Popular motorcycle-riding Pomeranian killed

A lot of people around Carson City will miss Shamu, the peach-colored Pomeranian who wore sunglasses and a custom Harley-Davidson jacket when he rode his owner's motorcycle.

The little dog was killed Thursday night.

His owner, Jim Munoz, got up at 2 a.m. and noticed he was gone.

"He's always right there with me, but I didn't see him so I went out on the porch because sometimes he goes out there to cool down."

The front door was open, but Shamu wasn't there. Munoz found his broken, 8-pound body in front of the neighbor's house.

"Apparently the Rottweillers across the street jumped the fence and broke his back, punctured his lungs," said his owner. "He died a violent death. You could see where he got shook because his little back was broken in two pieces."

Munoz and Shamu rode thousands of miles together from Lake Tahoe to the Bay area and north to Crater Lake. A harness with a ring on the back held the dog safely attached to Munoz's belt.

Munoz didn't train the dog - he was a natural.

"He just jumped up there himself," Munoz said. "I knew he wanted to go with me. As soon as he heard that thing crank up he'd come running out from wherever he was and be ready to go. When I'd get out the harness he'd stick his little head in there and lift his leg. I tell ya, he's a character. He was a character. He's gone now."

Shamu was well known at local businesses, especially Costco, Home Depot, Greater Nevada Credit Union and Scolari's.

Jo Misuraca at Lowe's remembers him well.

"When he first came in they took a picture of him. He used to shuffle around all the stores - he never had to be on a leash. Some of the girls went to see about flowers for his owner and the woman there knew Shamu."

Munoz's daughter gave him the purebred Pomeranian seven years ago. He bought children's sunglasses with a strap which fit Shamu's little head.

"He took right to it like a fish does to water," Munoz said with a chuckle.

He named the little dog after the whale from Sea World.

"I always thought he had the spirit of a whale. He was a little dog, but he had a big heart."

Shamu used to wait for his owner on a tool box on the back of his truck while he ate at restaurants. Munoz would bring a leftover treat.

"It got to be like a little ritual for us."

Munoz is pretty broken up over losing his companion.

"He was a special little animal to me. You don't realize what a dog is until you have one that's so special. I think God made that little dog for me - I know he did. But I guess he's gone now. I have to move on."

Munoz plans to make a metal container for the little dog's ashes.

"I'll put his name on the end and get it chromed and keep it with me on my bike so that way he'll always be with me."

Contact Karl Horeis at khoreis@nevadaappeal.com or 881-1219.