08/08/2024
On December 18, 2009, Charley joined our Jones Pack which consisted of three ‘kids,’ and a rabbit named Jack. He was just weeks old with the most beautifully interesting greenish/blue eyes. We settled on the name Charley like the Brit kid video on YouTube “Charlie! You bit my finger!” - however, spelled as such from John Steinbeck’s novel Travels with Charley. We entertained other names like: The Dude, Trane (Coltrane), and Zappa. Over his life he would be called other nicknames including Dude, Chuck, Chuckie, Chickie-boy, Chunk, Chunkie, CharWEE (emphasis on the ‘WE’…)
Charley was so smart and the goodest boy who took quickly to being ‘house trained.’ When hanging out with Jack, he developed a life-long love of veggie snacks; often both in the kitchen waiting as meals or kids’ lunches were being prepared! He loved finding sunny spots - inside or in his backyard. He enjoyed his kids immensely – he grew up alongside them; he was loyal to each, greeting them with a waggy tail whether they came home for a visit or just home from school or later, work.
He greeted each day in his yard with a bark, surveying his yard, and to check on his blue ball (originally gifted to him by Mark who found a stray racket-ball in the HS parking lot). He served as my ‘admin’ for many years, wandering by between nap-duties for a scritch or to sit by the heater. He was keen to help me end my business day – just waiting with his ball to hear the computer ‘shut-down’ sound; he was ever-ready for a throw in the back yard. Many after-work days, we’d go for a walk, but one dare not say ‘walk’ if you weren’t committed!
He didn’t like storm sounds or fireworks, and was not a fan of rain in his yard but put a leash on that boy and walk we’d go – rain or shine!!
What would become the last 18-ish months of his life, Charley had the great adventure of escaping from the backyard, taking himself for a walk and ending up in the puppy-pokey having to be bailed out. Two kindly ladies (Charley’s Angels) discovered him on the freeway access road and stopped rush-hour traffic to catch him; one of those ladies escorted him to the puppy-pokey a great distance away. On his freedom-ride home, he seemed relieved to be in the company of family in equal measure of pride in his “walk on the wild-side.“
He embraced a new arrangement of his pack in April 2023, when he welcomed the Morrison Pack into his home. For the first time, his pack included a Dad, and he gained two sis-furs, Maggie and Mollie. He was not a fan of the girls for a short bit, but once they all bonded, he really enjoyed the power of a pack - sharing mealtime, snack time, pack-naps on the couch, bedtime snuggles and taking walks. His Dad installed the ‘Charley Door,’ which provided ultimate freedom for Charley to seek the sun puddles, survey his yard, check on his ball, bark in a new day, and anticipate a throw or two. Dad became his safe place, his snack-connection, and provided immeasurable scritches – always on Charley’s terms.
We took Charley’s lead as he began to tell us that he had done all the goodest boy things he needed to do. We called for the Angels to help him find the Rainbow Bridge, and on that journey, he left us August 3, 2024.
The Morrison / Jones Family is ever grateful to Angel Vet for helping our beloved Charley in his final moments, and the kindness shown to us.
~Rollie, Sheryl, Maggie & Mollie Morrison~
~Emily Jones~
~Mark Jones~
Take one step towards your 'dreams' and they'll take more steps toward you than there are grains of sand on the beaches of the Earth...
