AUBURN – Given the choice, Skymile the Pomeranian doesn’t much like to walk.
His owner’s lap is so comfortable, after all, and his wheelchair very speedy. And perched so high, a little dog can see and be seen.
“He’s become the mascot of the building,” said his owner, Conrad St. Onge, who lives at Barker Mill Arms. “Every time I go by someone, it’s Hi, Sky!’ The heck with Hi, Conrad.'”
St. Onge adopted Skymile – Sky for short – two years ago. His wife had died and St. Onge, a lifelong animal-lover, was lonely. After two dog adoptions failed (one was too aggressive, the other too sick), he put an ad in the paper seeking a pet.
More than 40 people responded, offering every breed from miniature pinschers to greyhounds. Someone said they had a Pomeranian, a small, friendly dog with perky ears and red-cream fur.
“I took a chance,” said St. Onge, 82. “He’s been here ever since.”
St. Onge quickly fell in love with Sky. So did the rest of the Barker Mill Arms, an independent living complex.
While St. Onge was in a nursing home this winter for a broken kneecap, residents banded together to care for Sky. Neighbor Evelyn Brown kept the dog, adding a fluffy pet bed and tiny stuffed animals to her decor. Other residents took him for walks at night or early in the morning.
Since he got back from the nursing home, St. Onge spends a lot of time in a wheelchair. Sky often begs to ride along on St. Onge’s lap, wind in his fur as the electronic chair zips through the halls and down the sidewalk. When Sky does walk, he toddles in front of the chair. It looks like he’s pulling it along.
“Everybody yells Hey, that’s cheaper than gas!'” St. Onge said.
When Sky is out with St. Onge, some residents and workers affectionately call the chubby, fox-sized dog “Killer.” Others ruffle his fur and make a fuss.
“Look at those eyes. Look at those eyes. So pretty,” cooed Brown, riding in the elevator with Sky and St. Onge.
So many people pop by with food that St. Onge has had to put a moratorium on treats. Sky weighs about 19 pounds. The average Pomeranian weighs seven.
But it’s hard to say “no” to those pretty eyes.
“He’s so spoiled,” St. Onge said. “He’s everybody’s pet.”
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