The Story of the Real Valdez
I got an email today from Gerry and this is a little story she shared with me to share with all of you!
I named Valdez after my brother's dog. He was a standard poodle, Labrador retriever mix that my brother was given and it was love at first sight. Valdez was named after a Spanish explorer and David, my brother, took Valdez everywhere. Except he had a chance to go out deep sea fishing. It was an overnight trip so he took Valdez across Houston to a friend's house. This is miles, maybe fifteen or so, in a car. He dropped V off and then drove to Galveston and got on the boat. When he got back the next day, his friends told him that Valdez had disappeared. David was very upset and went to the pound. No Valdez. He drove all over the neighborhood near his friend's house and no dog. Finally, he gave up and drove home, sure he'd seen the last of his dog. There, sitting on the front porch, was Valdez. How on earth that animal had found his way home, we have no idea. He had been driven across town, over freeways, for miles. That's when David started calling him Valdez the Wonder Dog. Valdez lived a long and happy life. My brother and his wife moved with him to Austin and every Halloween they would walk down Sixth Street with hundreds of other people. Valdez would have a bandanna around his neck and enjoy the crowds. When he got old, he became sick and my brother spent a lot of money trying to keep him alive as long as possible. When he finally died, I thought my brother was going to lose it. As it was, Valdez is buried in a pet cemetary in Austin with a headstone with his name on it. I've never seen it, but I'm glad he's honored that way. David was thrilled when I told him I was naming a character in my books after his beloved dog. They were best friends. I'm pretty nutty about animals myself and can totally relate. Neither of us can stand to see helpless animals abused. I have a stepdaughter who goes to the Houston pound and saves animals from being euthanized weekly, working to find them homes. I don't know how she does it, but I'm dedicating my next book to her.
I named Valdez after my brother's dog. He was a standard poodle, Labrador retriever mix that my brother was given and it was love at first sight. Valdez was named after a Spanish explorer and David, my brother, took Valdez everywhere. Except he had a chance to go out deep sea fishing. It was an overnight trip so he took Valdez across Houston to a friend's house. This is miles, maybe fifteen or so, in a car. He dropped V off and then drove to Galveston and got on the boat. When he got back the next day, his friends told him that Valdez had disappeared. David was very upset and went to the pound. No Valdez. He drove all over the neighborhood near his friend's house and no dog. Finally, he gave up and drove home, sure he'd seen the last of his dog. There, sitting on the front porch, was Valdez. How on earth that animal had found his way home, we have no idea. He had been driven across town, over freeways, for miles. That's when David started calling him Valdez the Wonder Dog. Valdez lived a long and happy life. My brother and his wife moved with him to Austin and every Halloween they would walk down Sixth Street with hundreds of other people. Valdez would have a bandanna around his neck and enjoy the crowds. When he got old, he became sick and my brother spent a lot of money trying to keep him alive as long as possible. When he finally died, I thought my brother was going to lose it. As it was, Valdez is buried in a pet cemetary in Austin with a headstone with his name on it. I've never seen it, but I'm glad he's honored that way. David was thrilled when I told him I was naming a character in my books after his beloved dog. They were best friends. I'm pretty nutty about animals myself and can totally relate. Neither of us can stand to see helpless animals abused. I have a stepdaughter who goes to the Houston pound and saves animals from being euthanized weekly, working to find them homes. I don't know how she does it, but I'm dedicating my next book to her.