08/23/2024
With incredible sadness, it pains me to share with you the passing of our beloved friend and companion Carter. The "Rover" in "Rover and His Roadster," no words can truly describe the hurt my family and I feel.
Found nearly 5 years ago wandering the streets of Fort Worth by the city's animal control, Carter was taken to their kill shelter near downtown. When my son Aiden and I met him, we were seeking a companion for our Bear who was sick with kidney disease. After chasing Carter for 15 minutes or more in an outdoor holding pen, we were finally able to corner and hold him. He was so scared. It's funny now looking back knowing the velcro pup he would become.
After anxiously waiting through the required 10-day period allowing any previous owner to claim him had passed, we adopted and welcomed Carter into our family. The two doggies bonded instantly on the way home and we're so grateful for the comfort Carter provided Bear during Bear's final months.
Carter had no collar so we had to come up with a name. Aiden decided on "Carter" after Vince Carter, the famous NBA player whose leaping ability is legendary, because our newest family member could jump incredibly high. I mean, really high.
Carter's arrival coincided with the beginning of my traveling throughout the US in our (his) '76 MG Roadster. No sane person would copilot over 70k miles in under 4 years, through 38 states plus Canada and Mexico in a car nearly 50 years old with no heater or air conditioning, but Carter loved nothing more. Always eager to "go, go, go!" He so enjoyed the new sites and smells our travels brought, and the opportunities to lift his leg and claim a new adventure destination his own. I couldn't ask for a better travel partner.
Like Bear, there will never be "another" Carter. He was so special. I am thankful he became a part of our family and our time together will forever be cherished. A piece of me is gone now.
Oh, dear Carter... no longer can I look forward to opening the front door and being greeted with your exuberance (regardless if I was gone a day or 10 minutes). I hope I provided you a good life.
Oh dear dear Carter... goodbye my closest friend.
