Foxy Lady III: In happier times
Robert Scott, the author of Crossing the Rainbow Bridge: Your Pet: When It’s Time to Let Go is also a new PBS member. Welcome to PaperBackSwap, Robert and thank you for the interview.
And thank you Diane G. (icesk8tr) for interviewing Robert for the PBS Blog.
Diane: Thank you for allowing us to interview you for the PaperBackSwap Blog.
Robert: This is not only a pleasure, but a real honor. Thank YOU for having me!
Diane: What inspired you to write this book?
Robert: This is odd. It’s the third time today that I was asked that question. I lost my Foxy Lady on Tuesday, Oct. 12, 2010. The following Saturday, Oct. 16, marked the start of our anniversary of having moved into this house. I was sitting on the lanai, thinking of Lady and I started to sob as I looked across the lanai toward “our” bedroom. Early on, Lady was frightened by something in the middle of the night, and she hopped off her doggie bed onto my bed. After a few minutes of scratching and “rearranging” she found a comfortable “spoon” position next to me. She never used her doggie bed after that. When we went to sleep, she stayed in her position until the next morning when I got up to take her outside. As I was crying, it was almost as if Lady said to me, “Write down what you are feeling. Get it out of your system.”
I began writing down notes of our happy and sad moments. The notes grew and grew, and eventually became my book. It was extremely therapeutic, although I found myself in tears constantly as I recalled details that needed to become part of the book.
Diane: As an animal lover, it was very difficult not to get emotionally involved while reading this book. How difficult was it for you to write about these experiences?
Robert: Oh, it was most difficult! Mentally recalling a visit to the vet, for example, when I was told that she was in advanced renal failure … I found it nearly impossible to type. I was crying so hard. I’d take a break, then resume. Overall, it was extremely difficult to revisit the unpleasant moments, yet they needed to be a part of the book.
Diane: Dan and Cathy were very strong and able to take the good times with the bad times. Were they based on someone in your life?
Robert: It’s odd that you should ask that. Neither Dan or Cathy was based on anyone in my life; however, Dan’s parents, Bert and Millie, were the real parents of my best friend over the course of my lifetime, Frank Kale. Cathy’s mom and dad, Bill and Anne, were immortalized versions of my step-dad and Mother. Bill was an avid golfer and he was aptly described in the book. My Mother (uppercase intentional) was Anna, who died in 1995. She was a beautiful woman, but not at all self-absorbed as the Anne in the book.
Diane: I know you still have a lot of fond memories of the “ladies” in your life, do you have a favorite you would like to share?
Robert: Oh, there are SO MANY, but one of my favorites can be read at this site: http://rjscott-dogloverrevealed.blogspot.com/2011/04/so-whats-for-sunday-dinner.html. It involves two of my dogs from the ‘70s, Tammy and Heidi II. Another, others that I haven’t documented yet online, involves Tammy, who went blind, and with the help of The University of Pennsylvania, FULLY regained her sight. She was blind for about a year, and after she regained her sight, she lived for several more years.
Diane: What message do you want the reader to get from this book?
Robert: I’d like readers to realize (if they don’t already) how important our furry friends are in our lives; that there is only one thing that they look for: the unconditional love that THEY already bring to the table. They want to share that love. They CRAVE our love, our friendship. And the thing is, they GIVE so much more. UNCONDITIONAL: look up the meaning in Webster’s Online. Our furry friends give it FREELY. I cannot conceive of anyone not wanting to return such a pure love.
Diane: Do you plan on getting another dog in the future?
Robert: This is a wonderful question! Right now, my life is empty. It consists of memories that come and go. The house is silent. There is no “slurping” at the water dish; there is no tinkle of a chain collar as it meets a feeding bowl; there is no barking at an unknown sound in the night; there is no frantic race or barking around the lanai at the sound of an approaching motorcycle. (Lady LOVED to hate motorcycles! She would run around in circles around the lanai when she heard one … and there are many in Florida. Often she was so engrossed in her “task” to “holler” at the cycles, that she’d miss her mark and fall smack into the pool!
Chapter 25 of my book details my plans for bringing another dog into my life. If my book has any degree of success, I WILL bring another “Lady” into my life. The proceeds of my book will be used to ENSURE that a future Lady will be cared for by a competent, reliable pet lover in the event of my premature death. “Kaitlin,” a character in my book, is a real person. She is not the veterinarian that is represented in the book; however she does work for one: the veterinarian that cared for my Lady. And she DOES have a pet menagerie that is referenced in the book. She’s a true animal lover!
Diane: Have you ever had any other pets besides dogs?
Robert: As a child, I had a number of cats in my life. I loved them as dearly as a child is capable of loving. However, once I got my “very own” first dog, I realized that dogs are dependent on people to be happy. A cat will be satisfied with a meal, two, or three a day, a litter box and basically, well, to be “left alone.” Dogs, on the other hand NEED their pet humans. They look forward to playtime, being fed, interaction, being petted and more. I have a need to fulfill the need of a dog at this point in my life, and God willing, I’ll see a Foxy Lady IV right here in my home in Florida. I will spoil that girl, I will love that girl. Those are rights reserved by all parents, aren’t they?
Diane: Did your experience at America Online help give you some insight in writing this book?
Robert: To a degree, yes. My experience in editing helped me to write the book: Using proper grammar, being careful that historical information was accurate, and of course, the creativity were all key in having my book become a reality.
Diane: Have you thought about publishing another book?
Robert: Yes, as a matter of fact, I’ve been thinking about it. I have two ideas in mind: ‘Strange Things Our Furry Friends Say’.. and ‘How to Grow Up Poor.. and Remain That Way,’ a comical synopsis of my own life.
Diane: Do you enjoy reading yourself? If so, what author has influenced you?
