The grief of losing a beloved pet led to a Fairy Tail ending for Karen McCreadie and this week’s Newshound of the Week, Viking.
McCreadie knew she wanted another Doberman when her dog Mannix was in the last stages of dilated cardiomyopathy, a disease of the heart muscle. She also knew she wanted a big red Doberman, and started looking online for reputable breeders. For weeks, she stared at one stock photo of what she thought to be perfect puppy as she searched for breeders, without finding her ideal dog.
Finally, after heartbreaking weeks of searching for a puppy, she clicked on an adorable dog in a stock photo and found a breeder in Pennsylvania with two red male Dobermans. She was the second person to secure one of the pups, and it was another week before she saw a picture.
When the much-anticipated email finally arrived, McCreadie was brought to tears. Her new dog was the same puppy in the stock photo that she had fallen in love with weeks earlier.
Viking and McCreadie were a perfect match, and soon they found themselves competing in, “nose work,” a canine sport similar to search and rescue work, where the dog seeks out different scents hidden in various environments. They were competing against other dogs in nose work until COVID-19 caused the contests to be stalled.
In 2020 McCreadie decided it was time for another adventure with Viking, and her love of dogs – including her own – inspired her to open Fairy Tails Dog Grooming in Slatersville Plaza.
“People say your dog is a reflection of its owner. Viking is amazing in everything he does. So, if that’s true in any way, he has shown me even on my lowest days that I am blessed,” said McCreadie. “He is my heart dog. He is my Viking.”
