This week I got REE-uh-quainted with an old fren, Sutton Fitzgerald, whom I hadn’t seen in 8 years (she’s 10 now), an her young protégé, Coco Chanel Fitzgerald, 2. They’re West Highland White Terriers (Westies) and totally look like sisters, altho they’re not. They’re WAY Off-the-Charts cute; delicate (only in appearance), with double coats, tidy triangle ears, and carrot-shaped tails.
The innerview was at the new, second office of their vet, Dr. T, cuz Sutton an Coco Chanel recently volunteered as Office-Greeters an Bringers of Sunshine, since the previous greeters, Captain and Reef Terrado (Dr. T was their Dad), hadda go to Dog Heaven last year an, since Sutton an Coco are Very Charming an Gruh-GARY-us an had known Dr. T their entire lives, they wanted to STEP UP an HELP OUT.
Sutton an Coco Chanel’s Mom, June, greeted me an my assistant an escorted us into a Speshul Room where the grrrls were eagerly waiting, TRAY Stylish in matching pink collars with pink an black flowers.
“Helloooo, Bonzo! It’s ME, Sutton! It’s Grand to see you again. You look Great! Hansome as EVER! How do I look? I’m all grown UP. This is my liddle Sorta Sister, Coco Chanel. She just turned 2 YES-terday!”
“You look Pawsome, Miss Sutton,” I said. (She totally DID.)” You two could be sisters. It’s a pleasure to meet you, Miss Coco Chanel. Happy birthday! May I call you Coco?”
“SURE, Mr. Bonzo!”
Jus then a man walked in to say hello. “This is our VET, Dr. T,” Sutton explained. “We’ve known him since we were liddle puppers. Wanna TREAT? They have the Yummiest Treats here!”
“It’s like a Treat FACT-tree!” added Coco.
Dr. T passed out duh-lish-us treats (from a large jar safely sittin’ onna high shelf), had a few words with Sutton an Coco’s Mom, gave us pooches ear friffles an pats on the head, then exited.
“He’s gotta lotta PAY-shunts to see,” explained Sutton. “Like US. We’ve both had our No-Puppies pruh-seed-dure,” she added proudly. “It’s the ree-SPON-subble thing to do if you’re not plannin’ to be a Puppy Mommy.”
“It’s Easy-peasy. You just sorta take a liddle NAP,” added Coco.
“I hafta havva lotta uh-POINT-mutts, cuzza my Terrible ALLER-gees,” Sutton continued. “I think I’m allergic to Florida, speshully now that Spring is comin’. Mom says Spring is ‘THAT TIME OF YEAR’ when there’s this mysterious Something called POLL-en, from oak trees, an something ELSE in plain ol’ GRASS, which is a Total Bummer cuz that’s EVERYwhere. Anyway, it all floats around in the air an gets in our noses, cuz we’re. always sniffin’, bein’ dogs an all. We sneeze an have runny noses an eyes, an feel Totally Soggy Dog Biscuits an Itchy all over. So Mom brings me in for a shot. Dr. T or maybe another nice person sorta fluffs around in your fur for the Right Spot. An you’re spos’ to hold STILL. An I always feel Much Better after.”
“Oh, yeah, shots,” I said. “I’ve had those, too.”
“Once,” Sutton continued, “when I was a puppy, I had an uh-MER-gency, so Mom brought me to Dr. T. I was a liddle app-re-HEN-sive, so I barked at first. But he took care of me, an it wasn’t that scary, Mom says it was a Close Call.
“Also, sometimes I eat stuff I shouldn’t so Mom brings me here. All us pooches like when Dr. T gets down on the floor with us, an talks to us, an plays with us so we feel happy an calm an stuff. (But I still sometimes forget to NOT eat just any ol’ thing that looks duh-lishus.)”
“I like to play-HUNT,” Coco offered. “I mean, our ANN-cesters hunted VERmin in the Highlands of SCOTland. They were Small but Fearless like us, right, Sutton?” then she added, “Full disclosure, sometimes I, too, eat stuff I shouldn’t. It’s a Dog Thing.”
“Woof, she sure DOES! Like twisty ties. An Q-tips. An Mom’s eyelash curler,” Sutton added.
“Mom’s always sayin’ NO NO NO NO Coco Chanel!!!” Coco admitted. “She says the VERY WORST are those liddle yummy-lookin’ round things called Saw Palmetto Berries. They’re all over the place an one bite could send a pooch straight to Dog Heaven. But they really DO look duh-lishus.”
Sutton rolled her head. “Oh for Lassie’s Sake, Coco, you KNOW what Dr. T. says! We should warn all our pooch frens!”
“I know. You’re right,” Coco conceded.
“As I recall, Sutton,” I segued, “you’re from a breeder in At-LAN-ta.”
“Why, YES, I AM a Southern Belle. Also, I’m I ackshully Mom’s second Sutton. It’s a FAM-ly name. Me an Mom’s first Sutton (who’s in Dog Heaven now) were named for where we lived in New York City: Sutton Place. I love dressin’ up.
“Coco an I have a whole wardrobe of monogrammed jackets an collars for every occasion, every season: Tartan plaid, Green for St. Patrick’s Day, we’re always On Trend. Coco’s not quite that into fashion, tho. An she’s ALWAYS talkin’. Mom says she’s in the Terrible Twos.”
“So, Coco,” I quickly stepped in, “how’d you find your Furever Famly?”
“Mom looked an looked for Just the Right Westie fren for Sutton after her bestie, Chloe, hadda go to Dog Heaven. She finally found ME at a pet store in Melbourne.”
“Chloe was the Grand Dam of the family. We were very close. I was sad,” Sutton shared. “I found one of her toys an put it on the bed an played with it by myself. It made me feel closer to her. Now me an Coco are like sisters. I’m teachin’ her Important Pooch an Fashionista stuff. It’s fun gettin’ all dressed up in our BEST, or Like Mom says, in our satin dresses an pearls. Then we prance!
Hello World! It’s US!!”
Headin’ home, I was thinkin’ how Sutton is just as charmin’ and happy as she was all those years ago, an how Coco an the next generation of Fitzgerald Westies are as entertaining an full of zwah duh vee-vruh as those who came buh-fore.
Till next time,
Don’t Be Shy
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