Hi. My name is Ashlee. I'm a 4-1/2 year old Black Shar Pei. Most of you that know me know that I was a gentle dog that never growled or hurt anyone or anything not even that pesty Cheyenne....that cat they insisted upon keeping...even though she deserved it sometimes. You also know that I wasn't an especially affectionate dog...but I did love my family very much...especially my Pop. I would follow Pop around and wait patiently for him to play with me, take me for a walk, and then take me in his truck with him to the Car Wash where I would greet his customers and play with Hercules, my Rottweiler friend. I loved to hang out the back window of his truck and watch the cars behind me and the people's reaction when they saw me. Most laughed and waved at me. I ignored them. Colette and Nicky (my sister and brother) bought me from a breeder in Chester, New Jersey and when I was 9 weeks old, they brought me home to meet my new parents. Mom didn't want me at first, but she fell in love with me within 5 minutes. She didn't want another dog that she would love so much and that would eventually break her heart. She had another dog many years ago that she loved and lost and she remembered only too well that heartache. Unfortunately, I was to bring her that same heartache only worse. I didn't mean to. I was the runt of my litter and as such I had many health problems. They were all fixed by my loving family and all the wonderful Doctors they brought me to see. I just had ear surgery in my left ear to correct the chronic ear infections that I suffered since birth. I lost my hearing in that ear, but I could still hear them call me and talk to me in my other ear. I don't know how I would have adjusted when the other ear was operated on soon and I would lose my hearing all together. I suppose I would have learned sign language. Although that wouldn't have made much difference. I never came when they called me anyway. That's because they were always poking and proding me to clean my face and ears and put medicine in them. How I hated that! If they were foolish enough to leave the door to the backyard opened (which they always did to allow me the freedom of coming in or out), they had a hard time catching me...I would run away and hide under the deck. They were too big to get me there. They started playing silly tricks in order to get me into the house...like ringing the doorbell so that I would think someone was there and come running and barking into the house to see who it was. I didn't fall for that one too often after the first few times. LOL. About 3 years ago, they got a cat (Cheyenne). She was okay..but she never liked to play with me. I mostly stayed out of her way. Most of you know that I was attacked by another dog last February (I guess he didn't like me very much) and I was almost done in. I was nursed patiently and lovingly by my family and bounced back pretty good. Only I developed something called Separation Anxiety...I'm not sure exactly how that works...I only know that I wanted to be with them all the time now...especially my Pop. Whenever they left me alone, I tried to follow them. It was difficult because I had to chew for hours at the door and never really could get through. They were upset by that...but mostly because I injured myself. I even tried to chew my way out of the windows several times. I did once and injured my leg jumping out the 2nd story window. When they left me in the backyard, I found places to dig my way out under the fence. I would run around the neighborhood looking for them and when I couldn't find them, I would visit my doggie friends barking outside their gates to see if they would come out to play. They never did. When I tired of that, I went home to wait patiently for my parents to return so that I could finally go to sleep beside my Pop's chair in the den while he watched television. They became especially upset by my ability to get out of the backyard....particularly when they found me lying and waiting in the middle of the street for them. I don't know why I did this...I just wanted to be able to see them coming down the street I suppose. Anyway, Pop tried his best to plug up all the places I dug out of and he finally succeeded the other day. But he forgot just one. The new iron fence they put in a few weeks ago. I found a vulnerable spot and when they left me one night, I ran to it to achieve my goal. Unfortunately, I didn't quite make it. That stupid fence trapped me and that was it! I died. They could not save me from myself. So here I am waiting patiently now for my family to join me. I broke their hearts and I'm sorry for that. I love them very much and I know they love me.

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Ashlee's People Parent(s), Leslie, would appreciate knowing you have visited their Ashlee's Memorial Residency.

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