[News] Joan Rivers Admits Yorkie Saved Her From Suicide - YorkieTalk.com Forums

fasteddie · 08-25-2005, 11:36 PM

Joan Rivers has confessed her pet dog saved her from suicide.

The acid-tongued comedienne was so depressed after her husband, Edgar Rosenberg, took his own life she considered killing herself.

But her beloved Yorkshire Terrier, Spike, stopped her by jumping on the gun she was planning to use.

Joan revealed: "Dogs know when you are in pain."

Tragically, Spike died two years ago at the age of 18 - and Joan is still struggling to come to terms with his demise.

She confessed to Britain's Weekend magazine: "He was my friend to the end. He died in front of a fireplace where he had lain for a month on an old fur coat he liked. After two years I wasn't over his death.

"Then my vet called to say, 'I've got a dog who's been mistreated. Can you help me? It will take your mind off Spike.' And that was my Pekinese. But someone you love can never be replaced."

http://people.monstersandcritics.com..._through_grief

Annadoodle · 08-26-2005, 04:51 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by fasteddie

Joan Rivers has confessed her pet dog saved her from suicide.

The acid-tongued comedienne was so depressed after her husband, Edgar Rosenberg, took his own life she considered killing herself.

But her beloved Yorkshire Terrier, Spike, stopped her by jumping on the gun she was planning to use.

Joan revealed: "Dogs know when you are in pain."

Tragically, Spike died two years ago at the age of 18 - and Joan is still struggling to come to terms with his demise.

She confessed to Britain's Weekend magazine: "He was my friend to the end. He died in front of a fireplace where he had lain for a month on an old fur coat he liked. After two years I wasn't over his death.

"Then my vet called to say, 'I've got a dog who's been mistreated. Can you help me? It will take your mind off Spike.' And that was my Pekinese. But someone you love can never be replaced."

http://people.monstersandcritics.com..._through_grief

I know I have my Sophie because I needed her~

Pets give you so much and in return...truly only want to be loved- O.K..maybe a kibble or two..lol

I can't imagine my life without one of these wonderful spirits in it.
I had a minature poodle for 19 years...her loss was a hard one. I think when you have one that long...you feel safe and the world feels o.k. because once you walk back in your home..that constant companion and love is there.

..

Its memories are surrounded by milestones in your life...like newlywed marriage, many army moves, babies, kids going to college. But when they have to go...and we remain..its very hard...you miss them...

I still swear I hear the jingle of her tags some nights.

Life goes on...and never can you replace.....but you can love another with a different part of your heart..

I got a new toy poodle 2 months after Cheyenne died...and she was a different color...Cheyenne was black...Annie our new baby was apricot....We named her Broadway Annie. That is my Tribute to her in my Name here on Yorkie Talk ...."Annadoodle". We use to call her Annadoodle the poodle...

She was the cutest dog and so smart. Well..I lost her very fast. She had AIHA and apparently had it all her life...(auto immune hemiolytic anemia) We never knew...Her 3 yr. old shots put her into total auto immune collapse..we did a blood transfusion..it did not take...The vets did everything they could we lost her two days later at the age of just turning 3. I thought I'd die~

All pet losses are hard...can't say one is harder than the other. But, Cheyenne did live a full life...and Annie's was shortend...I think that is the hard part. Not understanding why...
Everything happens for a reason...I do believe that...
****
I'm out of the poodle business...
I have my new little love you all see here today...her name is Sophie and so different from a poodle breed...its good for me...She makes me laugh.

..and is the best company and friend...

***
I hope Joan Rivers did get another pet..I wasn't sure if she took the pekinese...but her life is different without Spike..and Because of him...in a tribute to him..she should love another wonderful dog...they give us so much in our lives...hard to explain..but I'm sure dog lovers here understand.

I like Joan Rivers...always have...and that comedy does cover some hurt she has..she will say anything...But I'm proud of her...she is a survivor...
Thanks for sharing that with us....

SoCalyorkiLvr · 08-26-2005, 05:06 PM

What a great story and another testimonial to just how "healing" dogs can be.

Diego · 08-26-2005, 05:23 PM

As I always said , humans can betray you but a dog will never . No matter if a person is poor , rich , sad or happy , the dog will always be happy to see that you are there .

topknot · 08-27-2005, 06:44 AM

I know what you mean. My dogs helped me through my husband's ordeal with his heart attack. I knew I had to come home and have some kind of routine for them and when I would laid down to rest - they all piled up on top of me and showered me with kisses and then just laid down tight next to me. I felt safe and felt loved. They were there for me. I love each and everyone of my babies forever!

