aka: ” Fat Kat Kitty Kat “
Sometimes life isn’t fair and doesn’t end the way you dream.
Mine is a story of a big mixed breed fur ball name Dakota.
He got his nickname of “Fat Kat Kitty Kat from my husband
watching a show on TV about the difference between a dog and a cat.
The difference was a dog knows what they want and a cat doesn’t know but
just wants more of it. Dakota never knew he was like a cat.
On a sunny May day in 1993 my daughter took me for a drive up the road from
where we lived to a neighbor’s house.
There was a sign planted in their front yard that read,
“PUPPIES FREE TO GOOD HOME”.
That sign was my undoing; you can’t take me to a yard full of puppies that
are free and expect me to come away empty handed.
There were only three puppies left to find good home. I had read a lot of articles
on how to pick the right puppy so I thought this was as good a time to
put everything I had learned to good use.
More correctly how the right puppy picks you. When we entered the yard the
puppies were running loose around the yard. All three took off running
toward the back of the yard and the safety of their mother.
As I knelt down one little ball of black and tan fur stopped and hesitantly
came toward me. As I reached my hand to pick him up he dashed into my arms.
As I held him up at arms length and looked into his soft brown eyes I was lost.
It was love at first sight.
I always joked that I didn’t pick him; he picked me to go home with.
I told the owners he was the one and I would take him home and give
him the best life I could.
Little did I know then that he would be the biggest dog I had ever owned.
I know Rottweilers and German Shepherds are large dogs but Dakota
must have been fed steroids. He gained ten pounds a month for the first
ten months topping the scale at 130 pounds when he
finally stopped growing.
He looked exactly like a Rottweiler with long wavy black fur and
a long bushy tail.
Like any good dog owner I took him to obedience classes.
This was one area I found really hard. He didn’t do well around other dogs.
He was very insecure. He would never turn his back on any other dog in
the class regardless how big or small. Needless to say he did learn to be
obedient as long as he could keep an eye on ten other dogs at the same time.
As for learning his commands well let’s just say he would listen to them
only when he felt like it. But I soon learned quickly enough that a dog biscuit
would get him to lay sit sit pretty and down with only one word.
One command he was really bull-headed about was coming when called.
With this command he had very selective hearing.
He never got to run loose on our fifteen acres like he should have
because of this. So because of his selective hearing and my over
protectiveness I put up a cable run for him with a very long chain.
I remember a funny thing that happened to me over this cable.
It was winter time and bitterly cold. The snow was really deep over two foot.
This was Dakota’s favorite time of the year. He’d stay out for hours if the weather
permitted and I felt he wouldn’t get too cold (the mommy thing).
I had put him out to do his duty and when I felt he had been out long
enough I opened the back door and called him in.
Well as you know he laid out there in the cold blowing snow as far from
the house as he could get and played at being hard of hearing.
He just laid out there in the yard and looked as if to say “Come and get me”.
After several attempts to call him to me in the sternness of voices
(showing him I was serious.) I resigned myself to putting on my boots and
coat to go and get him. I figured I would scold him all the way back to the
warmth and security of the house and for not coming when called.
I went down the steps and trudged through the snow determined to
show him I was the Alpha and lead him back to the house.
I was mumbling under my breath “that when I get a hold you I’ll show
you that you’re supposed to come to mommy when she call you”.
Well I got about half way to him when he stood up and I thought okay
good boy. I repeated “come Dakota” and clapped my hands together.
For just a second he just stood there and I figured here we go again
he’s going to make me walk all the way down there and run past me
to the house. I gave him one last “Dakota come” and he pounced once
and came running straight for me as if the devil was chasing him.
Well needless to say I was right in line with this devil after he dashed
for the house. I looked around and calculated I may have a chance to turn
and run for it thus gaining the safety of the porch. I almost made it.
I was so close with reaching the safety of the porch I failed to remember he
could run a lot faster with four legs than I could with a head start.
