Meet Christie Miller and Charles Womack!
From Dr. Pete Bashara,
Christie Miller first encountered me at the Gentle Doctor in 1997 – two years before our current Gentle Doctor name!! Christie was sporting an eight week old shih tzu pup named Murphy, who had just found his way into Christie’s life from a breeder in Tildon Nebraska. Christie, Murphy and I met at our 120th and Blondo location (called Candlewood Animal Hospital at that time). Truth be told, I had not been a practicing veterinarian for much more than eight weeks! Murphy was an immediate favorite of mine, and I was blessed to care for him for over seventeen years!
Murphy - 1997 - 2014
Christy was teaching young kids in those days and invited me to speak to her class for several years. I always enjoy these opportunities to do extra things for clients that give so much to their pets.
There have been several pets in Christie’s life since then – all of which we compare to Murphy (silently of course!) Our entire team has been honored to be an integral part of patient care for all of Christie's and Charles' dogs!
Here is our interview of this great family...
Tell us about your family – humans and pets!
We are a semi-retired couple who loves dogs! We have had five different dogs in the last ten years. We lost Abigail about seven years ago, and we lost both Murphy and Jackson, our “furry children” last year. That was so hard! We now have Dempsey, who is four years old and Dudley, recently adopted from the Nebraska Humane Society, who is about two or three years old. Both Dempsey and Dudley are shelter dogs. We adopted Dempsey as a small abandoned puppy while Charlie was working near Elk City Oklahoma.
Dempsey
Dudley
What do the adults in the family do for a living and for fun?
We enjoy family time, walking, reading, and playing with “the boys!” We also spend a lot of time with our grandchildren! Christie is a retired elementary teacher, working part time now for the University of Nebraska at Omaha and the University of Nebraska at Lincoln, supervising student teachers. Charlie has been a safety supervisor and is now working as the maintenance custodian at our church.
What do the kids in the family do for fun?
Well, mostly they love to run and wrestle and chase squirrels! Dudley loves to walk! He is a silky terrier with an abundance of energy. Dempsey is a Yorkie mix and has some issues with fear and anxiety. He is also very active and “talkative!” We are working on that!
Tell us more about the pets you have now and the pets you have had in the past.
Murphy, our beloved shih tzu, was a little over seventeen years old when he died in June 2014. He was a “perfect” dog! He was gentle, funny, loving and loyal to the end! He got along with everyone, adults, children, and other dogs. We miss him every day!
Jackson, our feisty, fun, full of energy Jack Russell, was also a rescue dog. He was my walking partner every day and the BEST squirrel hunter!! He became ill suddenly last October at age eight and has also crossed the Rainbow Bridge. He and Murphy became best friends!
For a short time, we had a little female shih tzu, Abigail, who also died suddenly about eight years ago. She was absolutely darling and loved to be loved!
We now have Dempsey and Dudley. Dempsey came from a shelter in Oklahoma as a puppy. He is four now and loves his new brother, Dudley.
In January, 2015, we decided to look for a companion for Dempsey because he was really grieving the loss of Jackson. We found Dudley, and he stole our hearts immediately. He came home with us that very day.
Dempsey was a bit jealous at first, but both dogs now love being together and playing and running!
Tell us about when you first met the Gentle Doctor team or a story about the team others may not know.
We brought Murphy to Gentle Doctor as a puppy almost eighteen years ago and met Dr. Pete. We have loved ALL of the staff and would not think of taking the boys anywhere else! We also use the grooming services and feel that Pam loves Dempsey and Dudley as much as we do!
When we lost Jackson last October, there were five or six staff members and doctors who came in the room to say good-bye. Everyone was in tears and expressed their love and compassion to us.
Jackson - 2006 - 2014
Do you have a favorite breed or type of pet?
I would say that I am partial to shih tzus but have found all of our dogs to be wonderful companions!
Is their a shelter or rescue group or other pet related group that is dear to you that you would like us to help spread the word about?
Nebraska Humane Society has been wonderful when helping us with our shelter dogs.