Happy Tails Tragedy Turns Personal

I've written before how news stories sometimes bleed into our personal lives. And how we try not to let our feelings affect how we report those stories.

In the case of the murder-suicide today of Erik Webb and his estranged wife, Sarah, that is a very difficult thing to do. 

It is very difficult to report this story without a deep sense of sadness.  I knew them both.  Not well, but well enough to see both their faces now, in my minds eye, in happier times. 

My dog, Fred, was groomed by Erik for a couple of years; and so I spent time around Erik and Sarah as I waited on Erik to finish Fred's cut. 

Mostly Erik was quiet.  Sarah was always smiling, always cheerful and full of life.

Literally full of life. It seemed she was always pregnant during the time that I knew her.

Aside from an occasional clipped too-close nail, Fred never showed any signs of abuse by Erik.

But early last year, I left Happy Tails, after it became clear from our reporting that something very wrong was going on with a number of pets there.

For a while I felt bad about leaving them. It felt like kicking someone when they were down.

Sarah called me once about a story we were working on regarding their business.  She implored me to talk to the reporter.  "We're good people," I remember her saying. 

I did speak with the reporter about my experiences at Happy Tails. I didn't expect my words to change the story, but I thought the reporter should know, simply for balance sake.

And I guess I did it for Sarah.  She had been very nice to me and to my dog; and I felt I owed her at least that much.

It was the last time I ever spoke with her.