Time Flies, But Memories Last Forever.
by Anna Cooke
Yamir Raj always wanted a dog. However, with his father’s busy schedule as a housecall physician in Spring Hill, and his mother working full time as a clinical director while studying full time in a doctoral program for clinical psychology, a dog was not on the immediate horizon. Yamir’s schedule was pretty full too, between school and traveling the state competing in GO-Kart racing. Still, a boy could dream. In India, where
the family is from, the German Shepherd Dog is highly revered.Yamir always admired the breed’s beauty and stature. In 2006, while his mother, VJ, was in
Chicago studying with fellow students for an important exam, 12-year-old Yamir and his father decided to do some online research. There is no harm in looking, they agreed. The puppy with the soft, sweet eyes stared out from the computer screen right back at Yamir and immediately stole his heart. He knew they were meant to be together. Convincing his father was easy. His mother, well - that would be another hurdle. He was certain she would eventually come around. His father insisted that Yamir call his mother to tell her the news. Years earlier, VJ Raj had put her career
on hold to help her husband move from Chicago to set up his practice in the Tampa Bay area. They would have a son, Yamir. Life was good. VJ was happy. But her husband felt it was VJ’s turn to pursue her dream and encouraged her going back to school to complete her education. Doing so meant juggling responsibilities and schedules, including the year VJ would spend in Boston as part of her studies. It was a very stressful time for the family, but her husband remained supportive. “I could not have done it without the sacrifices he made to help me,” said VJ. Adding a dog into the mix of this
hectic period in their lives was out of the question. “I believe dogs are part of the family. They should be treated as equally as humans,” said VJ. She knew that if they were to bring a dog into the family fold, she would be the person responsible for its
46 THE NEW BARKER
A Brothers’ Reunion: Rusty and Rody meet up for their birthday at Ulele Restaurant, Tampa earlier this year. Photograph by Jeff Houck.
health and well-being. When she picked up the phone in her
Chicago hotel room, Yamir said, “Mom, I have something to tell you...” then silence. VJ, who is very direct and has no time
for beating around the bush, responded, “Spit it out and get it done and over with, please, Yamir.” “We ordered a dog,” said Yamir. “A dog? What do you mean? A hotdog,
like a sandwich? Why are you calling me about that?” said VJ. “No, mom. A German Shepherd Dog.
He is coming from Germany to a kennel in Denver.” “Put your father on the phone.” “Well, dad asked me to call you.” “Now, Yamir!” When her husband took the phone, his
wife simply asked him, “Roger, what were you thinking?” He assured his wife that he would take care of the dog. “No you won’t! You have a busy prac-
tice.” VJ remembers being so angry with her husband when she proclaimed, “I am not going to help. It is all up to you and Yamir!” As it happened, there were two
puppies, brothers Rody and Rusty, heading to the Von Gunbil German Shepherd Dogs kennel in Larkspur, Colorado from Germany, then on to Florida. Rody would
be going home with Yamir and his father. Rusty would be going home with Richard Gonzmart, of the Columbia Restaurant Group. What are the odds of two dogs from Germany ending up in Florida by way of Colorado? Yamir was a student at Berkeley
Preparatory School in Tampa, which meant commuting every day from his home in Brooksville. “The distance made it difficult to make friends and stay in touch with them. Rody became my best friend,” said Yamir. Almost a year after Rody arrived home
and had settled in, Yamir sent Rody back to Germany for Schutzhund training. Always competitive with an eye on perfection, Yamir wanted the best for his dog. Schutzhund is a German word meaning ‘protection dog.’ In Rody’s case, the training refers more to a sport that focuses on developing and evalu- ating certain traits in dogs that make them more useful and happier companions to their owners. “We were without Rody for nine
months,” said VJ. “I cried, secretly, every day. I thought I was being punished for not wanting him all those months ago. I made a promise to God that if He brought him back home, I would take good care of him, for the rest of his life,” said VJ. “I guess it was my maternal instincts,” she added, laughing.
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