Owen: August 3, 2001 – July 23, 2010

Sweet, loving, gentle and loyal, Owen was a true friend. Always generous, he'd bring a shoe as a gift to visitors at the door. He loved chasing tennis balls, snuggling on the couch, eating (of course), holding his leash on walks and most of all being near me and his family. I remember picking him out of the litter, a pudgy little puppy and the mellowest of the bunch. He waddled over to me wagging his little tail and I knew right away that we were to be buds. He was my friend and confidant through some of the best and most challenging times of my life.

Born in Maine in 2001, Owen lived first in Cambridge, MA, then moved to Ann Arbor, MI with me in the summer of 2003. We took two road trips to Colorado and hiked a 14,000 ft peak together. I built him a special seat in my Volkswagen Vanagon right behind the driver's seat where he could peer out of the folding window, periodically sniff and give me kisses as I drove.


He taught his Wheaton Terrier cousin Bailey, a breed not known for swimming abilities, how to swim and fetch sticks from the water in Lake Dillon. He endeared himself to his Grandma and Grandpa while staying in Pittsburgh for 4 months while I explored living in Germany. During that time he ate food from their coffee table and broke their dishwasher by standing on the door to lick dishes. Because of him, I met many incredible people and dogs in Ann Arbor, including Alyssa and Kuma with whom we eventually merged packs.

We walked in Bird Hills Nature Area every day for years with David, his pooch Anna and Chantal with Brandi the huntress. Owen made fast friends with everyone he met. We took numerous rock climbing trips to the Red River Gorge in Kentucky where he played with Kuma and Anna under the rock walls. One of his claims to fame is a picture of him smiling while on one of those trips, which was published in the 'Smiling Dogs' section of Bark Magazine (Sept./Oct. 2009).

Owen had many nicknames: Owie, Big O, Big Boy, Biggles and Mr. Big. He was compared at various times to a lion due to his regal demeanor, an Egyptian prince since his eyes looked like they had dark eye shadow and the Sphinx because he often sat with his head held high with two paws straight in front of him. Always game for consuming food, he could hear cheddar cheese being unwrapped from across the house and would always come running. He loved licking the empty cream cheese container and sampling a little of my beer in his food dish. Owen even hydrated with a passion, sometimes requiring interruption to remind him to stop drinking water from his bowl. Walking Owen was sometimes a challenge. He loved to walk himself, one puppy habit I could never stop him from doing. He was always eager to walk though, no matter the weather.


Owen went much too early but lived a full life. He enriched my life with a love only he could provide. Now that he is gone, I feel an emptiness in our house. Even when he was sleeping on his dog bed and not making a sound, his presence was warming. I will miss stroking his soft strong head and giving him big hugs. I'll always be thankful for the special bond he and I shared.


Owen was a special being and I’m sure other people have many more stories and thoughts. Please share your comments.