Our Life With Dachsies Fritz and Anya

1997-2007

In Apr 1997, we agreed to take care of Fritz and Anya for Linda Colbert while she did missionary work. Above left, Jency James holds a very relaxed Fritz in Jul 1997. Above right, Linda and Fritz in Aug.

Above left, Fritz and Anya’s first humiliating Christmas picture in 1997 complete with Santa hat and reindeer horns. In Dec 1997, Linda took the dogs back right before Christmas. We’d bathed them to have them nice and clean for her, but the night before she arrived, Fritz found a possum in the back yard and went for it, terrifying the possum and getting himself filthy. He was happy, but I wasn’t, having to bathe him again! In 1999 Linda decided to give the dachsies to us permanently because her home situation was too unsettled. Above right, Fritz relaxing on the couch at the cabin in summer 1999 with Sam cooling herself on the tile. (Ironically, we had two dachshunds for Christmas 1998, just not Fritz and Anya. A young couple at St. Michael’s needed someone to babysit their two dachsies over the holidays so we volunteered.)

Above left, Xmas 1999, and another silly photo. We celebrated Christmas in England with the Kinkead-Weekes, but celebrated the holidays before and after our trip. Above right, Rick Mitchell nose to nose with Fritz, Feb 2000.

In March 2000, we had a House Cooling party before we moved to AZ. Fritz helped by sitting in a box looking cute.

Before we adopted Cici, the Cockatiel, we had the turtles in the kitchen in the house on Naseem. Fritz liked to look into their turb!

Above right, with close-up, Smoot and Fritz giving each other the eye in Dec 2000 in Scottsdale.

Above left, yet another humiliating Xmas photo, 2000.

In 2000, their first winter in AZ, Fritz and Anya look cute in their sweaters.

In Apr 2001, Barbara Rugeley came to visit us and enjoyed playing with the dogs.

Above, Charlotte giving Fritz a brushing in 2001 at our rent house on Naseem.

Above left, Christmas 2002 in our empty new home on San Pedro Dr. Above right, Jency came to visit us in May 2002.

In Nov 2002, Ron and Angela Ingram Vasey came to visit us and Fritz did his best to be adorable.

The dogs had their photo taken with Santa for Xmas 2002, a gift from our new neighbor, Marilyn Shupe. In Jul 2003, Fran and Leonard Johnson visited us and, of course the dogs had to have their share of attention.

Left, Anya sacked out on the carpet in 2003. Right, Fritz and Anya on their cushion.

In Oct 2003, Linda Colbert and Steve Fildes came to visit us and got re-acquainted with the dogs.

Anya in my collection studio

Christmas 2003

Our last photo of Fritz was taken at Xmas 2004. He was 15 years old, deaf, partially blind and had a graying muzzle, but he could still do his ‘food dance’.

Fritz died on May 27, 2005. We received a lovely bromeliad plant from Marilyn, our wonderful neighbor and petsitter, as a memorial. We also got a beautiful bouquet of lilies from Becca, Bev and her family. Both were such thoughtful gifts. We also received sweet and comforting comments from other family and friends, making a hard time easier to bear.

In July 2005, Barbara came to visit us again and gave Anya extra attention.

Christmas 2005

Anya in the K9 Cooling Vest Karen gave her in Aug 2006.

In Oct 2006, Barbara and her colleague stayed with us while they attended a storytellers conference in Mesa. As usual, she got down on the kitchen floor to play with Anya.

This is the last photo of Anya, taken in Feb 2007. It was clear she was not doing well but poignantly she could still do her ‘food dance.’ She died on Feb 8, 2007. We miss both her and Fritz. They were very special dachsies.