T.

Kelz · 08-27-2005, 08:32 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SoCalyorkiLvr

What a great story and another testimonial to just how "healing" dogs can be.

my exact thoughts!

rnnw62 · 08-28-2005, 02:42 AM

Pets give you so much and in return...truly only want to be loved- O.K..maybe a kibble or two..lol

If only people could be as unconditional as pets are...

TeriTiny2 · 10-27-2005, 09:05 AM

Joan is a wonderful lady. I meet her in the early 90's. I did her nails @ the AC Tropicana Casino Salon where I worked at the time Salon Samuel. She is so full of life and as we all know what a personality. She just loves everyone and thing.We shared our love for Yorkies so it made our conversation just wonderful.
Just a very classy lady she is. I love Joan.
Teri
http://www.bowwowcouture.com

whispersmom2 · 11-09-2005, 08:23 PM

Joan Rivers had one of the funniest stories I have heard about Spike and his "lover".. Seems he had fallen totally and completely in love with a ............pink slipper. Her name? Lolita. She had to be hidden when company came because Spike would find her and have his way with her right in front of everyone. She wrote of one of the times when Lolita was not hidden well and Spike and LOL proceded to have a sex orgy during the dinner hour..

Jwebbal · 02-05-2015, 12:03 PM

My mother and father were the owners of the parents of Joan's dog Spike. We had brought them both back from the UK, after we were stationed there for the second time, my father was USAF. They were both from Champion lines, my dog, Dusty, the male, was from quite notable lines, his father a UK champion. I trained and showed him when were in England, we came back to the US, and the breed was pretty unknown. Both were sturdy dogs, no damn teacups in any of their litters unless they were a genuine runt. Our female, Penny, was at the top of the weight standard, and had at least two litters of 7! True terriers, and I loved them. Mine would love to ride on the top of my Yamaha gas tank, would walk and heel without a leash, and obeyed the stay command with me out of sight, or in the store, and would not go with anyone. Of course I wouldn't do any of these things NOW, but I was a teen, with a very well trained dog, who LOVED the wind in his hair on my motorcycle.

I actually answered the phone when Joan inquired about the puppy for sale, I had no idea who I was talking to, but I gave the call to my mother, she asked a few questions, and she introduced herself. Her daughter Melissa came to pick the puppy up, which was a bit disappointing. Spike looked very much like my dog Dusty. One of these days I will upload the best photos of them both, but I do have this one of my brother when they were both puppies, sometime about 1979-80.

My parents would tell folks they had sold Joan her dog, until she published an autobiography where she stated that the dog was abused, and that she had rescued Spike. My parents weren't too pleased. Mind you, I don't think many people read the darn book, but still. Spike lived a good long time. Dusty and Penny did as well, Penny died of natural causes at 18. My dog sadly drowned during a family visit to my aunt's home in LV, we had meticulously taught both dogs how to escape from a fall in our pool, teaching them where the exits were. They would even teach the puppies that would race each other around the pool. Sadly, my dog wasn't familiar with my aunt's pool, her parents didn't want to deal with both dogs when we left for a couple hours, and put them outside. I was devastated thinking of my poor dog swimming forever trying to figure out how to get of the pool. He was about 14 at the time.

Yorkiemom1 · 02-05-2015, 06:07 PM

What a wonderful piece of a puzzle that is all completed, about Spike. I often thought about Spike, and over the years, wondered what ever happened to him. This is a wonderful story....I just wonder what in the world motivated Joan to tell people she had rescued an abused dog??? In any event, thanks for this delightful story.....

Doodlebug · 02-05-2015, 09:31 PM

Thanks for sharing your story. I loved it!

Jwebbal · 02-05-2015, 10:40 PM

That's my memory of the book, but without actually reading it again, I can't be sure anymore. It was over twenty years ago that I read it. However, after trying to find the piece to that puzzle, I now am pretty sure she "embellished" about how old the dog was when he died. Why? No clue. But I clearly read a magazine article about Spike and his "gift" he presented at the 60 minutes offices in NY, she asked Don Hewitt what he was doing when he was only 3, as that was how old the dog was. The article was in 1989. Which makes sense because if the dog died at 19, by my calculations, he would have been purchased in 1981. I had no clue who she was at that time, and she wasn't guest hosting for Carson till 1982. She got her own show in 1986. Her husband died in 1987.

