I Think Dogs Are...

the most amazing creatures; they give unconditional love. For me they are the role model for being alive." ~~ Gilda Radner (1946 – 1989) American comedian

How true these words are. I cannot imagine my life without dogs in it. They keep me honest, forthright and remind me that life should always contain a broad sense of humor. I have had many wonderful 4-legged’s in my life; most being rescued animals. Kota, my laughing coyote, is one of those wonderful souls. I was living in Flagstaff, Arizona and had returned home from having my other dog blessed for the feast day of St. Francis. I walked into the publishing house that I worked for when I saw a coyote run into the building and hole up in the Editors pit.

I always kept cookie bones for the warehouse drivers who traveled with their dogs so I grabbed the box and ran to the Editors pit hoping that I could bribe the frightened guy out of the building. There in the center of the room was this skinny, dirty coyote mix with a nose full of porcupine needles. He looked like a pin cushion. He looked up at me, his tail began to wag and he creepy crawled over to me like a little furry commando. I knew he was what the locals called a “rez rocket” or a tribal dog running ferral. If their dogs killed their chickens, they would usually drop them off in Flagstaff for locals to take them in rather than destroy them. Porcupine needles are tough to remove and require surgery to be done safely and without future infection. I called a local vet who said they would see if he could perform the surgery or if he would have to put the animal down. I receive a call from the vet several hours later saying that over 200 porcupine needles were removed from his face and he should pull through. Well, this sweet boy had me at “woof”…actually more like a whistle as he never did bark. Sierra, my other dog taught him how to bark as he would communicate in whistles, howls and popping sounds. Kota came home with me as soon as he was released from the vet and has been a member of our family ever since. I am grateful that the Navajo left him in Flag to find me.

He is the sweetest canine I have ever owned, easy going but with a keen sense of pack protection. He keeps watch over the back deck ensuring that the squirrels do not run off with the patio furniture and no one makes it into our yard without Kota alerting us.

March 1, 2009 snowfall in Lawrenceville - Kota was howling he loved it so much. He thought he was back in the high desert of Arizona.

I share this love of God’s creatures with many of my antique dealer friends at Vintage Village. In fact, we dedicated a link to our pets featuring their favorite picks. This continues to be our most visited page. http://vintagevillageantiquesandmore.com/Petspick.html or if you are visiting the Vintage Village Website, look for the picture of Sebastian at the bottom of the menu bar, double click on his sweet face and you are there. I hope you will take a peak at it.

Laughing at the squirrels in the sun.

So in the words of the great American philosopher, Will Rogers - "If there are no dogs in Heaven, then when I die I want to go where they went." Amen.