For Kandi Puppy

I'd like to dedicate this post to my dog Kandi. In honor of all the joy she brought to my family.

We brought Kandi home on a sunny day in early June of 2000. I was an (almost) 12 year old, anxious to play with my first 'real' pet. (I put real in quotations because our family has had an odd assortment of animals in the past. The most noteworthy were Betty and Bobby the freshwater clams that my dad dug up out of our stream, so we had pets for pet day at daycare. I'm serious.)

We adopted Kandi from a kennel a few miles from our house. Her owner dropped her off on a cold, rainy evening and never returned for her. Kandi was timid and shy - a result, we believe, of being beaten by her previous owners. In short, Kandi had quite a sad background. However, our family, equiped with lots of love, was more than ready and willing to give her a new home.

Kandi had a beautiful redish coat that glowed in the sunshine. She was a mix of an Irish setter and golden retriever. She fit in well our family from the beginning. She always seemed to have a smile on her face, and a rapidly wagging tail. Her friendly bark welcomed all who entered our driveway.

I'd take her for walks up and down the streets surrounding my house. I can still hear her nails clipping on the pavement and her faint panting as we walked along. She enjoyed puppy treats and cheese and pretzels - often given to her by my mom. We all loved Kandi, but she loved my dad the most. Her loyalty to him melted all our hearts.

Kandi was always a good sport and played happily with all our other pets. She would sit nose-to-nose with Pudgy our bunny. She would snuggle with Patches our cat. She didn't even fuss when Gary the cat batted at her tail.

It has been almost three weeks since she passed away, and our house is empty without her. At 12 years old, she lived a good, long doggy life. She is buried in our field under a tree, so she will always be home...right where she belongs.

We miss you, Kandi.

Love always,

Your Family xoxo