Barking Up the Family Tree

My article is going to the dogs–literally.  Colleen of The Oracle of OMcHodoy, belongs to a blogging group that primarily features their canine pets.  It started me thinking about the dogs and other pets in our family's lives, and how we often neglect to document them.

I would guess that many genealogists do not think it important to discover whether their ancestors had pets, what kind, and if they played a special role within the family.  I believe that our pets shape our lives.

A good way to learn about pets is through our family photographs.  And so I am challenging my blogging friends, to write a brief story about the pet(s) of your ancestors, or one of your own. Include photographs of either your current canine, or even better one pictured with an ancestor or relative.

Don't have a dog? Then the feline, equine, and avian branches of the pet family are  acceptable too. Once you post your story, let me know (leave a comment) and I'll post your link here.

My family story, in photographs, follows below.

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***DOGS IN MY FAMILY***
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The photo above was taken of my father circa 1913.  Okay, I agree, the dog in the photograph is stuffed (notice the wheels on its feet). That only made it easier to care for, and easier to photograph.

This next photograph was taken between 1900 and 1910 at the Reeds Ferry Station in Merrimack New Hampshire.  Pictured is station agent and telegraph operator (and my grandfather) Clarence L. Webster and his ever-faithful dog.

This photograph was taken circa 1920 in Manchester NH. Pictured are my grandmother Addie Manning, with her grandson Richard “Dickey” Manning, and my mother's first dog, Buddy.

This final photograph was taken again circa 1920 in Manchester NH. My grandfather Charles Manning was a chauffeur, and here is is shown pictured with his limo and the pampered pet of his employer.

Most of our family dogs were “Heinz-49-variety” types.  I may have been the first to buy a pure-bred dog (a West Highland White Terrier). Her name is Ladie Di.

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***BLOGGER FRIENDS WITH POSTS ABOUT PETS***
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–Lori Thornton's bossy cat-in-charge, Brumley, has taken over her blog at “Smoky Mountain Family Historian“–