An Introduction to Žulė

When I moved from Urbana, Illinois, to Columbus, Ohio, to start working at my first job, I bought a dog almost as soon as I had finished settling into my new apartment. That dog was named Žulė, and she was an apricot Miniature Poodle. Eventually, her fur turned almost white.

Žulė defied every Poodle stereotype. She rarely barked, she was extraordinarily confident and independent, and she exhibited no nervous or unnerving habits. I trained her to ride calmly in the car, and by the young age of four months, she could sit quietly throughout a seven-hour trip to Chicago. During our many drives to Chicago, Žulė and I often pulled into an Amoco station in West Layfayette, Indiana. While I freshened up, the gas station attendant who had gotten to know us walked Žulė around the property.

After Mr. Irene and I married ("love me, love my dog"), Žulė brought us much joy. She died just short of her eighteenth birthday.

Columbus, Ohio, November 13, 1986. Žulė, at the age of four months, rests after being groomed for the first time.