Kalani

My sweet goofy Kalani.....16 1/2 year old!!! That's a long life she spent with us. Kalani has been slowing down for some time now. This past week she had front leg problems and with her arthritis of her hind legs, well she was no longer able to walk. We knew that the time was here that she would leave us.

I first laid my eyes on her as she was being born on December 30 1992 and took her first breath. Her pink nose and paws in a squirmy little body. I took her home 6 weeks later and that was the beginning of our forever love.

If you read the book or saw the movie of Marley and Me that was Kalani!!! Yes, she did chew a hole in the wall the size of a cantaloupe. And yes, she chewed up a brand new sofa. Oy! She loved to dig up my plants and it drove me crazy. She did all of this as a young pup. Eventually, she grew out of puppy hood and into a very spunky adult. She loved the water and she even jumped off the diving board into the pool. Most of all she loved it when we moved to the coast of Oregon and she could run on the beach and chase the birds. She'd find a tide pool and flop down into it as if it was the best thing on earth.

I remember when Kahuna ran through a screen door and treed a bear, Kalani was ran right behind her. All of a sudden she put the brakes on as if she were saying "whoa there, what am I doing chasing a bear??" and ran back in the house. Kalani loved her toys. Most of her life she carried one around. When you came home she would bop you in the butt or legs with it until you would play with her or take the dang toy away.

We sent her on her way today. I'm sure Kahuna was waiting for her and now they're running around on strong healthy legs and smelling the flowers and chasing squirrels.

I was there when she took her first breath.....and I owed it to her to be there for her last. I laid there on the floor of the vet clinic with her as she peacefully went on her way.