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brtswim · 03-09-2010, 08:26 AM

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Gingerly

This is the story of KD and Me. I will share stories with humor, sadness, and even frustration as I go through our time together.

Index:

Post 1- Stories
Post 2- Pictures
Post 5- Biographies
& KD's Schedule

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Introduction
Looking up at the clear blue sky, I have always dreamed sharing a moment like this with a furry friend. It’s funny how much animals mean to me. I never stopped talking about them when I got home from volunteering at the shelter. I never left home without a camera in my hand: to take pictures of a squirrel, bird, even a cat or two on my journey. I take each day with a warm welcome and a bright smile. And one of those days may have been the best day of my life.

There she was. I’ve never seen anything so beautiful, yet so dirty and sick. She was lying in the corner, so weak she couldn’t even lift her head. “That one’s been sick ever since she came in. She’s heartworm positive, has a mild case of the flu, and is going to be a lot of work. I reckon’ you come by and see this nice dachshund over here.” My heart was racing; I had to have this dog. “I want this one.” I said, automatically. I didn’t know why I said that, I bet that dachshund was a good dog. But I wanted to do more in life, save a dog that really is in need. My parents and brothers must’ve agreed with me because next thing I knew, papers were thrusted at us and the cage was being unlocked. Along with endless “Sign Here” and “Do You Agree” checkboxes, her biography was in the paperwork too.

Snatching it up, I read in full concentration; over the many dogs barking to be free. Started off as a woman, a saint if you ask me, was riding in her car on the highway. She was tired and exhausted from a nightshift at the hospital. All she wanted was to go home and soak her feet in a tub of hot water. However, when she saw a flying object being thrown out of the moving car in front of her, she quickly pulled over. Over by the guardrail, a small figure was wrapped in a poorly sewn blanket. At first she thought it was a baby and ran over to it. Cradling the creature in her arms, she removed the blanket. Gaping in Horror, the monster wasn’t a baby at all. It was a puppy: with crusted over eyes, a broken rib, and a gash over its left eye. It was an estimated 8 months old. “How could anyone ever do such a thing?” I yelled out loud. As my family stared at me in confusion, I continued to read again. The pup was taken to the vet immediately, which was life saving. The dog weighed only 18 lbs, half her normal body weight. She was tested heartworm positive, and had the flu bug. She was named Bridget. Soon after the examination, she was put on antibiotics and taken to a nearby shelter. Four weeks later, I was standing in front of her cage.

I gave the sheet of paper to my parents to read. They both were very surprised and made sure that we gave Bridget all the Tender Loving Care we had. When we got home, she lay on her new bed and fell fast asleep.

KD’s Vet Exam
That night, my mother called the vet to schedule an appointment for Bridget to go see the veterinarian. I decided to come along on the visit too. When we arrived, many warm welcomes greeted us at the door. As a nurse took KD to go get a bath, my mom filled out even more paperwork. Meanwhile, I sat down and watched all the howling and meowing creatures around us. There was everything from a hamster to a great dane in such a small space. Finally, we were able to go see KD in an examination room. She was up on a table, wagging her tail a mile a minute. The vet did a few tests and gave us some medicine for her sickness. My mom also had to schedule her heartworm treatment days. On the car ride home, I looked over in the backseat and found Bridget sound asleep. She thinks the vet is more of a day spa than an animal hospital!

KD’s Name Change
We knew the name Bridget would never stick. Not that we don’t like the name, but my aunt’s name is Bridget also. My family wanted a girly name that was very unique and one-of-a-kind. My mom wanted to name her Cami, but that was a bit too girly. My brothers wanted to name her Dog and my dad wanted to name her Vicky. I wanted to name her Katie or Katy-as in Katy Did. After a while, all my family members started calling her Katy. We hadn’t decided on spellings just yet: I really liked Katy but my brothers thought that was weird. Finally, my brother Ryan started calling her Killer Dog. My dad stepped in and said, “How about KD?” We all agreed.

KD’s First Few Months
KD’s official walk started after her treatment. She wasn’t allowed outside without a leash on, which was strictly bathroom breaks anyways. She stayed in her cage and slept all the time. Around July (4 months after heartworms) she was finally able to come out of her cage. Exploring every day, she got herself in all kinds of trouble: eating multiple items such as game controllers, TV remotes, headphones, and pens; digging up flowers in my mom’s garden, eating tomatoes from our vine, and using the mudroom rug as a “potty pad.” No matter how much mischief went on, we still love her!