I really enjoy several authors: Julia Wilkinson, a woman whom I worked with at America Online. She’s written a number of books. And, Morgan Bramlet, author of “Virtual Death,” a sci-fi thriller. Morgan is married to Eileen (Clark) Bramlet, for whom I once worked at AOL. One of my favorite “pet” authors is W. Bruce Cameron, author of “A Dog’s Purpose,” a truly beautiful work! Another is Bobbi Erhart, author of “Paper or Plastic: Life in the Check-Out Lane.” It’s a funny book (complete with x-rated content) by a friend of mine “down the street” in Rotonda, FL.
Diane: Is your book available in electronic formats?
Robert: Yes, Amazon.com offers my book in Kindle format. I got that version so that I can take it with me when I’m “on the go … “on one of my daily bike rides when I stop for a drink, or at the beach. It’s an “easy to carry” version and, odd as it may seem, I read my own book very often.
Robert Scott has generously offered an autographed copy of Crossing the Rainbow Bridge: Your Pet: When It’s Time to Let Go to a member who comments on this interview. A winner will be chosen at random. Good Luck!
Tags: Authors, Book Suggestions
Having had many dogs in my life, I can certainly relate to what Mr. Scott has to say! Usually I veer away from reading “dog stories” because, in parts, they make me sad and I know that they are not fiction, but every now and then you need to suck it up and read a good one! We lost a wonderful boy last June and our remaining girl was very lonely. After 6 months of moping, we decided that we had to get a companion for her, so, as with all of my animals, he was another rescue! What fun we are all having now with him. We never forget the others and I hear that loud and clear in Mr. Scott’s comments. Bravo for him to have written this book. BTW, this is a great interview – very enlightening! I may have take a look for this book – perhaps for my Kindle!
Thank you for this interview!
Jeanne
What a wonderful interview! I believe dogs can be an influential part of everyone’s life. I look forward to reading the book!
Stephanie
This sounds like a moving, emotional book and as another animal-lover I can’t wait to read it! Such a nice interview, you can really see the author’s heart.
Emily
This book was one that I really enjoyed reading. I also love animals and it was very hard for me to get through the book without crying. I had to put it down every once in a while and let my eyes clear up cause I could not read through the tears.
It is a very good story that is based on the lovely dogs in Robert Scott’s life. It goes through all the stages of owning a wonderful pet, and the emotion that one goes through when you lose them. To me it is the perfect book for someone who has lost a pet recently.
Great Interview Diane! I am going to recommend this book to a lot of animal/dog lovers!
Great interview.
Sounds like a wonderful book for pet lovers. I know so many people whose lives are enriched by their pets, and who could benefit from this story of dealing with the loss of a beloved animal. Thanks to Diane, and to Robert Scott, for the interview.
I had the opportunity to read this book before it was published. Bob was “right on” with the details, even though the story is fiction. He handled a heartache beautifully, weaving fantasy and fact. I know. Lady was also my dog.
Note to Robert RE: “A cat will be satisfied with a meal, two, or three a day, a litter box and basically, well, to be “left alone.”
You’ve never met MY cats! Izzy, my “puppy-cat” loved to leap up upon me (and visitors) and if you weren’t expecting to have a cat hanging from your shirt, it was quite a surprise.
Moo-Shu would Miao out the screen door loud enough for everyone in the apartment complex to hear whenever I stepped out, even if it was just for a moment, or just to do laundry.
Renn would follow me around from room to room. No matter where I roamed to, she had to be there.
Gunner was always around when groceries were unloaded, so he could try to steal his favorite treats. And one could NEVER guess what his favorite treat would be from one week to the next!
Both Boyfriend and Buffy make sure to spend the night cuddling up in the bed, making me a human middle-of-a-sandwich, and they don’t mind if they happen to get rolled upon for a little bit. (Of course, I roll right off of them once I realize where they are.
Gosh, I love my fuzzies!
As someone who works for an emergency veterinarian, I’ve sadly had to give loving owners the terrible news that their pet is not going to or already hasn’t made it. It’s heartbreaking to see the people go through that. As someone who is active in animal rescue, I always dearly hope that if those people later choose to bring a new pet into their home that they choose a rescue. As I write this my own little foster dog, who came to me covered in ticks and screaming in pain after having been attacked by a much larger dog, sleeps soundly beside me. Once she is fully healed and all her vet work (that I’m paying for myself) is completed, I will be looking for a new home for her. She is one of the lukcy ones, having found her way to me in time of need. I’ve been to all sorts of animal shelters, I’ve seen those faces on death row, and I have been unable to help them all. I see those faces in my dreams. So it is my sincere wish that everyone consider adoption when looking for their next furry baby.
Sorry to all if that was preachy, it’s simply what I’m most passionate about. I’m always thrilled to see a new book about pets and I certainly can’t wait to read it myself.
Great interview! Like all of us pet lovers & devotees, I, too, have lost dogs & cats over the years and could tell stories about each and every one of them!
More to the point, I volunteer for & am on the Board of Directors for my local humane society. We are a kill shelter – not by choice – and unfortunately, all too often we have to euthanize wonderful animals for the simple reason that they are simply “one of too many.”
Thoughts of the Rainbow Bridge are constantly on our minds & not just as a panacea to get us through a tough time. I truly, truly believe that our cats & dogs are waiting for us just across the Rainbow Bridge and will greet us and once again make our lives complete when we, too, cross over.
I endorse the comments of Leslie – whose post is just prior to mine. It is our sincere hope that one of these days we are put out of business because there will not be anymore homeless or unwanted pets. Please, ‘shop’ your local rescues & animal shelters first! Give a dog or cat a “new leash on life!”
And, Leslie – good on ya! Foster parents are treasures beyond measure!