HUNTING CONDITIONS. HALLOWEEN IS TOMORROW, AND A WAUKESHA VETERAN WANTS TO GIVE BACK WHILE HONORING LOST COMPANIONS IN A SPOOKY WAY. HE BUILT A HAUNTED TRAIL NEXT TO HIS HOME ON DEWITT COURT. 12 NEWS ZOE HENRY HAS THE STORY. JUNE 11TH, 2021 COULD BE MARKED AS ONE OF JOHN AND SUE CLYDE’S WORST DAYS. I WAS IN TOTAL SHOCK. I ACTUALLY WENT LIKE FOUR HOUSES DOWN BACK BEHIND YOU IN THAT YARD BECAUSE IT WAS SO HOT OF A FIRE AND I WAS JUST CRYING OUT BECAUSE, LIKE MY DOGS, I HAD THEM. THERE WAS NOTHING I COULD DO. THEY WERE JUST TRAPPED. A FIRE STARTED IN THEIR GARAGE, BURNING DOWN THEIR HOME AND KILLING THEIR MOST PRIZED POSSESSIONS. THEIR FIVE RESCUE DOGS. SO, LIKE I SAID, YOU’VE GOT FAITH, LOLA, DOTTIE, GABBY AND PENNY. THE DOGS WERE FAMILY TO THE STARS. JOHN IS A RETIRED MARINE WHO SAYS HE SUFFERS FROM COMBAT PTSD. THE DOGS WERE HIS THERAPY. THESE DOGS HELPED ME WITH SOME OF THE SYMPTOMS. NEVER GOING AWAY, BUT THEY CAN HELP AT LEAST MANAGE. YOU KNOW. SO I’M VERY GRATEFUL FOR THEM. NOW HE AND HIS WIFE, SUE, ARE FINDING A NEW KIND OF HEALING BY GIVING BACK. IT’S KIND OF LIKE THERAPY, YOU KNOW, JUST DECORATING THE TRAIL AND REMEMBERING THEM. YEAH. OH, YEAH. I MEAN, IT’S AS GOOD AS IT CAN BE. LIKE, THIS IS HOW IT IS. THEY COME THROUGH, AND AGAIN, YOU ENJOY YOURSELF. A FREE HALLOWEEN DECORATED TRAIL OPEN FOR THE COMMUNITY. FIGURES THAT ARE SET UP TO LOOK SPOOKY. ANOTHER SENSORY ITEM. JOHN AND SUE SAY THEY HOPE TO MAKE THIS AN ANNUAL TRADITION IN THE WAUKESHA COMMUNITY, REMEMBERING THOSE FIVE DOGS AND TURNING TRAGEDY INTO SOMETHING GOOD IN WAUKESHA, ZOE HENRY, WISN 12 NEWS. THE HAUNTED TRAIL IS OPE
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Haunted Waukesha trail decorated in honor of 5 rescue dogs
The family says the dogs died in a house fire three years ago.
Updated: 7:32 PM CDT Oct 30, 2024
A Waukesha veteran is looking to give back to the community while honoring his pets in a spooky way. He built a haunted trail next to his home on Dewitt Court near Jennifer Lane and Moreland Boulevard in Waukesha.June 11, 2021, could be marked as one of John and Sue Kladitis’ worst days. “I was in total shock. I actually went like four houses down back behind you in that yard because it was so hot of a fire, and I was just crying out because of, like, my dogs, I had them. There’s nothing I could do. They were just trapped,” John Kladitis said.A fire started in their garage, burning down their home and killing their five rescue dogs. “So, like I said, you got Faith, Lola, Dottie, Gabby and Penny,” John Kladitis said.The dogs were family to the Kladitises. John Kladitis is a retired Marine who said he experiences combat post-traumatic stress disorder and the dogs were his therapy.”These dogs help me with some of the symptoms, and (they’re) never going away, but they can help, at least, manage. So I’m very grateful for that,” he said.Now, he and his wife have found a new kind of healing in giving back.”It’s been like therapy, you know, it’s decorating the trail and remembering them,” Sue Kladitis said. “Yeah. I mean, it’s as good as it can be. Like, this is how it is and come through. And again, you enjoy yourself. You make those memories of your kids or even just adults with adults, you know, whoever may be, and just enjoying yourself for the night,” John Kladitis said.A free Halloween-decorated trail open to the community. John and Sue Kladitis say they hope to make this an annual tradition in the Waukesha community, remembering those five dogs and turning a tragedy into something good. The haunted trail is open Oct. 31 from 5 to 8 p.m.
A Waukesha veteran is looking to give back to the community while honoring his pets in a spooky way. He built a haunted trail next to his home on Dewitt Court near Jennifer Lane and Moreland Boulevard in Waukesha.
June 11, 2021, could be marked as one of John and Sue Kladitis’ worst days.
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“I was in total shock. I actually went like four houses down back behind you in that yard because it was so hot of a fire, and I was just crying out because of, like, my dogs, I had them. There’s nothing I could do. They were just trapped,” John Kladitis said.
A fire started in their garage, burning down their home and killing their five rescue dogs.
“So, like I said, you got Faith, Lola, Dottie, Gabby and Penny,” John Kladitis said.
The dogs were family to the Kladitises. John Kladitis is a retired Marine who said he experiences combat post-traumatic stress disorder and the dogs were his therapy.
“These dogs help me with some of the symptoms, and (they’re) never going away, but they can help, at least, manage. So I’m very grateful for that,” he said.
Now, he and his wife have found a new kind of healing in giving back.
“It’s been like therapy, you know, it’s decorating the trail and remembering them,” Sue Kladitis said.
“Yeah. I mean, it’s as good as it can be. Like, this is how it is and come through. And again, you enjoy yourself. You make those memories of your kids or even just adults with adults, you know, whoever may be, and just enjoying yourself for the night,” John Kladitis said.
A free Halloween-decorated trail open to the community. John and Sue Kladitis say they hope to make this an annual tradition in the Waukesha community, remembering those five dogs and turning a tragedy into something good.
The haunted trail is open Oct. 31 from 5 to 8 p.m.
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