10/19/09

Kathy

Months ago Stephen Grande petitioned me for a dog. I once loved dogs. I grew up having a dog. But the older I get the smaller that dog-shaped hole in my heart has gotten. Personally I think most people have gone dog-CRAZY, loving their dogs to a fault. Allowing them to sleep in the bed, paying ridiculously high vet bills, and telling us all boring stories about dogs. Sorry if I sound cold hearted, but I just think dogs are DOGS. They have their place and it is NOT curled up next to me as I sleep at night. Now that I have offended half of you, I will go on to tell our story.

The short version is we got a dog...an 8 month old, house trained, chocolate lab.

The long version is Stephen Grande wanted a dog. I did not. In a moment of insanity I agreed to let him get one. Moments after I consented, I called him crying...told him that I regretted my decision...I didn't have a good "feeling" and I wanted nothing to do with a dog. But it was too late. He had already picked up the "free" dog from the going-out-of-business breeder and they were on their way home. The issue became more a matter of who wears the pants in the family than the dilemma of keeping the dog. And since I had agreed in the first place, I said okay. "We can keep the dog, but I take no responsibility for her. She is all yours. I apologize for my bi-polarness. " He agreed to my terms and conditions and we went on with our merry lives.

Days past. Life with a dog was fine. Better than I expected. She was good. No trouble. I actually started to like her. I fed her a little extra when Stephen Grande went out of town. I even made her a Christmas stocking. He let me name her. I chose the name Kathy. It made us laugh. Who names their dog Kathy?! It was funny and every time we told somebody the name, they could not contain their laughter.

*No offense to the name Kathy. It is only funny because it is such a people name, not a dog name.

I really grew to be quite fond of Kathy. And so it is with much regret that I tell you she has passed. Grande ran over her or rather she ran under the trailer he was pulling behind his truck this weekend. She lived for a short time after the accident and then died of internal bleeding and shock. Poor Kathy. Poor Grande. We miss her. It is always sad to see a man lose his dog.

Love on your dog today. Life is but a vapor...even for dogs.

Kathy Spooner
January 2009-October 2009

8 comments:

Nell said...

This is by far the saddest post yet. SB, I am so sad I did not get to meet Kathy! Love the name. As a disclaimer, mine do NOT share the bed with us! But we do love them like family. I hope your dog-shaped hole grows bigger and bigger until one day you're ready for another one.

Laura said...

1. i am so sorry to hear about kathy...that is too sad! 2.note to self...do NOT tell you stories about my dog...well noted.
as a self proclaimed
"dog UN-lover" for the majority of my life i totally understand where you are coming from, but be careful you might slip up and fall in love with a dog one day and the rest will be history!!

Lynn Beck said...

This reminds me of Patsy. When you got her, you named her "Patsy" because she "just looked like a Patsy." And she passed on the same way!

I'm so sorry about this. Love y'all - Lynn

Casey Cockrum said...

ok. i just laughed really hard. i know this is a sad story...but, you made me get a great laugh today. we put our dog to sleep a couple of weeks ago and i really love dogs. i cried for days when we put Guinness to sleep. i will adimit, i started off reading your blog thinking "she has no heart! who does not love dogs?" then, i read the name kathy and laughed hard.
i am sorry about your dog and hope your hubby is doing ok. i agree with nell...i hope your dog-shaped hole grows bigger and bigger!

leslie the young mother said...

Poor Kathy. And poor Stephen. That has to be the saddest story ever. Thanks for throwing in the part about the name though, it does lighten it. I'm still giggling about a dog named Kathy :)

suegma said...

SB, that is so sad...I'm so sorry to hear about Kathy (very cute name) and so sad for Stephen Grande. We send hugs. She was sure a little beauty.

Anonymous said...

oh how sad. I heard so much about Kathy, I feel I knew her.
So... did you feel so bad for Stephen that you committed to dog #2...

A. Lee said...

I too am saddened. Now we will have to get another duck dog. Sadly though, I never got to meet Kathy, and so it came as a strange gut feeling to me that I was immediately stricken with a grief as if she were my own.

I believe that's what I would have said at her graveside...had I been there for that, as well.

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