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Stanley's Spot Namesake Dies: Dalmatian Leaves Behind Legacy of Love, Playfulness

Posted on: Friday, 19 May 2006, 09:06 CDT

By Gary Gray, The Dominion Post, Morgantown, W.Va.

May 19--Stanley, the gregarious Dalmatian for which Morgantown's Stanley's Spot is named, died Monday.

He will always have a special spot in the hearts of dog lovers in the area. And any dog of any shape and size that should ever paw, pant and play at Stanley's Spot owes a bit of gratitude to the playful pup.

Though Stanley's owner was David Laishley, his parents, George and Rita Laishley, had been caring for the dog.

"We left Stanley with someone when we were away," George Laishley said. "We'd left him there many times. He was either standing or laying under a garage door, and we believe a cable may have broke."

The Laishleys took Stanley to a veterinarian at Virginia Tech in Blacksburg, who specializes in spinal injuries.

"It was the vet's opinion that he would not survive the injuries, so we put him to sleep there on the 15th," he said. "He was 13. I guess the best compliment to me was that when I put my hat on he knew it was time to go. The passenger seat was his."

George Laishley said he plans to place a marble marker on a large stone inside the Morgantown Dog Park bearing the words, "Stanley -- Aug. 17, 1993 -- May 15, 2006 -- Always in our hearts."

"He'll be missed," he said quietly. "Stanley was high maintenance. He did a lot of trail walking. He had a lot of miles on him."

On May 1, 2004, hundreds of dogs gathered at the site near Deckers Creek and University Avenue in Morgantown for a brief groundbreaking ceremony.

Several dogs were supposed to participate in the groundbreaking by pawing at the ground on cue. But Stanley, the "big dog" on the block that day, unceremoniously scarfed up a chunk of sod instead and promptly munched it down.

Dogs will be dogs, and that's what the park is all about.

Cliff Harvey, a friend of the Laishleys -- and Stanley -- shares the presidency of the Morgantown Dog Owners Group with his wife Carol.

"I talked to George, and I know he misses Stanley," said Cliff Harvey. "It's a heartbreaker. George used to ride around in the car with him, and Stanley would be standing up in the seat next to him."

Stanley's Spot was recently named one of the top 10 U.S. dog parks by Dog Fancy magazine. The honor garnered a $2,500 prize for park improvements to encourage canine exercise, according to Dog Fancy's Web site.

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Copyright (c) 2006, The Dominion Post, Morgantown, W.Va.

Distributed by Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News.

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Source: The Dominion Post (Morgantown, W.Va.)

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