Elsa
Back at the end of September, a client paid me an extremely high compliment.
Arshia Fathali and his wife Heather (owners of Fairhaven Rug Gallery) selected Life Cycle Pet Cremation for the honor of providing after-care for their Doberman Pinscher, Elsa. Anyone who has ever been to the Rug Gallery has inevitably met Elsa. They may have even had the pleasure of seeing her regally decked out in the tribal necklace that she loved to wear, and that suited her naturally regal appearance so perfectly.
After bringing Elsa to our facility and then spending time with her in our Reflection Room, Arshia sat with me for a while and told me the story of how he met Elsa, how she worked with him in the Rug Gallery, and why he chose Life Cycle.
Arshia found Elsa, years ago while looking for a new home in Bellingham. He was touring the home of an Alternative Humane Society volunteer who specialized in Doberman Pinschers. Elsa, then between 1 and 2 years old, was in one of the back rooms. Despite the fact that Arshia wasn’t looking for a dog at the time, and that there was an abundance of barking dogs available for adoption from that particular home, after Arshia saw Elsa he simply couldn’t stop thinking about her.
Elsa is what Arshia calls a “spirit dog.” This was a new term for me. Arshia explained that there are spirits in the handmade rugs that fill his store. Arshia believes that the artisians who hand-craft the rugs weave their own spirits into each piece. This is what makes the rugs so special, and such complicated and beautiful works of art. When he travels abroad to select rugs, he picks them based on the energy they project.
Elsa grew up in the Rug Gallery, and so she grew up among the spirits. Arshia believes that Elsa was very in-tune with the vibrations of the rugs, and that they helped to mold her into an exceptional animal.
Elsa loved the rugs. It was her job to protect them, the shop and Arshia. While she was not a vicious animal in any way, Arshia always felt a distinct difference in Elsa’s mindset both when the shop opened and closed. Elsa clearly understood her job.
Arshia and Heather chose Cedar Grove Veterinary Housecalls to provide euthanasia service for Elsa in their home, and Cedar Grove offered them a choice of pet cremation service providers, including Life Cycle. Arshia told me that he chose Life Cycle because of the energy he felt after hearing just our company name from Heather.
Arshia believes in reincarnation, and he vouches for Elsa to come back as something higher than a dog the next time around. While I respect Arshia’s beliefs, I can’t help but think that this particularly elegant dog enjoyed an amazing life with Arshia and Heather. Yes, she was a willing servant and protector, but she was also clearly royalty—a Fairhaven princess.