KD's Car Ride
It was a crisp, clear morning. I walked downstairs and found KD curled up on the entry rug by the front door. She was looking out the glass door at all the birds and squirrels outside. As soon as she saw me, KD ran to greet me. My mom and I decided that today, KD would go to the dog park. After a quick breakfast, we were loading up in the car, ready to leave. While the car was in motion, just backing up out of the driveway, KD had already started to go crazy. She did not like having to sit still on the seat at all. She whined, jumped on and off the seat to the floor, and even began to chew the seat belts! Finally, We had enough. I remembered seeing dogs sticking their heads out the window in movies before and decided to give it a try. The second I hit the button, she stopped howling and stuck her head through the crack. Feeling the wind in her face was the funnest thing she ever possibly could of felt. Now, she is always calm and relaxed only with her head out the window, and that's how KD rides from now on.

Jumping on Up to 2010

KD's Friend Comes to Stay
Over the summer, Our boys left to go to Philmont. Our neighbors decided to go with them. Just one problem, they had no where to put their dog, GD! In the end, GD came to stay with KD for 2 weeks! At first they did not get along, each fighting for attention like it was their only way of survival. After a few days, chaos settled down and they liked each other. They went on walks, in the car, to the dog park, taking baths, everything with one another. Now, KD can't wait for GD to come stay again!

KD's Got the Money
Once GD's owners came back, they insisted on giving me $100 dollars for taking care of their pup. I was so happy, I wasn't expecting to get any reward at all! Once they pulled out of the driveway, I went outside to play with KD. After a few games of fetch and cartwheels, KD drifted off and started sniffing the perimeter of the yard. After a few minutes, she started playing with something. At first I thought is was a stick or leaves, but then remembered my money! I started yelling, "Stop! Stop! DROP IT, KD!" My parents and brothers came out and it turned into a big chase-after-your-dog-that-has-$100-dollars-in-its-mouth fest. 7 minutes of running and pleading later, KD finally obeyed and dropped the money. It was very soggy, but still lived.

KD Goes Camping
Over Labor Day weekend, my dad and I decided we wanted to go camping. Since it was only going to be an overnight trip, he allowed KD to come along. In the car, KD sat on the console the whole time and looked straight ahead at the road. Occasionally whining at passing dogs or horse trailers, KD was very antsy. All was going smoothly until the pavement turned into gravel. The truck bounced around as well as KD. I had to hold onto her for dear life on account of her trying to stick her head out the window! After several minutes of frustration, KD finally settled down and everything was less chaotic. When we arrived, all the good camping spots were filled. We kept driving up the road and only found two campsites, of both which weren't even level enough for a tent. As we scanned the area for the second time, we pulled over to a couple who were camping right alongside the river. They told us that in their campsite was a bridge crossing the creek to another few campgrounds. We quickly parked the car, got out our backpacks, and made our way across the narrow bridge. It was nerve-wrecking because it creaked and wobbled under our weight, so we had to go one at a time. Ironically, KD made it over with ease! Once we were on the other side, we set up camp a little ways downstream to just about the best campsite in the whole park. We really lucked out on it!

KD was let off the leash because there was no one to go see on our side of the river. She'd run down to the water, stick her nose in, and blow with all her might. My dog loves blowing bubbles! After my dad and I set up camp, we started on dinner. Well, instead of draining the shrimp and putting fresh water in to cook the pasta, my dad went on ahead and used the dirty shrimp water to cook the noodles. Let's just say that KD ate very well that night and my dad and I had to eat granola bars and trail mix. xD

Come around bedtime, it was a disaster. KD wasn't allowed in the tent so we set up her bed under the rain fly. (The place you keep your shoes when camping) KD did not like that at all and kept gnawing and scratching at the netting to inside. Of course after not having any shut eye still at 3 in the morning, my dad agreed to let her in. The second the door was unzipped, KD lurched inside and fell fast asleep on my feet.

When I finally woke up, KD and dad were already fixing breakfast. KD had the rest of the disgusting seafood pasta and wandered away to explore in the woods. Once I had some fuel in my body and all the dishes were cleaned up, I noticed that KD hadn't come back in a while. Usually she stays close and comes running out of the bushes every 10 minutes or so. I got up to go look for her while my dad put away the tent. Searching frantically everywhere, KD was no place in sight. I made my over to the couple camped on the other side to asked if they've seen her, but my question was already answered. There she was, standing on the dam right smack dab in the middle of the water. The couple had made too many biscuits so they threw them downstream. KD saw them and swan up to dam so she could stand and catch them as they float by! In the end, I had to go in the freezing water and retrieve her because she was scared to come back across.

