Annie the dog was a Mid-Wilshire neighborhood's best friend
If your errands, dog walk or city job took you past a tree at the corner of 4th Street and Cochran Avenue, you knew and loved Annie, a husky mix who died Saturday.
There are candles and flowers on the ground, and sympathy cards, personal notes and photographs on a tree.
But the shrine that popped up this week at the corner of 4th Street and Cochran Avenue doesn't memorialize someone killed in a car crash or drive-by shooting.
It honors Annie the dog, who died Saturday night after she was stung by a bee and went into anaphylactic shock.
For four years the husky mix spent each day lying beneath a tree in front of an apartment house, greeting a passing parade of dog-walkers, errand-runners and those simply out for an evening stroll.
"She just enjoyed watching the world go by," said Brian Savage, an actor who lives nearby. "She never ran off, never barked at anyone. She was just a pillar of the neighborhood."
She was more than that, said Michael Moravek, also an actor.
"Annie was really a touchstone for all of us," he said. "It was nice to have her here. We might not know each other, but we all knew Annie."
Moravek placed a snapshot he had taken of her on the shrine. "She was our neighborhood guardian. Even now, Annie is bringing us together."
Six-year-old Roman DiGiulio walked to the memorial with his mother and placed a hand-printed note and a large red heart on the tree. "Have a good life in heaven, sweet doggie," read the note.
"I've known Annie for years," Caroline DiGiulio said. "She was considered the neighborhood dog. She loved being outside, and people loved seeing her."
Other condolence notes thanked Annie. "You were an angel here, and you are an angel now, sweet girl," read one. "You were such a special soul. Seeing you under this tree always brought a smile to my face," stated another.
Several messages recalled the joy of petting "your fuzzy, soft head" and the pleasure Annie got from "having your belly scratched."
Research coordinator Chris Wells recalled how his rat terrier-Chihuahua mix named Presley would greet Annie during daily walks. "I'm not surprised by this shrine," Wells said. "This is a dog-friendly part of the Miracle Mile."
Joshua Goolsey, a retail manager, agreed. "Annie knew all the dogs in the neighborhood," he said. "She'd pick herself up off the ground to come say hello. She was the nicest big dog you'll ever see."
City Department of Water and Power worker Jon Fernandez regularly makes service calls in the Mid-Wilshire neighborhood. He remembered his apprehension when he first walked past the unchained dog three years ago.
"I was a little nervous. Dogs sometimes come after us. But she was very docile," Fernandez said. "I saw her out here just last Saturday."
Casting director Michael McCaskey also remembered seeing Annie in her usual spot on Saturday. "She was such a friendly dog. Everybody loved her," he said.
Annie's owner, Jack Zurla, said he was moved by those who have contributed to the impromptu memorial. He said he rescued Annie 12 years ago when he found the abandoned puppy foraging for food near the corner of Washington Boulevard and La Brea Avenue.
"I'll remember Annie as a dog that was more human than dog. She had the capacity to understand people. She was a dog of compassion for everybody. She gave people comfort," said Zurla, a designer glass and wrought iron company representative.
Zurla said people have stood crying in front of Annie's shrine.
"Annie made people feel like she understood their pain and sorrow," he said. "She was always ready to give someone some love."
As reported
By bob Pool, Los Angeles Times
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