Queequeg Carey died on Wednesday, November 15, 2006, in Coral Gables, Florida. She was fifteen years old. The cause of death was kidney failure, against which she waged a brief and very fierce battle.

Born on the Ides of March, Queequeg was known for her intelligence, mischief making, and love of humans, dogs, cats, and rabbits. She enjoyed chasing but not harming squirrels and particularly ducks. Queequeg lived on three continents, visited 37 American states, and several times scaled the Bridal Veil Falls trail. She liked to sleep in the sun and be warm and once dragged a pillow she wished to nap on so close to a fireplace the cushion caught fire, with her on it (she was unscorched).

Queequeg was particularly loved by the citizens of Utah, where she lived for several years, and even became something of a local celebrity. The column named for her in the Daily Herald called “Queequeg’s Question” remains one of Utah’s most popular news features. Her antics were immortalized in a hilarious piece by author and entertainer Eric Snider in a story called “Stuff Happens.”
Queequeg is survived by her Uncle Paul, Grandfather Raymond, her sister and lifelong companion Astra and her younger sister Marcie, and by her mother, Jean, who could not have loved Queequeg more had she come from her own body.

Look at Marcie’s apple head! She was being very attentive to her sister last week, behaving civilly for a change…maybe she intuited something not yet known.

In August when Dr. Thomas was treating Astra for a terrible infection, the prognosis was not good. Astra is extremely old for an IG and I know our time together is not long, but I am forever grateful for the autumn days we’ve had together. I have to say Astra has had possibly every food it would be imaginable to feed a dog – kale, squid, corn chowder, pickled ginger, and of course lots of her favorite, gelato.

In these stressful days — the fall always seems to bring with it anxiety — in this city where bonds shared between animals, people, and people who love animals are treated as an egregious social aberration — I am happy too to have a reason to remember that it’s the girls who matter, the girls, my dad, my brother; and the grace of God that has brought them to and kept them in my life for all these many years.

Here’s a girl who takes after her mom in love of dairy products…