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"We who choose to surround ourselves with lives even more temporary than our
own live within a fragile circle,
easily and often breached. Unable to accept its awful gaps, we still would
live no other way." ~ Irving Townsend
February 5, 1998-September 30, 2010
Kess, our beautiful white shepherd was put
to rest on Thursday, September 30 after her fight with cancer. Kess was
diagnosed on Memorial Day with lung cancer after a routine veterinary
checkup.
Kess was diagnosed on Memorial Day with
lung cancer after a routine veterinary checkup. The vet was not optimistic,
but we began chemotherapy immediately with our long time oncologist. Kess
gathered her strength and rallied to the point that she seemed cured, but it
was clear that she was beginning to tire more easily. We received another
blow when her sister, Xena was also diagnosed with cancer after many
attempts to uncover the problem at the end of June. After she had fought and
won against cancer three years previously we had hoped she would be free of
that illness again. We began her treatment and for a month had simultaneous
chemotherapy appointments.
When Xena passed away on August 4th, she left
Kess without her beloved friend and sister. The loss was terribly painful
for all of us, but Kess employed her happy personality every day to
keep all
of our spirits up.
We were fortunate to be able to spend 100% of our time
with Kess and Xena this summer and even before this neither spent even an
hour alone away from Mommy or Daddy. The girls were able to enjoy almost all
of this last of their three summers together and went every day to our 100
acre dog park or the beach and then on special trips each weekend. During
our time with Kess, she went from being a shy girl unsure of what to do, to
one with supreme confidence. She overcame her long time "pee pee" problems
after we switched her over to a fully home-cooked and grain-free diet. Her
short fur grew longer and she became even more gorgeous than when we first
met her.
She was the favorite dog of every neighbor.
Every person who met her at dog parks or in her many travels seemed to fall
immediately in love and asked us where they too could find such a gentle,
beautiful girl. She was absolutely the best ambassador for white shepherds and pet
rescue anyone could have wanted.
Kess was the last of our four dogs to join
us as well as the last to pass on. From the first day, she integrated into
our lives and bonded as completely as if she had
 been with us since a puppy.
"Big Girl" Kess was a devoted sister and protector to Xena, and playmate and
companion to her Mommy and Daddy. She stayed upbeat, happy, and loving to
the very end and although we are shattered by her loss, we feel privileged
to have been her parents for the last two years of her life.
As we reflect on this too brief time with
Kess, and recount our years with our four dogs, we find ourselves for the
first time in eighteen years, alone, but with all of those years full of
beautiful memories.
To see more wonderful
pictures of Kess, click here.
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