The Abele's Web Site

The Abele's

Our Pets Page

Here's a look at some of our four-legged family members, both past and present.
To those who are gone, we sadly miss them.

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This is Brownie Bear. She is a rescued shelter dog from Savannah, Georgia. We had been thinking of getting another dog for quite a while. We wanted them about five years apart so the house would never be quiet again if something happens to Honey. When we saw the adoption picture of her and read her name, we knew it was fate. Donovan's favorite bear (the one he sleeps with every night) is Brownie and looks just like her. She is reported to be part German Shepherd and part Chow. She should wind up being close to the same size as Honey. She's in her puppy-mode and is hyper and loves to play. She is usually at our feet (fighting for space with Honey). She is an excellent addition to the family and has a wonderful temperament and is excellent with the kids. The first photo is her at her "adoptive" house in Georgia. The second is the night Don picked her up. The last is a recent photo of her. Like Honey, there are a lot of other photos of her on the pages with the rest of the family (right where she belongs as well).

Savannah, GA 05 October 2007	Boston, MA 17 November 2007	Blackstone, MA 21 December 2008

This is Honey Bear. Kelly adopted her a short while after Casey died. She just couldn't be without a pet in the house - it was just too quiet. Honey has a very diverse lineage which is not absolutely clear. We think she's part Rottweiler, part German Shepherd, and part Golden Retriever. She is a wonderful dog and absolutely loves the kids (and I think they "kinda" love her too). She has a fantastic temprament. The first picture is of her as a puppy (about 2 months old). The second she's about 3 years old. And the third is a recent picture of her. There are plenty of other photos of her on the pages with the rest of the family photos (just like she's always with us in real life).

Poulsbo, WA 31 October 2001	Chesapeake, VA 15 October 2004	Blackstone, MA 21 December 2008


	Wolf - Poulsbo, WA 25 June 2001	Star - Poulsbo, WA 25 June 2001

These guys are Wolf and Star. After Tigger died we adopted these two. They had been abandoned at birth and were about 3 months old when we got them. They were a cross of Maine Coon cat and domestic short-hair. Wolf got all the Coon looks, while Star got the attitude (she also had some very striking eyes, hence the name). We had them for over 3 years, both in Maine and while we were in Washington. Unfortunately, during that time they cost us in the thousands of dollars in repair bills (they were VERY destructive). When I got orders to move to Virginia, we decided we just could not afford them any longer. It was a hard decision to abandoned them again, but we really tried to make them a part of our family. The natural "imprinting" that happens with cats when they are kittens just never happened. Don turned them over to an adoption center in Washington that will keep them until they are adopted - they do not euthanize the cats.


Tigger and Precious Virginia Beach, VA 1992	Tigger - Casey - Precious Groton, CT 1993	Precious Poulsbo, WA 22 January 2001
These 2 guys are who totally changed Don's opinion (and love) of cats. When Don met Kelly in 1991 she had just "stolen" them (brothers from the same litter) from the pound in Jacksonville, North Carolina, where they were due to be euthanized. They were only a couple of months old and boy did they grow on me. Yes, they all got along when Casey came along as you can see. Really, it only took a little adjustment (and many paws to the side of the head), but in the end, the three of them were the best of friends. Especially since Casey grew to be MUCH bigger than them. You may argue, but Casey was affected by each of their deaths. He moped around the house for several days afterwards (as did the rest of us). We lost Tigger on 13 June 1998 while in Maine. Apparently he ate a mouse which had eaten poison left by the previous owners of our house. It was his death that prompted us to adopt Wolf and Star. Precious "aka Fat Boy" was with us for over 10 years before he finally past away in his sleep on 15 August 2001 while in Washington.


Casey - Groton, CT 1993	Casey - Poulsbo, WA 22 July 2001	Casey - Mount Olympus, WA 18 August 2001
This is Casey. He was the greatest gift that Kelly ever gave Don (the kids don't count). She surprised Don with him on their first wedding anniversary in Connecticut. A hyper, energetic puppy (that ate our entire kitchen floor) at first, he turned out to be a great dog. Lovable, loyal, obedient, protective, playful. He had the most expressive face we've ever seen in a dog. Even people that didn't like dogs fell in love with him, it was hard not to. He developed cataracts, hip dysplasia, and the graceful aging marks of a gray muzzle, but was just as playful as ever. No matter where we were, you could be sure that he was right there with us, underfoot, never wanting to be left out of the family. Even at 85 pounds he thought he was a lap dog. We had to have Casey put to sleep on 30 September 2001 after he got sick and Don noticed a mass in his belly. It turned out to be an inoperable tumor. He had a blood count of less than half what it should be - it was the hardest thing Don ever had to do and the absolute worse day of our lives. God how we miss our puppy. There is so much we could say about him, but the thoughts of him no longer being here hurt unbearably. Understand, we loved Casey like one of our children and will mourn his loss for a long, long time. Seeing these pictures brings a warm smile to our face thinking about all the great memories, a deep pain to oury heart, and a flood of tears to our eyes at the thought that they are no longer with us. Be well...