Member of the Family

Get to know the cute pets of Ballantyne

By Michael J. Solender

In our new web-only feature, we highlight Ballantyne-area residents’ adorable pets. In this first installment, we introduce to you, Wrigley Roth.

Wrigley

Breed:

Shih Tzu

Age:

Six Months

Family:

Mom – JoAnn, Dad – Andrew, Brothers – Jack and Jason

Adoption story:

“Wrigley is the first pet our family has ever had,” says JoAnn Roth, a south Charlotte resident and independent meeting planner. “With the boys, Jason, 18 and Jack, 16, both at Providence High School, headed away to college, I needed someone or something that needed me. We got him from a breeder this past September.”

“I never had any pets growing up and having two kids only two years apart and working from home factored into not getting a dog until now,” Roth says. “Dogs are like kids that never leave the house. They are a big commitment, though I can’t imagine life without him now. Our entire family, especially my husband, Andrew, have become so attached to the little guy.”

“I knew we had to have a small dog,” Roth says. “The bigger the dog, the bigger the mess, and a big dog would be too much for me.  My two kids and I have dog allergies, and there were a limited number of breeds that would be OK for us to have, Shih Tzus being one. And once I saw a photo of Wrigley with that face and puppy eyes, it was all over.”

More about his name:

“We are huge Chicago Cubs fans,” says Roth. “And of course, Wrigley Field is the home of the Cubbies – so Wrigley just fit him perfectly.”

Daily Routine:

Roth says Wrigley’s daily routine entails a lot of sleeping, punctuated by two independent bursts of energy where he wants to play, run around the house and mostly go crazy.

“He needs to go outside about every two hours and isn’t shy about letting me know when it’s time,” Roth says.

Favorite walks around Ballantyne:

“Wrigley loves his Berkeley neighborhood,” Roth says. “That’s where we take all our walks. He simply goes nuts when I come home after being away,” Roth says. “He jumps up and down, runs around the house and lets me know how much he missed me. I just love him to death.”

Defining character traits:

“He’s still a puppy,” Roth says. “He’s just coming out of a bit of a biting phase, but his cute little face and deep dark eyes make it very difficult for me to be upset with him.”

Favorite food/treats:

“He loves people food,” Roth says. “Chicken scraps, peanut butter and cheese, also the ‘bacon’ wrapped doggie sticks.”

Do you live in the Ballantyne area and have a pet you’d like us to consider for this feature? Send an email to michaeljsolender@gmail.com with the subject line “Member of the Family” along with your contact information and a photo of your pet