Miss
February 2003 - Zelda
Our February Pet of the Month is a working animal.
You may have seen Zelda at work around town, as she and Christine
Dunn take their daily walks. Zelda's at work along the river,
and down by the Town Dock and on Highway 55. That's Zelda in
the lead with Christine walking assuredly behind her. Christine's
assurance comes courtesy of Zelda, who is her guide-dog, her
eyes around town.
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Zelda
sits proudly in front of Christine Dunn
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"I listen. She looks."
Zelda has given a lot of independence to Christine, who is blind
from glaucoma. Before the dog came along, Christine couldn't
always get out for a walk; her husband, who has some back problems
could only sometimes accompany her on his electric scooter.
"And I didn't dare cross Highway 55," she says. Now
though, Zelda guides Christine along and across 55 to the gym
or over to Ms. Sil's to pick up small take-out orders. As a
team, they also make there way to the bank or walk the loop
down to the river.
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Zelda
leads Christine by the river
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Christine, who turns 80 in June, met Zelda for the first time
last August at the Southeastern Guide Dog school in Palmetto,
FL. For 26 days they trained together and they've been constant
companions ever since.
A Golden Dor
Zelda is a three year old "Golden Dor" a mix of Golden
Retriever and Black Lab, otherwise known as a yellow Lab. Whatever
the name, Christine chose her for that light colored coat. "I've
got a little bit of vision," she says, sitting in a chair
inside her house on Midyette Street. "and with the street
light out there shining in through this window at night, I can
see Zelda as that spot of white on the floor and won't fall
over her when she sleeps."
In her waking hours, Zelda is alive with purpose, especially
when she has her harness on. She's all business. On a recent
walk through town, Christine pointed out Zelda's training, which
includes 40 commands. "She's taught to show all the curbs.
She'll stop and wait till she knows I'm ready. And she stops
at every bench," says Christine, "so I'll know it's
there if I want to take a rest."
| 
Zelda
visits school
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Recently, Zelda, Christine and her husband Ernest visited Christa
Brown's 3rd-grade class at Anderson Elementary school. The class
had been reading about a guide-dog and Christine gave them a
demonstration. The children, she says, put chairs in their path
and then Zelda steered her clear of them.
Prancing Zelda
The Christine and Zelda team venture outside of Pamlico County,
too. A few weeks ago they went to Twin Rivers Mall in New Bern
for the first time, which meant that Zelda had to be trained
about the layout. With Christine's daughter and granddaughter
in tow, they walked through the mall a few times as a group.
"She is taught to always walk along the left," says
Christine, which meant that on entering the mall, Zelda took
an immediate and keen interest in the Chick-Fil-A stand just
inside the entrance. But soon she was on her task, maneuvering
their way past obstacles such as the racks and bins in front
of storefronts and in to the larger dept stores such as Belk's
and Penney's. They made two rounds as this entourage of four
and then it was just Zelda and Christine. Christine says Zelda
remembered the route perfectly, taking her in to Penney's and
Belk's as she'd just been taught. And the dog knew she was doing
it perfectly. "I could feel her prancing," Christine
says.
Prancing?? "Yes. Instead of her regular dog walk, she was
prancing. She was so proud of herself. Or as we used to say
in the old days, 'prissy'."
Don't Pet the Working Dog
The harness on Zelda has a small swatch of yellow material and
a notice that warns against petting the dog. It's not that she'll
bite. It's just that, as Christine explains, with the harness
on, the dogs are trained to work. If someone does pet them,
they're trained to shrug it off.
But once that harness comes off, Christine says "Zelda
is an altogether different dog" running around the yard,
fetching and playing.
Christine says her vision has been failing for about 20 years.
Until she was 60 she worked as an executive secretary at Cherry
Point. Her job required her to "check things other secretaries
wrote. And I began to miss letters and dangling participles."
She had to quit. The last three or four years Christine says,
she's not been able to see anything, except light-colored things
that may be very close by. Like Zelda sleeping in the glow of
the street light.
"She's added a lot of life
to this family"
In 60 years of marriage, Zelda is the first dog that Christine
and Ernest have had in their home. "I was never that fond
of dogs," says Ernest. There had been dogs when their children
were growing up, he says with a grin, "but they stayed
in a barn. I used to say, 'The day a dog moves in, I move out'.
| 
Ernest
and Christine with Zelda
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But it's very apparent that Zelda has won his heart. "I
dearly love her. She has brightened up this family," he
says, noting the independence Zelda has given to Christine,
as well as the comical way she acts when she's not 'at work'
and just wants to play. "I still wouldn't want an ordinary
dog in my house. But Zelda's not an ordinary dog. My sister
says she has me wrapped around her paw."
Christine agrees. "She's added a lot of life to this family."
Team Oriental Walking To Raise
Funds for Guide Dogs
Zelda is not in town to receive her Milkbone as we announce
her as our Pet of the Month because she's doing even more work
out of state. This weekend, she and Christine are back in Palmetto,
FL taking part in a walkathon for Southeastern Guide Dogs. The
organization provides the dogs and training for free and the
walkathon is one way to raise funds. The team from Oriental
is planning to walk 5 kilometers. If Christine raises $2,000
she can name a dog.
Contributions can be sent (noting Christine Dunn/Zelda on the
check) to:
Southeastern Guide Dogs, Inc.
4210 77th Street East
Palmetto, Florida 34221
www.guidedogs.org
Previous Pet Of The Month Winners
Mr December
2002 - Orville
Mrs/Misses November 2002 - The Ducks
Mr October 2002 - Bear
Miss September 2002 - Lucy
Miss August 2002 - Sally
Know a pet
that is a standout? Send in some details & photo to pet@towndock.net.
Tell us why that pet deserves our coveted Pet of the Month Prize
Package --- accolades, a pat on the head (snakes excluded) and
a box of Milk Bones ( or snack suitable for the species).
Animals
caught near the HarborCam attempting to suck up to the judges
will be disqualified.
