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Even though we love dogs, myDarlin’ Robert Kenui Pope and I never aspired to actually ‘be’ dog owners. Our work schedules much too busy, and during our time off we wanted to be able to do whatever we wanted without having to make arrangements to care for a dog ahead of time. And so…. we got a cat….. My family had a couple of cats growing up and they were wonderful, didn’t require much care other than feeding them and changing the litter box. Sounds easy enough, huh?
We decided exactly what we wanted in a cat, then searched high and low until we found him. A beautiful grey, neutered, declawed, mature male cat who we named KC (yes, we get a prize for originality, huh? Kitty Cat). KC got the best of everything, Fancy Feast and other top notch canned food, an electric litter box and petting on demand. Things went well until he began to bite, prowl and spray. Wanting to figure out what the problem was myDarlin’ took him to the vet who subsequently prescribed kitty Prozac. All of this to no avail and KC made his way back to Pet Smart.
Grand dogs arrived in our lives before grandchildren, bringing joy to all who encountered them on a regular basis. There’s Chaos (Mike & Angela) who doesn’t live up to his name anymore as he is older and slower, but still just as loveable. He’s working on slimming down now by eliminating table scraps from his diet. And then there’s Dexter & Varik (Chris & Tommy) whom we don’t get to see much as they are in Pittsburgh. They have the distinct privilege of having humans who helped to open a Dog Park and hold a yearly benefit to raise funding for maintenance. Dexter, once an excellent trick master, has diabetes requiring shots, and Varik is a lovable, excited tornado on four legs. And then there’s Lilly (Chelle) who just knows that she is human. Luckily for Lilly, Chelle is a fitness nut just like her and likes to go for walks whenever possible. Lilly loved to lie on the floor every Sunday afternoon with myDarlin’ Robert and lick his ears as he laughed uncontrollably. All of them are truly a part of our family as they interact with us and love us daily.
I asked Robert again just a few months ago if he wanted to get a dog when he retired next year. He was quick to say no, and realized that was based on our current lifestyle which includes a career. He paused and said with a smile in his eyes, if we do, I want a German Shepherd because they are so smart, protective and loyal. He told me of his German Shepherd when he was young, but didn’t have any photos. As you can see below, a photo of his dog has emerged with a delightful story to accompany it. His sister Kawehi tells of them finding the dog on the highway in Kailua Oahu, and drawing names to see who would get to name him. She won and named him Ila (i-L-a)
I looked up German Shepherd traits and it read that the breed is one that that seems to be able to read a person's emotion and will respond in kind; having the ability to be playful, loving or very serious, depending on the situation. Read a person’s emotions and respond in kind? Perhaps that is why he was drawn to this breed. This was one of myDarlin’s strong points in being able to ‘meet’ each person ‘where they are’ and respond in kind with words of encouragement, ministering, congratulations, coaching, training, laughter or just plain friendship.
I am filled with gratitude that God created a creature, dogs, with inherent unconditional love for humans and the difference they make in our lives. To all of the dogs in our lives that love us and bring us joy, Happy National Dog Day!
#KeepLookingUp
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