"Ralph" July 2 1998 ----- March 4 1999
White Akita
THE DAY I GOT MY FIRST DOG- RALPH IT WAS A SURPRISE.
WE WERE AT WALMART AND THERE WERE FREE PUPPIES.
HE WAS THE LAST ONE LEFT AND I DIDN'T THINK
SHE WOULD LET ME HAVE HIM.
THERE WAS ANOTHER LADY THERE WHO WANTED HIM REALLY BAD.
I REMEMBER THE LADY GIVING HIM AWAY TELLING US
THAT HIS MOTHER WAS KILLED ON A FARM TRYING
TO SEARCH FOR FOOD FOR HER AND THE BABIES INSIDE HER.
HE HAD 5 BROTHERS AND SHE TOLD US
HE WAS THE LAZIEST OF THEM ALL.
I TOLD MY MOTHER THAT HE WAS QUITE LIKE ME
TRYING TO EARGE HER INTO LETTING ME HAVE HIM.
WHEN SHE SHOUTED OUT QUICKLY THAT WE WOULD TAKE HIM
I WAS SURPRISED.
WE TURNED AROUND AND WENT BACK TO WALMART
FOR OUR FIRST BAG OF DOG FOOD.
WHEN WE GOT HOME DAD WAS OUTSIDE AND HE TOLD ME
WE SHOULDN'T HAVE GOT HIM AND THAT IT WOULD
ONLY BE TROUBLE AND I WAS SAD.
BUT LITTLE DID WE KNOW THAT THE TINY PUPPY THAT DAD
THOUGHT WAS ONLY TROUBLESOME WOULD BECOME
MORE OR LESS DAD'S DOG IN HIS MIND.
RALPH WAS A WHITE AKITA AND I REMEMBER OUR FAMILY
TRYING TO THINK OF NAMES FOR HIM.
I AGREED WITH MOTHER THAT
WE SHOULD NAME HIM IGLOO
BUT DAD DIDN'T LIKE IT AND HE CALLED HIM RALPH AND IT STUCK.
AFTER RALPH WAS A LITTLE OLDER
WE FOUND HE WAS A CAR CHASER.
MY FAMILY AND I THOUGHT IT WAS CRUEL TO CHAIN AN ANIMAL UP
BUT IF I HAD KNOWN THEN WHAT I KNOW NOW
I WOULD HAVE DONE THE UNTHINKABLE.
NOMATTER HOW HARD I TRIED TO TEACH HIM RIGHT FROM WRONG
HE LOVED TO CHASE WHEELS.
ON OCTOBER 1ST WE MOVED TO A NEW HOUSE
WITH A BIG HILL THAT WAS WONDERFUL TO SLED ON.
TEN DAYS LATER HE HAD WONDERED DOWN TO THE NEIGHBOR'S HOUSE
WHERE WE WERE AT THE MOMENT
BUT I DIDN'T PAY ANY ATTENTION.
AS WE TURNED OUT OF THE DRIVE WAY AND STARTED
TO GO UP THE ROAD A BIT MOM AND I HEARD A THUMP.
WE BOTH TURNED BACK TO LOOK OUT THE WINDOW
TO SEE RALPH SQUIRMING IN AGONY ON THE GROUND.
IT WAS THE MOST HORRIBLE SIGHT I HAD EVER SEEN IN ALL OF MY LIFE.
I REMEMBER SCREAMING MY HEAD OFF
NOT KNOWING WHETHER MY BEST FRIEND
WAS GONNA DIE RIGHT THERE OR NOT.
MY AUNT WHO LIVED IN THE HOUSE THAT WE HAD STARTED
TO LEAVE FROM SAW EVERYTHING AND SHE KNEW
ALOT ABOUT DOGS.
SHE TOLD US THAT WHEN THINGS LIKE THIS HAPPEN MOST DOGS
GO INTO A STATE OF SHOCK AND THEY DON'T WANT TO BE TOUCHED
AND THEY DON'T EAT.
HE WOULDN'T MOVE SO WE LIFTED INTO
THE BACK OF THE TRUCK AND TOOK HIM NEXT DOOR
TO OUR HOUSE WE PUT HIM IN THIS LITTLE EXTRA ROOM
WE HAD THAT HE LIKED TO SLEEP IN AND KEPT HIM THERE.
WE COULDN'T AFFORD TO TAKE HIM TO THE VET RIGHT AWAY.
I WAS SAD BUT I REFUSED TO CRY AROUND HIM
SO HE WOULDN'T THINK I WAS HURT.
WHEN DAD CAME HOME HE TOLD US
THAT HE DIDN'T THINK HE WOULD MAKE IT.
THAT NIGHT I WAS SO WORRIED THAT SOMETHING
WOULD HAPPEN THAT I SLEPT OUT
IN THAT COLD ROOM WITH HIM ON THE FLOOR.
A FEW DAYS LATER HE WAS WALKING OK
BUT WE COULD TELL SOMETHING WAS WRONG WITH HIS HIPS.
EVENTUALLY HE WAS ALOT BETTER
BUT HE WASN'T ABLE TO RUN VERY WELL AT ALL
AND HIS SELF ESTEEM NEVER WAS AS HIGH AS IT WAS BEFORE.
BY THAT WINTER RALPH WAS A NICE LOOKING DOG
AND SO NATURALLY HIS HORMONES WERE RACING.