I didn’t realize what had happened until I looked up and felt a very wet
very cold nose poking me in the face. You see when I turned to run
he thought “oh boy it’s a race”.
His chain caught me behind the back of my legs and knocked me off my
feet and on to my back. I couldn’t get mad at him and yell because he had the
silliest look on his face almost like “I won sorry but you were in my way”.
Thus Dakota and I came to an understanding that I may think that I’m the
Alpha but he was going to exert his independence and do all the funny
things that made him unique.
We lived for five years in the country when life took on a change for us.
We moved to the big city in pursuit of happiness.
I knew thing would be a lot different for us living in a cement jungle.
He adapted well to city life and was the same ole’ Dakota everyday.
Living in the city he had a fenced in yard to run in so there were no chains.
He seemed to feel exhilarated at his new found freedom.
He love and enjoyed his new stepbrothers (my new husband’s boys)
and the three of them formed a special bond that excluded me at times.
When I would look at them playing or sitting quietly watching TV
my heart would swell with happiness. I believe he found more enrichment
and a deeper meaning to life with his boys.
We started walking every day for exercise and to introduce him to the
sights and sounds of city life. At first I wondered if I was insane.
Let’s say walking along city sidewalks with a 130 pound dog wasn’t real
enjoyable at first. You see there were other dog owners walking their dogs too
and Dakota acted like it was his sidewalk and he needed to protect his turf.
We learned real fast how to avoid any situation where he felt he needed to
defend himself appointed tyranny. After awhile it got so much easier when he
realized that there was plenty of sidewalks for everyone.
He seemed to accept that he had to share although begrudgingly.
Our lives took on a daily routine and seemed to settle into a pattern of
contentment and a bonding that went as deep as any ocean.
I would look forward to coming home from work everyday to be greeted
at the door with warm wet doggie kisses and a tail that thumped so
loudly that I wondered how the pictures ever stay on the walls.
For seven years our lives intermingled and settled quietly into blissful
contentment and tender moments. Then suddenly and very unexpectedly our
world would turn upside down. On a warm and sunny Tuesday in August
Dakota got sick so as a responsible loving and devoted dog owner
I loaded him into the care and off to the vet we went.
After the vet examined him and some blood work it was determined he
had an inflammation of the pancreas. So after a hot of antibiotics and some
oral medication and a large bill I brought him home knowing in my heart
that he would get well there was never a doubt.
By Wednesday night he took a turn for the worse and was vomiting.
The very first thing Thursday morning we found ourselves back at the vets
more scared than ever. They decided to keep him because of dehydration.
He was to be given an IV and more medications.
I still believed he would get better and he would come home.
A call from the vet Friday night gave me some hope.
I was told he was a little brighter and even took two short walks outside.
His sugar level was even at more safer level.
I felt the worse that could happen would be that he spend the
weekend away from home.
Over the course of those two days I never prayed to God as much as I did then.
Promising God if he helped him get better and he came home
I would do anything to pay him back.
Well God had other plans and decided that he wouldn’t come home
with me that he would go home to heaven with him.
Dakota went from filling my life with smiles and unconditional love
to a large empty void of loneliness and longing.
Just to have one more wet doggie kiss or a goofy tilt of his head
with his lip stuck to his tooth only it wasn’t meant to be.
I look back on those last few days and relive every minute.
I can see that he know that the joy and happiness he brought to my
life was coming to a close. The Thursday the vet said they needed to keep him.
I remember him being led away and I slowly followed trying not to cry
and remain strong. I felt the urge to touch him one more time.
We stopped in the doorway and I knelt down to hug him.
I squeezed him tight whispered “I love you” and be a good boy.
As I stood up and looked down he looked up and our eyes
met and I said “Good-bye”.
Now he has moved onto a place where there are no sacrifices
no pain and suffering. Where he’s free to watch over me and know that
someday “I’ll be okay”.
One day in another life we’ll be together.
Until than I will always remember the joy and unconditional love
he gave with all his fluffy furry heart and soul.
Fondly and deeply remembered.
Bonnie
| Dakota |