| A final goodbye and Thank You for Kita.
11 years ago, when I was 14 years old, my mom accepted a new client in her dog training business. We knew the family and they had a ten month old Shepherd/Husky that had come from the pound on death row. She was destructive to an extreme, dangerously aggressive and a nightmare around other dogs. She had been in training for 2 weeks when she tore open the neck of her owners' lab. They wanted to put her to sleep but my mom would not give up on her. She saved her from euthanasia and brought her home to us. 3 months later Kita was a wonderful member of our household. It was a lot of work and a full-time commitment. I helped with her and every day we worked on her manners and her socialization. My mom knew we couldn't keep her, and so did I, as we had 5 dogs of our own, but she refused to give up on her and knew she could find her a forever home when her training and rehabilitation was finished.
Every week I attended our dog training class with her and she improved by leaps and bounds. She looked forward to our Wednesday nights. Our training facility (our family horse farm) was a short walk from our house, about 1/2 a mile on a quiet country road. I walked it nearly every day, usually 3 or 4 times. One Wednesday evening we left class. It was twilight on a beautiful warm summer night. We started up the road like we did every night after class, enjoying the weather and our time together. It would only be a few short weeks before she left for her new family, my mom's best friend who also happened to be our neighbor.
The night was like any other until we reached the midway point in our walk. It has gotten darker and we were in the shadow of the tall oak trees that lined the road. Suddenly, a pick-up truck came careening around the sharp corner behind us. I moved off to the side of the road to let them pass but I heard the vehicale slow down instead. I turned and was immediately blinded by their high beam headlights. In the blink of an eye the truck was beside us and the passenger of the car was opening the door. I could hear the driver yelling something through the open window. I couldn't think and I felt time slow down as I saw his hands reaching for me. He hesitated when he realized he needed to unfasten his seat belt to reach me. I heard the click and he lunged out the open door to grab for my neck and shoulders. Then, from between us, Kita flew out of nowhere and lunged for his arm. He didn't realize what had happened until his arms, stretched out for me, reached deep into her thick black fur. From the dome light of the truck he saw her pearl white teeth launching for him again and he scrambled back into the truck screaming "She's got a dog... she's got a f****** dog! Go!" The door slammed and the car screeched off down the road. I was in shock, standing there white as a ghost. I knew I had to get home but I couldn't move. Kita started to pull against the leash, still barking and snarling at the truck in the distance. When I didn't move she ran up to me, jumped and ever so gently rested her paws on my shoulder and licked my cheek. I started to run and ran that 1/4 mile in seconds. I burst through the front door and collapsed on the floor, sobbing. Kita laid her head in my lap and waited for the crying to stop.
Kita was my angel. She saved my life and I have been thankful to her every day since. I have never written this story down and I find myself shaking like a leaf trying to get the words out. Kits went to live with her new family 2 weeks later. I visited her all the time and was always the one to petsit when her family went away. She lived out her days in bliss, spoiled rotten and loved. One day I confided in her "mom" what had happened that night and why I always hugged her and gave her special treats. She cried and bought Kita a steak for dinner that night. Kita lived in her own world, the things that had happened to her changed the dog that she would have been. Her puppyhood marked her for life, but as distant and aloof as she was, she knew love.
She died recently. She had cancer and there were no more treatments that could help her. She was an amazing dog and she died with dignity. I said goodbye to her at the end of her 12 years, hugged her and said thank you one last time. Her "mom" brought her to me on her way the emergency vet that final night, knowing that I was the only other person who would miss her as much as she did.
I wanted to post this here to say thank you to an amazing dog. Kita was marked for death, not once but twice and her second chance at life saved my own. Thank you Kita. I will miss you and I know I will meet you at the Rainbow Bridge. | 
