May 30, 2013

KUKLA - Formerly Dodger

His mother Laura says, "I had an experience with a cancer situation.  It was necessary to temporarily put my husband George into a nursing home, so that if anything happened to me, he would have care.

It was a good thing I did because I had MRSA, a life-threatening infection at the wound site.

It was after it looked like I would come through this OK, I found you and Kukla.

Some time after the dog adoption, I took George back into my home to care for him. He was elderly, had multiple medical problems, and his severe nerve pain was intractable.

The only time I saw George have a smile on his face (because of the constant pain) was when he was petting Kukla. This dog literally saved his emotional life because it gave him something to love. Even during his last hospitalization, George asked me about Kukla until the end.

Six months after the adoption, George, who had congestive heart failure, lost his battle and died. His pal Kukla would go into his room and wait for him to return. I'm really grateful to Kukla for loving George through his last chapter.

Nine months later, I had a serious house fire and Kukla and I escaped with our lives. It was due to a short in the range hood and was not due to anything I did.

We went from living in a three-bedroom house to a one-room  hotel, then were moved into temporary housing. Throughout these six months, Kukla adjusted. After they re-built the house, we moved back in.

Just as he had loved George through his difficulties, Kukla loved me through the time of the fire and beyond.

I am grateful to you beyond measure for this wonderful dog and for what he has meant in the lives of me and George.

I buried George in Hawaii and will be moving out there in the next few months.

You've saved souls with your work. You saved dogs, but you saved people too.  You have my deepest gratitude."