Joy always enjoyed nature, animals and the outdoors. One of her greatest pleasures was the day she got “Charlie”, a cute little West Highland/Cairn Terrier. They enjoyed many walks and playful moments and he soon became Head of the Household. When you were over for dinner, he would let you know when it was time to leave with much grunting and jumping. Then he and Joy could get their full 20 winks of sleep.
Joy certainly missed Charlie when he passed away. Although she wasn’t a true ‘cat’ person, her next companion would be an anxious, rescue cat that someone couldn’t care for. We called him “Phantom”, because whenever we visited he made a mad dash to the spare room, never to be seen. Eventually, Joy was able to instill some trust between them and could coax him into the living room to play and have some company, but only when she was by herself. He was super quick and hated his carrying crate, so it became a real adventure for her to corral and put him in the crate for the visit to the Vet. We would always joke with her about her mystery cat and she had fun with that.
Fortunately, Joy felt the need to try and help all pets and animals; therefore she bequeathed a generous amount to the BC SPCA. We’ll remember her contribution to the betterment of the lives of many creatures.
