I
named my puppy after this famous star that I happen to admire greatly I
have enjoyed her singing and movies for a long time. She is feisty and
funny , vulnerable and loving ,as I perceived her, and she grew up in Hawaii.
I was living in Hawaii, my Kai Dane was born there and the name just seemed
perfect so it was, Bette........
(picture taken at night..all I have..sorry)
My
heart was Dane hungry as I had to find homes for my two danes when I left
Florida to go to Hawaii to live. I could not bear to put them in quarantine
for 3 months, so I found loving homes for them. But, a Dane person cant
go forever without another!!
So,
off we trooped to Hawaii Kai and looked at a litter from champions.
I
have video of me with that litter and I picked Bette out immediately. We
rolled around on the lawn together and it was love at first site. Here
is a picture of Bette's Dam.
We
had the ears done this time around and made many, many trips up that mountain
to have those ears retaped. The cradle stage was hilarious and I got real
good with the tongue depressors, cotton and tape after awhile out of desperation.
She was trained to "go in your house" which was a huge show kennel and
loved it there when I was at work.
She
grew to be a lovely lady and then one day I found her to be ill. She wouldn't
get up and wasn't alert and I panicked and we drove her up the mountain,
in the middle of the night, while I prayed all the way, in a horrible thunder
storm.
We
carried her in and placed her on the table, and so help me hanna she came
to and acted like she was fine?? After paying a kings randsom for an after-hours
visit, I hauled her okolie (Hawaiian for rear end lol) to the car and back home we went.
The
next day the breeder asked me if she had had her first heat yet? She has
just and the lady laughed and said that Bette thought she was pregnant!!
I remember being ticked that she thought it was funny and I replied, "well
then I guess Ill have to get her a doll". An hour latter we found a tiny
puppy whimpering under our car. And of course it was "Pup". Bette's Dane
Angel had brought her. From that day on Bette took that puppy as her own
and NOBODY could tell her she hadn't given birth to this pit/spitz dog.
They were inseparable from that moment on.
Well
the day came , when it was time to leave Hawaii, and move to a friends' cabin
in the woods on twenty acres. Allen and I built a half acre dog yard complete
with all any dog required. Bette loved the woods and especially snow. Once
or twice a week they were allowed a good romp
through
the woods free and beautiful. They both disliked crows and would chase
them woofing at the sky. They would sit in the evening and watch
the deer come to feed, a pack of wolves strolled by one day as did an elk
and they thought it all so grand.
It
wasn't so grand for my husband walking a mile and a half with 40 pounds
of dog food tied to his back. We didn't buy the property because the road
was unpaved and unpassable most of the year with a car. We would leave
it up by the road and walk in. We had no phone, no water (we hauled it)
no refrigerator, and a wood stove to cook on and keep warm by. We all loved
it until one frozen night in winter
The
picture above was taken the week that Bette died of bloat. Bette
died in my arms 20 minutes after she went down. . Anyone that has loved
a dog like we did Bette can understand the despair I felt as I said good
bye to the light of my life, my Bette.
We
got a neighbor and it took them eight hours to dig her grave in the frozen
ground, under a beautiful pine and I buried her with a love letter from
me and a picture of her and Pup together. I will never forget that moment
of passing. We had to move off that land and it broke my heart to leave
her but I had planted perennial flowers all around her. It wasn't good
bye but Ill see ya later pretty lady when we meet again. You will be waiting
for me at heavens door I know.
Pup
misses you too
