A much-loved Fair City pet, a wee Chihuahua called Shorty, has a handmade marker for his final resting place after his fans at Stanley Men’s Shed decided to pay tribute.
Shorty lived to be seven years old and was the family pet of Pete Chan, the owner of Craigie takeaway China China and founder of the Bag O’ Chips walks in Perth aimed at promoting better mental health.
Pete was very sad, to put it mildly, when Shorty was found dead in the garden in November. The Chihuahua had made many human friends beyond his loving family, and had recovered from being bitten by another dog.
Shorty had been a friend to Lily Douglas and was often on her lap when Lily came to visit her pal from dancing, Pete’s daughter Yasmin.
The dog - despite his short legs - loved to go on the Bag O’ Chips Walks Pete organises every Wednesday around the parks. He sometimes walked himself but also liked to grab a free ride in his snazzy shoulder bag.
Shorty became the mascot and was very popular with the people going for the organised walks over the last two years.
Former Craigie councillor Willie Wilson was another of Shorty’s influential contacts.
Craigie community meetings with Perth City South councillors Willie Wilson and the late Bob Band were often held in the Abbotsford Lounge Bar and it being a dog friendly pub, Shorty was there to listen in.
Pete began taking his dog to look for other dog friendly places to eat and drink around Perth and Shorty made further pals.
During lockdown he made many friends at the Stanley Men’s Shed when his owner Pete brought the men meals from the takeaway to boost their spirits.
Shorty was particularly fond of Men’s Shed member Jim Wallace and he felt the same way back.
It was Jim who brought Shorty’s handmade, wooden grave marker proclaiming the little fella was ‘Perth’s Most Weel Kent Dug’ to give to Pete as a present earlier this week.
To promote Chinese New Year, Pete went to several schools to teach the kids about traditions and customs.
He explained: “One of the funniest tales about Shorty was when in 2018, the Year of the Dog, Shorty came on a visit to Craigie Primary School.
“I used to go round schools and nurseries, giving talks on Chinese New Year and give out little goodies. I have this proper lion costume that is used for dancing…but this one is kids’ size.
“That year the kids thought it was brilliant, with me visiting with the dancing Chinese lions and a miniature token Chinese New Year dog.”
The dog first arrived in the family when he was no more than six inches long, a surprise purchase made by Pete’s wife Kirsteen.
“I was not at all taken when I first saw Shorty,” explained Pete.
“Chinese families don’t tend to grow up with dogs - not enough time I guess. Anyway, this was my first experience of owning a dog.
“He was there on my wife’s lap, aged about four-months-old, when I got home one day and I said ‘What the **** is that? A rat?’ but when Kirsteen left me with the puppy, he crawled onto my lap and snuggled into my chest and we totally bonded.
“Our cat Marvel was way bigger than him and the next thing was to get them to like each other, which luckily they did.”
In Perth, Shorty liked to go and visit the viewpoint on the city’s Western Edge and he regularly took a stroll at The Hermitage walk in Dunkeld, so one way and another, Shorty left his mark - not only on the Abbotsford Bar’s carpet but all over Perthshire.
