MEET RUTHIE: RBG

Family Members

Joanie Reiter and daughters Joanna and Julia Ball

Beloved Pet

Ruthie: RBG

Where and Why We Got Our Pet

I got RBG on June 1, 2020, at the height of the pandemic. My daughter had just gotten her dog, Winston, a black Cavapoo, and RBG came from the next litter. She was shipped from Lancaster, Pennsylvania to California on one of the last flights that allowed dogs.

Is there a story behind its name?

Yes! I was a huge admirer of Supreme Court Judge Ruth Bader Ginsburg, and when I named RBG, I was hoping they would both live forever! Is there anything unique or unusual about
your pet? Ruthie loves people! She actually prefers them to many dogs. There are several doodles and smaller dogs in the neighborhood that she will greet, but Ruthie generally prefers to stop, sit, and watch dogs walk past her and then she resumes her walk.

What do you like best about your pet?

Ruthie is really smart and knows the names of her favorite people, toys, and dog friends. She rushes to the window to wait for them if I say they’re visiting or excitedly gets in the car to go visit. She always knows when we are getting closer to their houses. RBG rarely barks, except at squirrels that she chases in the backyard, and she loves it when people stop to talk to her on walks. Ruthie will crawl over to them, roll on her back, and wait for them to tickle her tummy. She loves kids, and likes to lick my new granddaughter’s toes!

Any funny stories?

Our old mailman, Ray, always left treats for Ruthie in the mailbox, so daily she sat in the window waiting for him to come. If we were on a walk, and she saw a mail truck, Ruthie would sprint to catch it and see if it was Ray. If it was, and he was stopped, she would sit patiently outside the open door and wait for her treat. Sadly, Ray has changed routes, so Ruthie is slowly adjusting to that fact but still looks for him in every truck we walk by.

How spoiled is your pet?

Ruthie has lots of toys, sits in a car seat on the passenger side of the car (she loves looking out the window), and waits excitedly for freshly poached chicken in her food at dinner.

What else should we know about your pet and how your pet has enriched your home/family?

Our family has always had dogs. When my two girls were young, we had a wonderful chocolate lab named Bono and when she was ten, we were gifted Lily, a Maltese. Bono and Lily were best friends. When Bono died, Lily was so sad that we got Lucy another Maltese. Lily and Lucy lived until 15 and 13 and sadly died within four months of one another. I wasn’t sure if I would get another dog, but when the pandemic hit a year later, my daughter introduced me to Winnie and then found his mother was having another litter. Ruthie was a blessing during the isolation of the pandemic and dogs bring such unconditional love to a family.