Pets and Peeps: Schroeder, a 'Let's Go' Dog

The People:  John and Jennifer Owen of Decatur.

Pet's name, nicknames, breed, and age:  Schroeder (from the Peanuts character). Sometimes we call him Schro. He is "mostly," if not all, a golden retriever. Seven and half years old.

How I met my pet:  My son and I went to the pet store to buy bird food and came home with a dog. Paws Atlanta was having an adoption event. Schroeder (not his original name)  had only been at Paws Atlanta a week during which they processed him and immediately put him up for adoption; he was about six months old. He had orange hair sticking out around his ears and had a great big smile. He's lost the orange hair, but still has his smile, which he shares with just about everyone. He flashed his smile at my son and me as we walked into the pet store. Schroeder was saying to himself, "These folks look like good prospects. I'll think I'll adopt them."

I love it when my pet does this: Uses his big smile and gives attention to people. One of Schroeder's best friends was our 90-year-old neighbor who had difficulty hearing. Schroeder really got into high gear whenever he saw the man, and it was a mutual attraction. When our friend came to visit us, Schroeder jumped up on the couch right beside him. Whenever we took Schroeder for a walk, he'd head to this man's house, scratch on the door and wait on the porch for his friend to come outside. The man died a couple of years ago and I often wonder if Schroeder misses him. He still wants to go by the house occasionally.

I wish my pet would stop doing this: Shedding his lovely, long, golden hair all over our dark hardwood floors.

How my pet has enriched my life: He's just another family member with his own role to play. He loves being with us and gives us lots of attention even as he demands attention from us. Having Schroeder around takes my mind off the unimportant things in life.

If my pet could talk he would say: "Let's GO!"

You can read other Decatur Patch pet stories at the Pets Topic Page. 

Patch would like to know about your dog, cat, snake, lizard, monkey, llama -- whatever kind of pet you have. If you're interested in being profiled in Pets and Peeps, email Ralph.Ellis@Patch.com.