I won't disparage her, I actually liked her as a comedienne and woman, even if I wasn't too fond of her look after all the plastic surgery. But it's her choice obviously, and she made way more of herself than I ever have! Maybe she didn't say abused, maybe she said he was a shelter dog and I assumed she was saying he was somehow abused. I did actually find several interviews where she stated over and over that all her dogs were rescue dogs. Maybe they were after Spike? I would never call my parents dumb breeders, or backyard breeders, they carefully chose quality dogs as pets, and loved the breed and brought it to CA. I did show my dog, and he was highly trained, something I don't really hear said about the breed usually. As a matter of fact, I found most of the breed standard stuff I read later to not be typical of my dog at all, and I treasure the UK book on the breed. The standard at the time of publishing was quite different from the US standard I read a few years later.

Yorkiemom1 · 02-06-2015, 07:20 AM

You did say your parents had Spike's littermate, and he lived to be 18, so she may very well have been right on spot with that. There are not an awful lot of dogs, even Yorkies, that live to the wonderful age of 18 years! That says a whole lot about genetics and breeding behind that dog! Seems obvious your parents gave a considerable amount of thought into at least, the breeding that produced Spike and his littermates! I wish I knew the pedigrees behind those dogs!

Jwebbal · 02-06-2015, 08:20 AM

I actually have their pedigrees, somewhere in the stuff I brought back from my father's estate. I will have to look.

08-28-2005, 02:42 AM	#7
rnnw62 Donating Senior Yorkie Talker Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Gilbert, Arizona Posts: 1,610	Pets give you so much and in return...truly only want to be loved- O.K..maybe a kibble or two..lol If only people could be as unconditional as pets are... __________________ Shelly, Teddy, Toby,Hanne & Indigo

10-27-2005, 09:05 AM	#8
TeriTiny2 Donating Yorkie Yakker Join Date: Apr 2005 Posts: 158	I love Joan. Joan is a wonderful lady. I meet her in the early 90's. I did her nails @ the AC Tropicana Casino Salon where I worked at the time Salon Samuel. She is so full of life and as we all know what a personality. She just loves everyone and thing.We shared our love for Yorkies so it made our conversation just wonderful. Just a very classy lady she is. I love Joan. Teri http://www.bowwowcouture.com

02-05-2015, 09:31 PM	#12
Doodlebug ♥Love My Puppies!♥ Donating Member Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: US Posts: 5,786	Thanks for sharing your story. I loved it! __________________ RIP My Sweet Darling Angel Daisy 08/09/03 - 10/02/15, RIP My Sweet Baby Boy Teddy Bear 02/01/04 - 02/11/16 Photos HERE

02-06-2015, 08:20 AM	#15
Jwebbal YorkieTalk Newbie! Join Date: Feb 2015 Location: riverside, ca usa Posts: 3	q I actually have their pedigrees, somewhere in the stuff I brought back from my father's estate. I will have to look.

08-26-2005, 05:06 PM	#3
SoCalyorkiLvr BANNED! Join Date: Mar 2005 Posts: 8,246	What a great story and another testimonial to just how "healing" dogs can be.

08-26-2005, 05:23 PM	#4
Diego Donating YT 3000 Club Member Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: Canada Posts: 3,617	As I always said , humans can betray you but a dog will never . No matter if a person is poor , rich , sad or happy , the dog will always be happy to see that you are there .

08-27-2005, 06:44 AM	#5
topknot Donating YT 2000 Club Member Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: GA Posts: 3,787	I know what you mean. My dogs helped me through my husband's ordeal with his heart attack. I knew I had to come home and have some kind of routine for them and when I would laid down to rest - they all piled up on top of me and showered me with kisses and then just laid down tight next to me. I felt safe and felt loved. They were there for me. I love each and everyone of my babies forever! T.

11-09-2005, 08:23 PM	#9
whispersmom2 Inactive Account Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: MD Posts: 2,985	Joan Rivers had one of the funniest stories I have heard about Spike and his "lover".. Seems he had fallen totally and completely in love with a ............pink slipper. Her name? Lolita. She had to be hidden when company came because Spike would find her and have his way with her right in front of everyone. She wrote of one of the times when Lolita was not hidden well and Spike and LOL proceded to have a sex orgy during the dinner hour..

