| Holly Domino came to live with the Mayuiers family on December 24, 1989. She was bred in Mountainburg, Arkansas and had been taken along with the majority of her litter mates to a pet store near Spiro, Oklahoma where Aunt Paula Hambright had been given the task of finding a Dalmatian pup for her niece Bethany’s seventh birthday. Of course this timing coincided with the release of Disney’s 101 Dalmatians Movie. Little did we know what we were in for when we bought that birthday present. |
| Bethany is as everyone knows a true “animal person.” Every living creature is precious to her and this little puppy took her heart from the very first moment she saw her. Bethany had been in her princess dress for Christmas all day and we had to literally take it off her to get her into clothes that the pup wouldn’t destroy. So there she sat in the middle of grandma and grandpa’s living room with her back turned away from the door. Dad brought the puppy in and put Holly down next to Bethany. The look on her face will never be forgotten -- she truly exhibited her middle name --it was a look of pure JOY! |
| Over the next two or three years, the puppy time with a Dal, we experienced so many things. Like watching Bethany get dragged across the neighbors yard behind Holly who was chasing a squirrel I believe. Learning that we needed to put a top on the dog run because Holly could climb a six foot chain link fence, especially when it was thundering. Oh and that Holly really didn’t like animals smaller than she was. There went the dream of breeding her! |
| Let’s see, we (all of us) started obedience training with Holly and Bethany. You know, people told us that Dals weren’t known as obedience animals, and that they are not easy to train, we thought they were wrong for so many years. Bethany and Holly made a great team from the very beginning, their bond was special. Our first trip to the State Show, ended with Holly being treated for a foot laceration with only a local anesthetic at the fairgrounds, and then substituting Patches for the obedience class. Holly tried very hard to do showmanship with her pink bandaged foot, but she couldn’t concentrate. (Wonder why???) |
| Showing Holly taught Bethany many skills, most importantly was patience. Another highlight was the year that the dog show was in the middle of a big thunderstorm which terrified Holly -- it got moved into the livestock ring. Holly was in first place all the way, and then the rest of the family walked in -- Holly broke on a long down. Not a good thing. |
| Other famous or infamous show incidents include the year that Holly was trying for graduate novice, off lead for the first time, in the old midway tent next to the pizza place. Someone watching the show waived her pizza at the dog and that was all she wrote! I believe it was the very last show that Holly was in that was also off lead. Holly and Bethany were almost done, the judge said, "Exercise finished” and Holly being the obedient girl that she was went right into her crate and laid down!. She was so proud of herself she was even doing her Elvis smile! |
| We found that we loved Holly so much that we actually got a second Dalmatian for Matt, her name was Patches. She and Holly looked like bookends. Holly was the most spotted of the two, and people remarked that it looked as though we turned one of them inside out! All of our dogs have a special thing in common; they all have question mark shaped spots on their left hind legs. Holly, with her spots, her grumbling and vocalizing, her Elvis smile and her special bond with Bethany grew up to be over 14 years old before we had to allow her to be free from her deteriorating health and let her go. She has been greatly missed! |
