home.” We used to enjoy taking him out on walks when he would just focus straight ahead, all the while strutting & prancing in his poodle high-step, which was always a delight to watch and would always bring others to a smile. From dirty dust mop to high-stepping Prince Charming among poodles, he was graceful, handsome, and athletic, with long legs and a shiny white coat, and whenever we took him out others would ask if he was a show dog, especially after a fresh grooming. They were always shocked to learn that he was a rescue. He absolutely lived up to the billing in his profile and we believe that Petio was an angel,
Heaven-sent, to help us, heal us, take away our pain, and maintain vigil over us. If he was here on a mission, which we believe, he certainly accomplished it in style as our little miracle maker. We are not ashamed to admit that we are still mourning his departure for the hills & meadows before the Rainbow Bridge.
…We also would like to thank and compliment Petio’s former family on how Petio was raised and treated in his early life, as noted by the description that it “is obvious that Elvis was a well-loved little dog. He is gentle, playful, [and] non-aggressive,” all of which was absolutely true. Petio never growled, snapped at, or bit anyone. Additionally, he was the single most intelligent dog that either of us lived with, and we are talking six or seven dogs going back to our own childhood. We never had any trouble with his behavior or health, and his vet observed that his health was exceptional, not even a cold, cavity, or a lost tooth, until his final months.
He was not an incessant barker and only raised his voice for good reason, such as when Hugh escaped his playpen as a toddler and made a run for the stairs. While we never trained him to guard or protect anyone he was discerning enough to alert us when something was awry with the loudest barks that we still can recall. Even our neighbors agreed – they all knew that if/when Petio spoke it was for good cause and took notice. That’s how discreet and intelligent he was. We will look to condense all of the above material for a future issue of Forever Tails but the volume we have written may just reflect the deep love, affection, and sense of loss that we still feel for him, and the fact that we did not want his passing to go unnoticed and his life uncelebrated.
In memory of our most beloved Petio, whose spirit, we believe, lives on, forever in our hearts and in our most priceless & precious thoughts & memories, we thank you for your time, consideration, and all you do on behalf of animals in need who are helpless and often suffer at the hands of humans, and always, by no fault of their own. With deepest sorrow, but also much gratitude,
Sincerely, Phil, Genna, and Hugh