02-05-2015, 12:03 PM	#10
Jwebbal YorkieTalk Newbie! Join Date: Feb 2015 Location: riverside, ca usa Posts: 3	My mother and father were the owners of the parents of Joan's dog Spike. We had brought them both back from the UK, after we were stationed there for the second time, my father was USAF. They were both from Champion lines, my dog, Dusty, the male, was from quite notable lines, his father a UK champion. I trained and showed him when were in England, we came back to the US, and the breed was pretty unknown. Both were sturdy dogs, no damn teacups in any of their litters unless they were a genuine runt. Our female, Penny, was at the top of the weight standard, and had at least two litters of 7! True terriers, and I loved them. Mine would love to ride on the top of my Yamaha gas tank, would walk and heel without a leash, and obeyed the stay command with me out of sight, or in the store, and would not go with anyone. Of course I wouldn't do any of these things NOW, but I was a teen, with a very well trained dog, who LOVED the wind in his hair on my motorcycle. I actually answered the phone when Joan inquired about the puppy for sale, I had no idea who I was talking to, but I gave the call to my mother, she asked a few questions, and she introduced herself. Her daughter Melissa came to pick the puppy up, which was a bit disappointing. Spike looked very much like my dog Dusty. One of these days I will upload the best photos of them both, but I do have this one of my brother when they were both puppies, sometime about 1979-80. My parents would tell folks they had sold Joan her dog, until she published an autobiography where she stated that the dog was abused, and that she had rescued Spike. My parents weren't too pleased. Mind you, I don't think many people read the darn book, but still. Spike lived a good long time. Dusty and Penny did as well, Penny died of natural causes at 18. My dog sadly drowned during a family visit to my aunt's home in LV, we had meticulously taught both dogs how to escape from a fall in our pool, teaching them where the exits were. They would even teach the puppies that would race each other around the pool. Sadly, my dog wasn't familiar with my aunt's pool, her parents didn't want to deal with both dogs when we left for a couple hours, and put them outside. I was devastated thinking of my poor dog swimming forever trying to figure out how to get of the pool. He was about 14 at the time.

02-05-2015, 06:07 PM	#11
Yorkiemom1 Rosehill Yorkies Donating YT Member Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Houston Texas Posts: 9,462	What a wonderful piece of a puzzle that is all completed, about Spike. I often thought about Spike, and over the years, wondered what ever happened to him. This is a wonderful story....I just wonder what in the world motivated Joan to tell people she had rescued an abused dog??? In any event, thanks for this delightful story.....

02-05-2015, 10:40 PM	#13
Jwebbal YorkieTalk Newbie! Join Date: Feb 2015 Location: riverside, ca usa Posts: 3	That's my memory of the book, but without actually reading it again, I can't be sure anymore. It was over twenty years ago that I read it. However, after trying to find the piece to that puzzle, I now am pretty sure she "embellished" about how old the dog was when he died. Why? No clue. But I clearly read a magazine article about Spike and his "gift" he presented at the 60 minutes offices in NY, she asked Don Hewitt what he was doing when he was only 3, as that was how old the dog was. The article was in 1989. Which makes sense because if the dog died at 19, by my calculations, he would have been purchased in 1981. I had no clue who she was at that time, and she wasn't guest hosting for Carson till 1982. She got her own show in 1986. Her husband died in 1987. I won't disparage her, I actually liked her as a comedienne and woman, even if I wasn't too fond of her look after all the plastic surgery. But it's her choice obviously, and she made way more of herself than I ever have! Maybe she didn't say abused, maybe she said he was a shelter dog and I assumed she was saying he was somehow abused. I did actually find several interviews where she stated over and over that all her dogs were rescue dogs. Maybe they were after Spike? I would never call my parents dumb breeders, or backyard breeders, they carefully chose quality dogs as pets, and loved the breed and brought it to CA. I did show my dog, and he was highly trained, something I don't really hear said about the breed usually. As a matter of fact, I found most of the breed standard stuff I read later to not be typical of my dog at all, and I treasure the UK book on the breed. The standard at the time of publishing was quite different from the US standard I read a few years later.

02-06-2015, 07:20 AM	#14
Yorkiemom1 Rosehill Yorkies Donating YT Member Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Houston Texas Posts: 9,462	You did say your parents had Spike's littermate, and he lived to be 18, so she may very well have been right on spot with that. There are not an awful lot of dogs, even Yorkies, that live to the wonderful age of 18 years! That says a whole lot about genetics and breeding behind that dog! Seems obvious your parents gave a considerable amount of thought into at least, the breeding that produced Spike and his littermates! I wish I knew the pedigrees behind those dogs!