One the way home, KD passed out in the backseat and slept for hours. This was the best adventure she's ever had, and I can't wait to go on another one!

KD Meets a Bear
This morning my dad and I decided to spontaneously take a fishing trip at 4:00am. KD woke up as we were leaving, so she got to come with us. At 5:30am we reached our destination and began setting up a day camp next to the river. It was a ways from our car and the rest of civilization, a perfect place for relaxing and fishing. While I was casting a line, my dad forgot his lucky lure in the truck so he made his way back with KD. As I was starting to doze off, I heard this grunting noise. I spun around to see my dad on his way back with KD, and a medium-size black bear in the bushes. Being the good venture scout that I am, I kept calm even though you could probably hear my heart beating out of my chest. I motioned to my dad to stop and give the bear some space. Along come good ol' KD and she started whining and wagging her tail a mile a minute. Please don't bark Please don't bark Please don't bark I prayed in my head. KD must've heard me because other than a whine, she didn't make a sound. Suddenly the bear hauled itself across our path, paused momentarily at KD going ballistic, and made it's way into the river bed and crossed the creek. That was the most extraordinary yet terrifying experience I've ever had in my life!

KD's Newest Friend
Over the summer, my neighbor's German Shepherd, Hannah, passed away due to cancer. The man was devastated--He had Hannah for 14 years. For his birthday, his wife surprised him with a ball of fluff, a 6 week old German Shepherd. He knew she couldn't ever replace Hannah, but he still was excited to befriend this new puppy. He named her Heidi, and they became best friends within a week. At 2 months old, Heidi already knew how to sit, stay, lie down, and heel. By then, she was ready to begin walking out on the streets. Soon enough, they come across KD and I playing in our yard. We start a conversation while KD and Heidi sniff each other. Little did we all know that these two dogs would soon become so close that they were like sisters.
During fall break, the man went up to the mountains to visit his brother at his cabin. He decided it would be a good idea to bring Heidi for his brother had 5 dogs, all Labradors. In the end, the man had to leave two days early and rush Heidi to the vet. The dogs did not like having a strange pup in their territory, and basically ripped poor Heidi to shreds.
After Heidi had rested, and her wounds healed, she was so skittish that the man considered enrolling her into a rehabilitation class. This is expensive and very time consuming. One day while he was walking, My mom was out getting the mail with KD when she started talking to him. They were in deep conversation about Heidi's problem, and the dogs seemed invisible. A few minutes later, they turned around only to find Heidi on top of KD as they raced around the yard playing. "I haven't seen her this happy, well---ever!" The man said. Afterwards, my mom and the man made a truce to have the dogs meet at least twice a week to help with Heidi's fear-of-other-dogs problem. In the days since, the dogs meet and leave, play until they collapse on the lawn, and have become what seems like a human friendship so great, that nothing can tear it apart.

KD and the Stranger Part 1
One day this week KD and I were out playing in the leaves. The sky was blue, the trees dappled with orange, yellow, red, gold, and a slight breeze whistled around up. Surprisingly, no one was to be seen out except up. The block was unusually quite. However, none of this stopped KD from playing like a mad mutt! After 15 minutes of endless fetch, KD tuckered out and went off to sniff by the mailbox. As I flopped onto a leaf pile, I noticed a pair of beady eyes watching me. No sooner had I seen them, they disappeared into the trees. I looked over to KD, who had obviously seen that creature too. You'd think her tail was on fire, because she whipped it back and forth so fast. She looked at me as if to ask, "Can I chase it?" I replied, "Let this one go." What I saw that day was none other than a red fox, rare to be seen in Georgia. I'll never be quite sure if KD thought it was the neighbor's cat or a stranger from the woods.

KD and the Stranger Part 2
KD and I thought the fox encounter would be our first and last...we were wrong. The fox decided to build a den in our backyard and invite his whole family to come live with him. Now KD is afraid to go potty every night because that's where she likes to do her business. Every night, she is up until 3 in the morning barking at the fox family as if to say, "I wanna go to the bathroooom!" On Saturday, she was up barking so I decided to let her outside. She ran up the stairs, froze in her tracks, tucked her tail between her legs, and ran back to the safety of the house. She wouldn't stop whining, so I made a nest out of pillows and blankets to sleep with her on the floor. I barely got any sleep due to her snoring, but at least she knew she was safe.

