Mountain Blog

Kaiser

My son is getting a divorce and, in the process, he's losing custody of one of the bet dogs I have ever met.

His name is Kaiser and my son rescued him from an animal shelter more than a year ago. Kaiser is a Lab retriever mix, and though he is huge, he's gentle and perhaps the best-mannered dog I ever met.

He was so afraid he was going to upset someone, he did exactly as he was told to do and what was expected of him.

I wish we could have put in a bid for custody of Kaiser, but our own dogs -Barkley and Stella - didn't like Kaiser, though Kaiser wanted to be friends with them. As well-mannered as he is, he simply wouldn't fit into out family. And that's truly sad.

It's said that Kaiser will move to the St. Louis area where he will live with a family with kids. If he is treated gently, I am sure he will bring as much joy to his new family as he did to his old friends and family in Huntington.

I'll always remember how Kaiser would bring his "buddy" to me when I visited. His buddy was a rubber hedgehog which he loved to chase when I threw it.

But mostly I will simply remembe that look in his eyes which told me that in a previous life, he had probably been treated poorly but that he was so happy to be in a home where he was treated with respect. He thought it was going to last forever. Like most things, it didn't.

So long, Kaiser. I'll probably never see you again, but you'll be in my thoughts and my prayers.

You're a really really good dog.

posted by Dave Peyton @ 9:53 AM