Roberta Applegate and her dog
Today while at the YMCA, I read Jim Gorant’s story in Sports Illustrated about the rescue of the Michael Vick dogs. It was very well written. (A favorite line: “If you’re a dog and People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals suggests you be put down, you’ve got problems.”)
In the story, Gorant writes that “pit bulls have an image problem” and went on to describe that in reality, the dog can be quite gentle. This reminded me of women’s page journalist Roberta Applegate. Described as the “light of her life” was Roberta’s pit bull terrier Binker. Roberta was quick to defend the breed. Carol Oukrop said of her friendship with Roberta, “It was a case of love me, love my dog.” Binker is pictured with Roberta on her funeral card. He preeeded her in death by a year.
The following is from a column Carol wrote about Roberta: “On a table near where she spent many of her final hours, I found magazine tearsheets of an article titled ‘Do Dogs Go To Heaven.’ And I wept.”
Roberta would have appreciated Gorant’s article.