KD's Autumn Love
Fall is KD's favorite season. She loves the change in weather, the animals hustling and bustling around, and the smell of nature, but none of these compare to her true compassion for....leaves. Leaves are KD's favorite nature toy, besides sticks. She crawls in and out of piles, chews individuals to bits, or gets a mouthful and throws them in the air. Her favorite games to play are fetch the stick hidden in the leaf pile and fetch-the-stick-and-have-a-handful-of-leaves-thrown-at-your-face-when-you-are-running-to-bring-it-back-to-your-owner game. No matter what, leaves are her all time obsession. I love dogs because they remind you every day of how all the little things in life can brings smiles to anyone's face.

KD at Christmas
Once the leaves fall to the ground and are raked into bags, KD knows that Autumn is over. The weather is gray, and bathroom trips are quicker due to the cold. Outside, it's quiet, but inside everyone is bustling. The weekend after Thanksgiving, we decided to put up our tree. After hauling it from the crawlspace and riding it down the stairs, it landed with a thud on the floor. Hearing the racket, KD dragged herself out of bed to see what's happening on her turf. Soon the tree was out of the box and standing, and she knows that since it's bigger, it was best to be submissive. She receded to her bed to watch the chaos from afar. Not long after, the lights were up, the fake-pine smell was in the air, and ornaments glistened from the branches. Once the "oohs" and "aahs" were over, our family went away to do our own thing. KD knew it was time: she was ready to snoop. First she circled the perimeter. Then crawled under. Next, patrolled the downstairs to make sure no one was watching. Finally, she approached the tree again, this time with a mission. With a crash, the fun began.
Hearing the noise, I raced from the office to the den, only to find KD in her bed with a gingerbread ornament we made 6 Christmases ago. Lying all over the floor, embedded in the rug, were shards from all sorts of ornaments on the bottom branches. Once cleanup was done, our friends came over for dinner. One asked "Why is only the top three quarters of your tree covered in ornaments?" And so we explained about KD's Adventure.

KD Eats my Zebra
One day last week I brought my Webkinz Zebra downstairs for KD to play with. She was immediately hooked to it and would always be holding it in her mouth. She would even take it outside when we got the mail! At night, my dad would toss it back and forth for her in the living room, and then she'd settle down with it in her bed. After a while, KD discovered a string in the Zebra's leg. Knowing now that there must be something inside, she takes out her razor teeth and got to work. Not long after, stuffing flew everywhere as the leg is now shreds. Now that the Zebra is broken in, she settles down to sleep with the poor animal in her arms.

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So sorry for not updating this more often! I guess I was just too busy playing with KD to write.

Follow Up
Over the past two months, KD's been getting skinner! If you haven't noticed, her belly was becoming quite round. Every day after lacrosse or swim practice, I would walk her around the whole neighborhood. Within 3 weeks, she can walk freely by my side without running into other people's yards. We switched her diet from Benefiber to some local humane mix that our shelter concocts. Her friend Heidi now outweighs her by a good 10 lbs. Her "boyfriend" Dell is the same size as her and comes to visit at least once a week. Oh! My friend got a new puppy--a standard poodle. KD's played with it twice but you can tell she's not too interested. Sorry that this is so jumbled and seems like fragments, I am being a terrible writer right now. I promise I will post more stories soon!

KD's New Neighbors
This month we got new neighbors! They have two dogs--both shih tzus. Everyday, KD's up at the crack of dawn waiting to see them leaving for a walk. She's met with them twice already and you can tell they are going to be good friends.
When we were out playing yesterday they came out too and KD had a nice game of chase. Once KD bolted many yards ahead of them, she flopped on the grass. The shih tzus caught up to her and tackled her until they were all wiggling on their backs. The trio did not want to leave each other at all when the playdate was over. So, we scheduled playdates throughout the week with the new neighbors!

