Wednesday, February 9, 2011

Kate: our first scottish terrier, in memoriam, 1986-1999, February 8







The story about how we met Kate has already been told, but it is just to reiterate that this wonder who brightened our lives, was not "intended;" rather, she was seen in a pet shop in a mall, and, once seen, I felt that the little scottish terrier who wanted to play while in her cage and when taken out of its confines immediately quieted down and sought comfort on my shoulder, cuddling to indicate that she was content had to be rescued immediately. Our destination had been a movie theater where we wanted to see Legal Eagles (remember that film with Deborah Winger?) and though I wanted to scrap that plan and take the pup home immediately, prudently Harold said wait until tomorrow. And so we did. But my fear that pup might be snatched up--she had been "remaindered" even-- determined out appearance at the shop when it opened. I told my son that we would be bringing a new young one into the family and without hesitation he suggested that she be named Kate, and Kate it was . In time we added McWit --for her cleverness-- and "of Renwick Hall" because she loved to chase bugs, unknowingly imitating the behavior of the character Renwick in Mary Shelley's novel Frankenstein.
Kate was charming, playful, imaginative, fearless, curious about the world about her and oddly nurturing. I write the latter because of the substantial obstacles she had to deal with when she was a very young pup. At the time we had never heard of puppy mills; Kate was the product of one of these miserable cruel breeding station in the North West. At an age when she had been weaned, she was crated and shipped to a store in middle America and then to the New Jersey store where we encountered her. For awhile she had a companion, we were told, a small dachshund and the two had gotten along well. But the dachshund was sold and after that Kate was on her own. And that is when our paths crossed: the gods were smiling at that moment or it was destiny. In her first year, it became evident that she needed canine companionship, because she was alone and uncaged and began to chew on various furnishings, objects and even woodwork. Some of the Victorian furniture was remodeled and she took a dislike to White Fang and several other books and, yes, records (vinyl) too. It was then that little Fala became her companion. Once he was grown the two were deeply devoted to one another. Kate's nurturing now had a "real" creature to care for. Kate lived for twelve years. We knew she was ill, but not exactly how close her death was when we took a week's trip to Venice. Upon our return, we found that she had not been looked after, probably left alone even at night and her feeding bowls had never been cleaned. The person who was so uncaring has now become a devoted father, but at that time he did not manifest any sense of responsibility and clearly hastened Kate's death and induced suffering as she approached her end. Her sickly condition was apparent to us immediately when we entered the house: She could not support herself. Within days the dying process began. I had no experience of death-how long it takes and what suffering is experienced. I tried to comfort her but she sought a "den" under a yew bush and struggled with the angel of death. When I recognized that the battle was terrible, I called her vet Dr O'Reilly and she was euthanized in our arms, I held her, Harold faced her as she was injected. Our brave Kate our, lovely Kate was cremated but her soul went to the joyous peaceful heaven prepared for dogs. There she was to greet her family as each of her family members died. Together they live in a better world, a world that can be compared to The Golden Age. (earlier posts picture this pastoral land). May Kate always remain alive in our hearts. In a sense she has come back to us in Bess, our Scottish terrier who is now almost nine months. So many of Kate's faculties are recognizable in Bess's behavior, but Bess has had a "golden" puppy hood, whereas Kate had to struggle with the worst of circumstances in the first four months of her life.
We are so grateful to have had Kate; the decision to bring her into our family is one that I never regretted: so many other decisions were pernicious ultimately, but thinking back I do not have the slightest remorse or doubt about the rightness of the decision to bring her into our family. Beautiful Kate.

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