First, the shocking news about someone I had liked immediately. There are some folks whose life you catch for just a brief amount of time but you just can tell what a great person he or she is. Vanessa was one.
She had transported little Gia from her hometown in another state to ours, with sighthound expertise and humor. "Gia is a little screamer, isn't she?" Vanessa laughed. When queried how she got into pet transport/driving field (which has grown with every badly stressed animals incident in airline travel,) she claimed she hated working in an office, and with this job she met nice people and nice animals. It was, she said, her dream job.
She stayed overnight, and I asked her about her initial interest in Borzois, as mine was from an old 1900s photo of my grandfather with his Russian Wolfhound as they were then known. She answered, "Oddly, I first saw them at a circus and thought what spectacular dogs! I'd like some!" She then bred and showed champion Borzois, including one of the top Borzois in the USA, a winner at Westminster (our premiere American dog show) plus won the difficult and athletic sport of lure coursing with them.
According to her daughter, who lived elsewhere: "She was in a single car accident. Cops and ambulance came. She did not go with the ambulance. The cop took her to a motel. I am sorry to inform you that she was found dead this morning in the motel room. Thank you for all your help. I am very grateful for all your help. She was truly loved by many. I could not have done this without you all."
Within one hour of the awful news, 600 friends had written in their condolences to the family and 400 had shared it as written from the daughter. Vanessa Johnson was truly liked, admired and the dog world has lost one of its best friends. Rest in peace, Vanessa Johnson of Shuttle Pet.
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