I hope you enjoy these short stories. They seem only a small paragraph but take up half a page on Microsoft Word. I try to add as many as I can, so come back often!

brtswim · 03-09-2010, 08:27 AM

Pictures

One of our first pictures with of her (See how skinny she is?):

Sniffing all the new smells in the woods:

I love my Yoda dog:

Pampered Pooch:

Being Silly:

Playing in the yard:

Fun at the Dog Park:

No matter what she's been through,
she still has one of the biggest smiles in the world:

She loves to walk everyday!:

KD waiting for my dad to come home:

Riding in the Car:

Playing with Dell:

KD sitting pretty:

Giving a High Five:

Sniffing Spice, a hamster:

Pictures from Canon:

tinybluesmiley · 03-20-2010, 11:26 AM

Aww, this is so cute! KD sounds like a miracle.

She's adorable, too! I can't wait to read more!

cocoabean · 08-10-2010, 07:39 PM

Open

brtswim · 08-10-2010, 07:42 PM

KD's Schedule

5:15am-6:00am
Up and early, KD goes on a 5 mile jog with mom.

6:05am
KD is sent up to the woods to do her business and sniff.

6:15am
KD is fed 1/2 cup Beneful, 1/3 cup water, and a tablespoon of Beneful Prepared Meals Beef Stew.

6:20am-7:40am
KD is finished and decides to go back to sleep.

7:45am-8:10am
KD has officially woken up and is ready to play with Bailey before school.

8:20am
Bailey has to go to school, so KD is given a Milkbone as she encloses KD in the room for the day.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

4:30pm
Bailey comes home and lets KD out to go in the woods.

4:45pm
KD is fed 1/4 cup Beneful, 1/4 cup Rachel Ray, 1/3 cup water, and a tablespoon of Beneful Prepared Meal-Chicken Stew.

5:00pm
KD is finished eating and is ready to either play or lie down, depending on her.

6:00pm
KD goes for a short walk around the block, or plays in the yard.

7:30pm
The family is finished eating and Dad has resorted to the den. KD then crawls out of be to go play with him on the floor.

8:00pm-Next morning
KD is exhausted and reseeds to her bed after a long day.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Biographies

Killer Dog
Nickname: KD
Status: Family Dog
Gender: Female
Breed: Pit Bull/Vizsla/Beagle mix
Favorite Food: Milkbones
Favorite Toy: Squeaker the Squirrel
Favorite Activity: Going hiking, camping,
or going to the dog park.
Fun Fact: If KD's schedule is thrown off,
she will go nuts. A very temperamental dog

Bailey
Nickname: Bay
Status: Sister/KD's Best Friend
Appearance: Red hair, Blue eyes
Role in KD's Life: Plays with her,
takes her out to the bathroom, and puts
her in her room before leaving for school.
When Bay gets home, she takes KD out to
the bathroom, feeds her, walks her, and
plays with her again.
Favorite Color: Orange
Favorite Hobby: Photography
Favorite Sport: Swimming
Favorite Subject: Math
Fun Fact: She love volunteering at animal
shelters. and hopes to either be a wildlife
conservationist or a park ranger.

Ryan
Nickname: Ry-Ry
Status: Brother
Appearance: Dirty Blonde hair, Blue eyes
Role in KD's Life: He pets her, goes outside
and plays with her from time to time. Not a big
role because he is either studying for a test or some
other extracurricular activity.
Favorite Color: Blue
Favorite Sport: Soccer
Hobbies: Swimming, Marching Band
Fun Fact: Ryan is colorblind; he cannot
see the color red.

Patrick
Nickname: Pat
Status: Brother
Appearance: Ginger/Blonde hair, Blue eyes
Role in KD's Life: Plays and pets her whenever
he is home from college for the week.
Favorite Food: Ramen Noodles
Favorite Sport: Swimming
Favorite Instrument: Bass Guitar or Euphonium
Fun Fact: He is studying to become a marine
biologist. Bay looks up to him the most.

Mom
Status: Madre
Appearance: Brown hair, Blue eyes
Role in KD's Life: Walks her in the morning,
feeds her scraps while cooking. Plays with her
while tending to the yard.
Favorite Color: Red
Favorite Food: Ice Cream
Line of Work: ESOL Teacher
Fun Fact: Mom is a complete bookworm.
She's read so many novels, even some in French!

Dad
Status: Padre
Appearance: Black hair, Blue eyes
Role in KD's Life: Feeds her in the morning.
Plays with her in the den every evening at
approximately 7:30pm. Takes her on hikes and
camping trips on weekends.
Favorite Color: Green
Hobbies: Troop Scoutmaster, Backpacking, Camping
Line of Work: Regional Manager/Businessman
Fun Fact: He owns two pairs of shoes total:
a pair of hiking boots and a pair of dress shoes.