I first met Kenni as a 12-week-old puppy. He was tiny and gorgeous, with perfect markings. He was also so hyper that he was spun, and there was no OFF switch or low speed.
This is important because one of my friends - we'll call him Mr Wright, had expressed interest in a puppy. He decided on a Min Pin because he looked "so cool." I cautioned him that this was a very high-energy dog, and he was not a high-energy person. But the puppy was purchased for $800. After four days, Mr Wright called me and told me to come get the dog or he was going to kill him. His name at the time was Seth.
I managed to re-home Seth quickly to another friend, Mr Thomason. His daughter immediately named him Kenni (with an i). He wouldn't stop puppy-biting the girl in the face and he would not sleep. They kept him for two days, then Mr Wright picked him up and conned me into taking him back for a few days since he was going on vacation. When I called Mr Wright around two weeks later, he informed me that "He's your dog now." When I first brought Kenni to my house, he ran around the pool for almost two straight hours. Kenni always wore this dress when we went out for a walk.
Kenni did not endear himself to anyone. He was on the spectrum, most likely autistic. He showed no reciprocal emotion, he wouldn't look me in the eyes, and he would creep up silently and stand behind me, staring at me. He did not lick me and when I petted him, he would stiffen. One day, shortly after he came to live with us, we were going out for lunch and Kenni escaped out into the street and began running. I chased him but didn't see him. We took the car around a few streets with no luck either. So I said that I didn't care if I ever saw him again and we went to lunch. When we returned a couple of hours later, Kenni was sitting on the front lawn under the geraniums.
When he was about seven years old, I was sitting with my feet in the pool. Kenni was slithering toward me as usual. He pulled up right alongside me, and then a miracle happened. He put his long sleek neck on mine and pressed against me. He was fairly stiff, but I put my arm around his shoulders and pressed back against his neck. He was in love from that moment on. But Kenni only cared about two creatures in the whole world - me and Jackpot.
Jackpot was a curly mix of Dalmation, and Black Lab She had a grey head that was smooth, then a hugely obese body that was white with grey spots and very fluffy. Kenni adored her and regularly tried to express his love to her. She was the longest-lived of all my dogs before Kenni. She lived fifteen- and one-half years, while Kenni lived sixteen years and two months. When she died, Kenni howled for almost two days intermittently. The neighbors complained, and I felt bad for him. So in desperation, I adopted Vinni Barbarino Holtzman.
Kenni and Vinni never got along. As two males, they fought viciously at times. I had to throw water on them to break them up. That didn't happen too often. They mostly barked and laid around together. But as far as grief goes, Vinni shows less than none. Vinni also still has Pandi and is a much more loving and social dog than Kenni was. But that's a relief. Now I can take my time and find my ideal rescue - I would like a female, 40-45 lbs, short haired, and about two years old. But if I don't get a Doberman now, then I will probably never have one. It's a decision.
But Kenni did like Doc, in a less intense way. When Doc started swimming in the pool, Kenni would play lifeguard and circle the pool. He even tried to pull people out - if you splashed and made noise, he would begin to bark and then try to grab you. But he got used to it and reduced his patrolling of the pool by a great deal.
Kenni had been slowing down a lot this last year. By June, we weren't taking him out for walks anymore. We were afraid he would pass out in the street. Then I got the She-Shed, and he was delighted. He loved it in there.
He did make it to his sixteenth birthday, August 23rd, 2022. We had a McDonalds double cheeseburger party.
The heat wave on Labor Day weekend really did a number on Kenni. He looked like death and wasn't eating too well. He fell in the pool twice and was shaky on his legs. Then it got cooler, and I began feeding him double portions and he even trotted around a little bit. I commented that I hoped this wasn't the last hurrah - the phenomenon where creatures take a swift upward turn in health right before they die. But that's what happened.
This past week, he stopped eating, no matter what we gave him. Then he went downhill fast. He fell in the pool twice again. I was not happy because I hated to see him not feeling well and suffering. He died pretty quickly on his own. It was a blessing when he passed.
I had the foresight to build him a crypt when the yard got redone. I put it in his favorite spot under the bougainvillea bush. He has been sleeping right next to it. Doc dug it a little deeper and laid Kenni in there. There are two layers of bricks on top. Doc said then when he placed Kenni in there, he completely relaxed and there was a peaceful feeling. I sure hope so - now he will become part of the garden. Watch the bougainvillea and the fig tree get huge from Kenni reposing beneath there.
I will miss Kenni. For sure, I will always remember him. He was weird and aggravating, but he learned to be a dog during this life. If there is reincarnation, he will still be a dog, but this time around he will be a social and loving animal from the start. That will be his heaven.
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