THERE WAS ALSO A GIRL DOG NEXT DOOR
THAT RALPH BROUGHT DOWN HERE ALOT
AND WE DIDN'T HAVE A PROBLEM WITH HER
BUT THE NEIGHBORS I GUESS DIDN'T TAKE NATURE VERY WELL.
ONE DAY DAD CAME HOME FROM WORK AND THERE
WAS A BLOOD TRAIL COMING
FROM NEXT DOOR LEADING RIGHT TO RALPH.
HE HAD BEEN SHOT AND WITH NO WARNING.
BY THE TIME I HAD COME HOME FROM SCHOOL
DAD HAD TAKEN HIM TO THE VET AND I SAT ON MY BED
THINKING HE JUST WON'T MAKE IT IT'S JUST TOO MUCH.
BUT THAT CHRISTMAS HE WAS THERE WITH ME AND I WAS HAPPY.
I REMEMBER SLEDDING DOWN THE HILL AND
HE WOULD ACCIDENTALLY GET IN FRONT OF THE SLED
AND I COULDN'T STOP IT SO WE WOULD BE GOING DOWN THE HILL
WITH RALPH IN FRONT TRYING TO ESCAPE THE SLED.
AROUND THE END OF MARCH
RAPLH WAS GETTING WEAKER AND HE HAD A HARD TIME
GOING TO THE BATHROOM WITHOUT GETTING
POO ALLOVER HIMSELF.
WE TOOK HIM TO THE VET AND HE AND TO HAVE AN OPERATION.
HE HAD GOT A BONE STUCK CROSSWAYS
IN HIS STOMACH AND IT NEEDED TO BE
TAKEN OUT OR HE WOULD DIE.
WHEN THE DOCTOR WENT IN THERE WAS
A WHOLE BUNCH OF STUFF IN THERE
THAT COULDN'T GET OUT BECAUSE OF THE BONE.
AFTER THAT WAS TAKEN OUT HE WAS DOING OK
BUT ONLY FOR A FEW WEEKS.
ABOUT THE MIDDLE OF FEBRUARY
HE GOT SICK AGAIN AND WOULD PUKE SOMETIMES.
WE KNEW SOMETHING WAS WRONG
BUT WE KNEW NOT WHAT.
AGAIN WE TOOK HIM TO THE VET AND THE DOC
SAID HE WAS POISONED BUT THAT SEEMED REALLY ODD
BECAUSE WE HADN'T LET RALPH GO ANYWHERE
AND WATCHED WHAT HE HAD DONE
SO NOTHING COULDN'T HAVE POISONED HIM.
MY BIRTHDAY WAS COMING UP ON THE 27TH AND I WAS EXCITED.
I HAD SOME FRIENDS OVER THE NIGHT OF MY PARTY WHICH WAS ON A SATURDAY.
THAT NIGHT RALPH HAD GOTTEN SICK
AGAIN AND HE HAD PUKED ON MY COUSIN.
THE NEXT MORNING RALPH WAS LOOKING BAD AND I THOUGHT
TO MYSELF I WONDER WHAT HE'S THINKING.
THAT AFTERNOON WHILE IN MY ROOM
TALKING TO MY FRIENDS MY MOM CAME INTO THE ROOM
AND TOLD ME THAT DAD HAD TAKEN RALPH TO THE VET.
HE WAS DELIRIOUS AND WOULD NOT EVEN LOOK UP
WHEN YOU CALLED HIS NAME.
SHE ALSO TOLD ME THAT HE WOULDN'T EAT OR WALK.
FOR THE NEXT FEW DAYS I WANTED TO GO SEE RALPH
AND HOW HE WAS DOING.
5 DAYS AFTER MY 12TH BIRTHDAY RALPH WAS PUT TO SLEEP.
I WAS REALLY ANGRY AT EVERYONE
BECAUSE THEY DIDN'T FEEL EXACTLY THE WAY I FELT.
I PROMISED TO THINK ABOUT HIM
A MILLION TIMES A DAY
EVERY WAKING DAY OF MY LIFE
AND I'M SO PROUD TO SAY I HAVE.
I WANT TO SAY TO EVERYONE THAT
I'M SORRY FOR THE THINGS I DID TO HIM TO LET HIM DOWN
I'M SORRY IF I DIDN'T DO
THE RIGHT THING FOR HIM
AS A PROPER PERSON SHOULD.
BUT NOW ALMOST EVERYDAY I SEE HIS BROTHER BINKI
WHO HAPPENS TO BE THE DOG
OF ONE OF MY DAD'S FRIENDS AND I SEE THAT
THEY DID THE RIGHT THING
BY TYING HIM UP AND WATCHING FOR HIM TO MAKE SURE
NOTHING BAD HAPPENS TO HIM
AND I FEEL SO BAD SO VERY BAD AND I KNOW
THAT I WOULD GIVE ALL OF THE MATERIAL THINGS
I OWN TO GET HIM BACK ALIVE AND WELL.
I AM TRULY SORRY FOR IT ALL AND TO ANYONE
WHO READS RALPH'S LIFESTORY- YOU HAD BETTER GIVE
YOUR LIFE TO THAT PET
BECAUSE EVEN THOUGH I'M ONLY 12
I HAVE LEARNED THAT YOU HAD BETTER CHERISH
THE THINGS YOU HAVE NOW OR YOU'LL WAKE UP TO REALIZE
THAT THEY NOT THERE ANYMORE
AND
ITS THE WORST FEELING IN THE WORLD.
MIKALA LEWIS
| Ralph |
| Mikala |