Ernie, named for Ernest Hemingway, and Issy, named for Isadora Duncan, are litter mates, together not simply since birth but since conception. They are the beloved poodles of fashion designer Lili Butler and her husband, painter Kent Rupp. On the evening of July 10, two pit bulls broke through a sturdy fence and attacked Ernie and bit Lili as she tried to save him. After emergency procedures in Sonoma County, Lili took Ernie to UC Davis. He is now resting comfortably but not out of danger. He is in a private room, off campus, with around the clock care, a safeguard against infection with bacteria that are always present in hospitals. If he does not develop an infection and if his facial tissue is still alive, chances for survival are good, though he will need several skin grafts and about a year or rehabilitation.
You can read more about Ernie and Issy here and while you’re browsing, take time to explore the rest of the site. Lili’s fashion designs are breathtakingly beautiful. Explore Kent’s web site here. He is a member of San Francisco Figurative Painters and has recently begun exploring abstract painting, with extraordinary results.
Lili closed her retail shop a few years ago and now has a showroom on the estate in western Sonoma County where she, Kent, Ernie, Issy, and Vincent, a new puppy–a black standard poodle–live.
