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The decision to euthanize a pet can be heart-wrenching, but explaining the situation to children can be even more difficult.
“When we lost our boxer, I needed to do something for the kids. It was such a devastating time,” said Henry County native Suzann Wancket-Yue. “There were a lot of books about dogs and cats going to heaven, but nothing that prepared a child for the euthanasia part.”
Wancket-Yue decided to fill the gap by writing the children’s book “Snort’s Special Gift.”
Wancket-Yue is the daughter of Bob and Sherry Wancket of Geneseo. A career in martial arts took Wancket-Yue to the Minneapolis-St. Paul area.
“I started a school, Wancket’s Art of Karate, which specialized in teaching children with attention deficit disorders,” said Wancket-Yue, an eight-time world karate champion.
In 2000, she retired from karate and adopted her daughter, Savanna, known as “Savy” from China.
“I met my husband four years later, and we adopted a son, Sunne,” she said.
Even before she had children, Wancket-Yue had her boxer dog, Sensi, known as “Snort.”
“I had her for seven years before I went to China to get Savy. She was my baby, my heart and soul. Snort was my four-legged child. We did everything together,” said Wancket-Yue.
“I thought the dog might have a problem when I brought home a little baby, but Snort was so good with Savy. She took care of her.
“Through me getting married and all my life changes, I always had my Snort. When she passed away, it was devastating,” said Wancket-Yue.
“Every year, we would take Snort to the vet. She loved the smells there. It was hard to explain to the children that the vet would be giving Snort a shot and then we’d never see her again. Nothing prepares a child for that,” she explained.
Wancket-Yue said she wrote “Snort’s Special Gift” as a “very gentle way to work through the grieving process.”
The majority of the book focuses on the characters celebrating and remembering Snort’s life.
“I think it’s important to remember that, even though the book is about a dog, the lessons and ideas in the book can be used for grieving with any kind of loss — be it the death of another pet, a grandparent or even a divorce,” she explained.
The decision to euthanize a pet can be heart-wrenching, but explaining the situation to children can be even more difficult.
“When we lost our boxer, I needed to do something for the kids. It was such a devastating time,” said Henry County native Suzann Wancket-Yue. “There were a lot of books about dogs and cats going to heaven, but nothing that prepared a child for the euthanasia part.”
Wancket-Yue decided to fill the gap by writing the children’s book “Snort’s Special Gift.”
Wancket-Yue is the daughter of Bob and Sherry Wancket of Geneseo. A career in martial arts took Wancket-Yue to the Minneapolis-St. Paul area.
“I started a school, Wancket’s Art of Karate, which specialized in teaching children with attention deficit disorders,” said Wancket-Yue, an eight-time world karate champion.
In 2000, she retired from karate and adopted her daughter, Savanna, known as “Savy” from China.
“I met my husband four years later, and we adopted a son, Sunne,” she said.
Even before she had children, Wancket-Yue had her boxer dog, Sensi, known as “Snort.”
“I had her for seven years before I went to China to get Savy. She was my baby, my heart and soul. Snort was my four-legged child. We did everything together,” said Wancket-Yue.
“I thought the dog might have a problem when I brought home a little baby, but Snort was so good with Savy. She took care of her.
“Through me getting married and all my life changes, I always had my Snort. When she passed away, it was devastating,” said Wancket-Yue.
“Every year, we would take Snort to the vet. She loved the smells there. It was hard to explain to the children that the vet would be giving Snort a shot and then we’d never see her again. Nothing prepares a child for that,” she explained.
Wancket-Yue said she wrote “Snort’s Special Gift” as a “very gentle way to work through the grieving process.”
The majority of the book focuses on the characters celebrating and remembering Snort’s life.
“I think it’s important to remember that, even though the book is about a dog, the lessons and ideas in the book can be used for grieving with any kind of loss — be it the death of another pet, a grandparent or even a divorce,” she explained.
In order to keep the message in her book true to her original ideas, Wancket-Yue opted to self-publish “Snort’s Special Gift.”
She worked with Minnesota-based Beaver’s Pond Press to create her book.
“I wanted to have absolute control in the process,” said Wancket-Yue.
Because Wancket-Yue’s children and husband are Chinese, she wanted to find a Chinese illustrator for the book. Online, she discovered the works of San Francisco artist Lin Wang.
“Her artwork is unbelievable,” said Wancket-Yue. “I didn’t want the story to look like a cartoon. When I saw Lin’s work, it was gorgeous. I wanted the book to be very elegant. I wanted it to stand out.”
“Snort’s Special Gift” was published earlier this fall, and Wancket-Yue is planning a visit to the area to promote her book.
She will sign autographs of “Snort’s Special Gift” from 3:30 p.m. to 5 p.m. Nov. 26 at Pegasus in downtown Geneseo. Wancket-Yue also will sign autographs at Barnes & Nobel in Davenport, Iowa, from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. Nov. 27.
She’ll also appear on WHBF Channel 4 in the morning on Nov. 29.
Copies of “Snort’s Special Gift” are available locally at Pegasus, Miller Veterinary Service and Vandemore Funeral Home.
The book also is available at Barnes & Noble and at Readmore Book World in Moline, as well as from online booksellers.
A portion of the proceeds from “Snort’s Special Gift” will be donated to charity.
For more information, visit www.suzannyue.com.
