Feb. 12, 2010
Happiness is a gift of love (video)
Brownsmead couple replaces Yorkshire terrier stolen from Washington, D.C., boy
By Elleda Wilson
Editorial Assistant
In early January, the theft of Andrew “Kofi” Gordon’s 4-month-old Yorkshire terrier puppy, Luxy, in Washington, D.C., made national news.
Kofi and his mother, Barrie Gordon, were preparing to leave the house with Luxy, but Barrie had to go back inside. While Kofi was standing on the doorstep, a man came up to him, pulled the dog’s collar off, grabbed her from Kofi’s arms, then hopped into a maroon sedan containing two other men, and sped away.
When Barrie realized what happened, she grabbed her keys and gave chase, but to no avail. Both mother and son were devastated by the theft and worried about the safety of their pet.
Steve Smiley, 81, of Brownsmead saw the story on the Channel 12 news in Portland. He and his wife, Anna, 84, own Rain Cloud AKC (American Kennel Club) Yorkshire terriers. “Gee, that’s sure too bad that little boy lost his dog,” Steve Smiley thought at the time. “I’ve got some surplus dogs, and I’ll give him one.”
However, he could not figure how to contact Kofi and his mother, so he called me at The Daily Astorian for help.
A little Internet research showed two stories about the puppy being stolen, the most detailed of which was by reporter Lindsey Mastis at TV station WUSA9 in Washington, D.C. I e-mailed her and told her that a local gentleman wanted to give Kofi a Yorkshire terrier pup.
Two days later, I received a phone call. “Are you serious?” Mastis asked, incredulous. “Do you know where we are?” I said yes, and assured her that Steve Smiley’s offer was absolutely serious. Soon the phone calls were flying back and forth between Mastis, Gordon and Smiley to arrange for a puppy to be shipped to Kofi.
A few days later, curious about the generous offer to a boy 3,000 miles away, I went to Brownsmead to meet Steve and Anna Smiley. As I drove down Rudat Road, I saw a gentleman walking a Yorkshire terrier. It was Steve Smiley with Sam, getting in a little last-minute training before sending Sam to his new home. I parked alongside the house, which is surrounded by fencing, while several little “guard dog” Yorkies jumped up and down and barked at my arrival. These same Yorkies were absolutely quiet and well-mannered when inside the house.
Once we were settled in the Smileys’ cozy kitchen, I asked Steve Smiley why he wanted to help Kofi. “Oh, out of the goodness, I guess, of my heart, you know,” he said. “It’s a shame to treat a little kid like that because it would be a lasting memory of his forever that somebody really took advantage. It could affect his whole personality. I hate to see a little kid not get a chance to be happy if they can.”
Although Smiley never had a dog stolen from him, when he was a youngster he had a similar incident. A neighbor he worked for gave him a pig to raise, which he lovingly did. When the neighbor sold his own pigs to the butcher, he sold Smiley’s, too. “That was probably 70 years ago, and I still remember it. This little boy will remember this incident forever, too.”
Smiley chose Sam, almost 6 months old, to send to Kofi because he, “fit the bill, he’s a nice dog, and a good specimen of a Yorkie. No problems, rather a smart dog, easily trained, and he’ll be loyal to that little boy till hell freezes over.” It should also be mentioned that Sam is a very well-behaved and calm dog.
“I’ve only been training him for four or five days,” he added, ”and he already knows how to heel, and sit, and walk, and he’ll come to me. He knows his name, and he really comes when you call him that.” Sam was slated to fly to Washington Jan. 29, so Steve took him to Bay Breeze Boarding in Warrenton to be groomed. When office and kennel manager Heidi Fields heard where Sam was going, and why, she waived the grooming fee. Veterinarian Dr. Larry Goza gave Sam a complimentary checkup and contributed toward Sam’s air fare. “There are lots of nice people here,” Smiley said.
After driving Sam to the airport, Smiley was told by the airline that the weather was too cold in Chicago, where Sam would have to change planes and be out in the cold. The trip was called off.
On Feb. 2, the Smileys made the long trip to Portland Airport again. After waiting for several hours to be sure the weather was going to be OK, Sam finally took off to Washington to meet his new owner.
“With all the monkeying around it took, I’m glad it’s over with,” Steve Smiley said. Sam was greeted at the Washington airport by Kofi and his mother Barrie, and Lindsey Mastis and a cameraman from WUSA9. When the crate bearing Sam was brought into the waiting room, Barrie said, “I’m gonna cry,” as she put her hands up to her face. A smiling Kofi took Sam from his cage, held him up, put his nose to Sam’s and danced him around.
Barrie said Steve Smiley “knows that we appreciate this very much.” Sam came with a letter of instructions from Smiley on how to make the pup feel comfortable. He also told Barrie to keep Sam away from those D.C. politicians, except Obama, who’s apparently OK in Smiley’s book.
It’s a week later, and Barrie says Sam is starting to adjust to living in the city and the different climate and time zone. There’s so much snow on the ground in D.C., Sam has to climb up onto the snow to “do his business.” Accordingly, Barrie and Kofi took Sam on a shopping spree for a new bowl and toys, a sweater and a ski jacket (he doesn’t like the hood).
“We’re lovin’ him already,” Barrie says of Sam. “and he lets us pet his stomach. He wags his tail when he sees us. He does make us laugh, because he’s so cool. He’s just a cool dude.”
Reprinted with permission of The Daily Astorian of Astoria, Oregon.
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