About

My Story

My Birth – I was born on August 11, 2011 in Apex, North Carolina. My breeders name is Gerardo Reyes. He picked me over all my brothers and sisters to be specially placed with my new parents.  I am an Airedale Terrier, they call me the king (queen) of terriers. I am crossed with an otter hound and a black and tan terrier. When my parents spoke to Gerardo, they just told him they want a daughter that was calm and loving. They had no idea what else they were going to get…

My Name – I didn’t get to meet my new parents until the end of October at about 10 weeks old. They were too busy having fun in Europe. Little did Mom know at the time, she was on her engagement trip. Dad had popped the question in Switzerland right after they were in Munich, Germany drinking away at Oktoberfest. That is how I got my name. My parents love to travel and it became one of their only outlets before me. They relish in the history and the lifestyle of Europe and knew they wanted to name me something with European flare. My ancestors did come from England so it does seem fitting to me.

My Mom – Her name is Rhonda and she has always been in the real estate and finance market. Everything was going great until the end of 2008. Her income overnight dropped 80% and little did she knew it was the start of an awful downward spiral for a lot of world. Luckily, she had just met my Dad a few months earlier. They met in a bar, but I don’t know if I am supposed to tell anyone that. I know they both love beer. It must be a Chicago thing. Oh yeah, my Dad is from Chicago too! They grew up 2 towns over from each other, Elgin and West Chicago, and had to have both their lives take them all the way to St. Petersburg, FL to actually meet. How cool is that?!

Anyway, things kept getting worse and worse for my Mom and her business. My Mom tells me that I am the only good thing that came out of the mortgage meltdown. Don’t know exactly what that is about, but if it is why I have to give her hugs and be with her all of the time, I’m happy.

Since I have lived with my Parents, they both strived personally and professional. Yep, all because of me! They tell me they are paying me back for my services of love by buying me a big RV and taking me for a long road trip. I am really not falling for that crap, but figure if it is a way I get to spend more time with them and go on hikes every day, I will continue to let them think they owe me big-time!

My Dad – His name is Tony and he builds batteries for defense companies. I have no idea what that means. It confuses me even more when Dad comes home and tries to talk to Mom about work. She just stares at him blankly and eventually tells him to stop talking. Even though my Mom isn’t a science geek, I know she is very proud of him. She likes to call him her little rocket scientist. I usually just butt my nose in between them, literally, when Dad comes home and hugs Mom. It is my way of saving mom from science talk but also getting Dad to play with me. Win-Win!

He is a Gator, don’t know what that is but I have seen pictures. He graduated from Gainesville with a degree in Microbiology. He came to St. Petersburg in hopes to work at Moffitt Cancer Center to do research. Once he got the job and realized how much it paid, well… it wasn’t enough to make ends meet. He was lucky that one of his best friend’s mother was able to place him at her engineering company. Over 10 years there, he worked his way up the ranks. He has had some amazing mentors that I have been lucky enough to meet. He is so happy to call them all his close friends now even though most have moved on. I hear working is nice in life and gives you a sense of purpose and intrigue but Mom and Dad say it is all about the journey and the people you meet along the way.

So that is it. That is why I am here and this is how the RV and the blog came about. My parents realized that this dog eat dog world, no pun intended, is just not worth it. Stress is a killer and they work themselves to death. They are so passionate and loyal about what they do and to the people in their lives, they just need time to regroup, reprioritize and rejuvenate. They are not going to be good to anyone if they are not around. Mom keeps telling Dad I need a sister. I guess since we have two balls of stress in the house now, we need 2 dogs to handle it! Mom tells me we are stopping in Apex, NC to see my original family so who knows…. Shhhhh, don’t tell Dad!!!!

My Resume – Since I was a puppy, Mom would work with me almost every day at home. I was her stress reliever between bad news calls and her counseling her clients. She would teach me my tricks and services and work with me so I could better help her. I have been through 2 rounds of obedience school, received my Canine Good Citizens certificate, my Therapy Good certification and my Service Dog recognition. I have been pretty busy. Next up, I am going to learn how to drive that RV.