I was out of town the other weekend visiting my aunts and grandma, and leaving my boyfriend Will and the Guster to fend for themselves back home. Gus, having taken to visiting the outdoors recently (the notable first time), gave Will a little scare which he recounted in an email to me, which I am reprinting here.

Please note: Will and the Guster are quite good friends, though Gus may not seem quite so happy pictured here. In this situation, if I were you, I would blame the picture taker (me) for using a flash and offending Gus’ delicate sensitivities.

******

from: Will Roby, boyfriend extraordinaire
to: Jennifer Heller, pet portraiture artist
date: Tue, June 29, 2010 at 9:29 AM
subject: Gus: a very funny fellow

So, I came back from celebrating Meredith’s 29th birthday (billed as her 26th, to mislead potential suiters), and went outside with our friend Zach to enjoy our back porch and the evening air. Gus made it clear (he’s nothing if not forward) that he wanted to come out too, so I let him out. He then nervously paced his way down the stairs. I figured he would just run up whenever he heard the least audible indication that the door was opening or closing again.

But the little guy didn’t respond to the door noises, so I went down in the hopes of scooping him up. He fled me, at first subtly, by just hiding under plants, but then by running full-throttle to a shadowy place, where my rods and cones couldn’t compete with his. I thought I had him cornered there, but he surprised me, running a full gauntlet back to the parking space, chasing another, hostile and hissing cat, off the property. He then high-tailed it, making me worry he was going to have another cup of the juice offered by by north Oakland cat ladies, happy to have any marginal cat eating their food.

But then I thought, based on what I know about gus, the guy’s a wimp. Even if he scared another cat off the turf, he’s temperamentally suited to just go home. So I went home, and lo & behold, he was there.

WR

Mini Australian Shepard Karla loves tennis balls so much that when she saw an elderly person on a walker with four tennis balls used at the bases, she thought she was in dog heaven and crouched down ready to chase! Dad Mark happily lets Karla finish his leftover cereal–one of Karla’s favorite treats. Mom Carol respects Karla’s commitment to playing fetch, but grimaces when she remembers when Karla chased a ball over a ledge and landed 8 feet down with a bang and a tooth through her lip!

About this Portrait

Jennifer says, “I had a photo of Karla looking off into the sunset, covered in sand, and exhausted after a long day of fetch and swimming. The love and excitement in her eyes perfectly reflected her love of her family, and was indispensable to this pet portrait painting.”

Expand your family!

Limited Edition Signed Giclée Print

Also called archival pigment prints, these longest lasting prints are made by printing pigment on acid-free cotton rag. 16 by 20 inch print.

Custom professional framing available.

Dog T’s, clocks, t-shirts and more at the