Kira's Sad Story December 05, 2003 - 6:12 p.m.

Originally, Kira and Bart were at Becky's house - actually, her brother's house. They had been there for over three years now.

So Becky's brother and his long-time girlfriend split up and he asks Becky to move in and help with bills. And to assumably help ease that sudden empty-house feeling as well. This was like... eight, nine months ago. Shortly after moving in, she gets pregnant.

She's doing what she can to help take care of his dogs, mostly Bart, who's a furry bastard. The random shedding from this one dog alone makes the house look like dozens of animals are running through it. And that's even after vacuuming. She finally took him to get shaved, using her own money. It's like he suddenly decided that these dogs were no longer his and left any responsibilities on her.

So finally it comes down to them getting fleas. And there was no way she could afford to get them Frontline by herself. And he wasn't about to pitch in and help. So considering the fleas and excessive doghair and not being able to afford to take care of them properly, all with an arriving baby, they contacted her mom to see if she had any ideas that could help.

And she contacted Becky's brother's ex, who said she would love to take the dogs. She had wanted to take them all along, apparently. She said she would go ahead and get them out of the house and have her mom take them until she finally got a house of her own. I guess this is something she was planning on doing in the immediate future.

This was a little over two weeks ago. Everything was fine and settled. She said she would even bring the dogs over whenever they wanted. Things were groovy.

Or not.

We aren't finding out until now... that within that first week, Kira attacked one of her mom's dogs. To the point of it dying. I don't know if it died because of the attack or during or whatever... but it died. And her mom obviously didn't want Kira around anymore, as she had four other dogs to worry about. And I'm sure she felt angry and scared towards her afterwards.

I never knew her mom had other dogs, or else I would have immediately jumped in and said 'You're fucking stupid'. Especially because these other dogs are poodles. I like dogs, don't get me wrong, but poodles are prissy little shits. They're all dainty. And that's the exact kind of dog that Kira has never gotten along with. She's a very sweet dog, but when there's another dog around that's weak, she'll attack. I guess it was just a self-defense thing she had to learn at the lake, because she was just fine around other dogs. Like Bart.

I completely understand this lady not wanting to keep the dogs around after that, and I feel sad for her dog. I really do. But I think her daughter was a fucking idiot for not realizing that there was going to be issues with Kira and these poodles. This was her dog, afterall. Anyone else that has been around her would know that it was a huge mistake.

So Becky's mom ends up taking both Kira and Bart. She brings them into her home with Sid - Romie and Kira's brother - and Kess.

Kess.

Yeah....

Again, sweet dog. But Kess is a bitch towards cowardly males and girls. Pretty much all girls. Kess is the dog that ripped a few holes in Lady, and made us pay out a three hundred dollar vet bill. I love Kess, but she just doesn't get along with some dogs.

Kess and Kira... worst enemies.

Always have been.

Again, stupid fucking idea. Unless you're going to keep them seperated, it's not going to work well.

Kira's second day there, she gets out of the yard. Becky's mom's boyfriend runs after her, to try to get her back in the house or yard. Apparently he's not a mellow guy (read: tempermental son-of-a-bitch), so there was probably much shouting and angriness.

Let's add another 'fucking stupid' here. I'll explain.

Kira is terrified of strange men for some reason. We never could quite understand it though there were thoughts, and it would take her awhile to warm up to a guy. So she's got this strange guy chasing after her. Also, she's equally terrified of angry sounds. She would instantly cower, shaking, with her tail between her legs if someone spoke too loudly. If someone she knew yelled at her and called her over, she would keep her head as low to the ground as possible with her ears straight back and walk over very slowly. But if you have a strange guy doing this... she runs and tries to hide. This random guy isn't expected to know this kind of stuff, but still.

Eventually she ends up jumping the fence, back into the yard. Obviously to get away from this strange person yelling and chasing after her, who ends up going out into the yard to get her. He tries to get her to go into the house, but Kess is standing in the door, growling at her.

Big shock.

And we're certain that by this time, he's angry and pissed off for having to chase this dog around. So again, much yelling and loudness. Of course she runs and tries to hide. Tries to get away from this angry man and the growling dog who's her arch-nemesis. All in unfamiliar territory, to boot.

So what's this guy do? Instead of leaving her alone for a bit or trying to get Kess out of the way... he goes after her. And given the details to follow, picks her up.

He had to have picked her up, in order for her to rip his face off. Almost literally.

He's going to require reconstructive surgery.

I can't now remember the exact details of what was done. I know he basically has no labret area now. Apparently he can stick his tongue through a hole under his bottom lip. And there's something having to do with his eye, so that says bad times.

My immediate thought was 'Well, did she have rabies?' but I was reminded they would do tests on him to find out. And since we haven't heard that this could be the case, we're ruling it out.

After that incident, they took her to a vet or kennel of some sort and left her there overnight. By the next day, they had decided to put her to sleep. Suggested by Becky's brother, no less. The supposed owner who decided he wasn't going to take care of them to begin with.

And though they live in the same house, no one bothered to tell Becky what happened, until a week later. I'm just grateful that she called me, almost immdeiately within hearing the news.

As we're talking about it, things don't seem to add up.

The only time Kira has bitten at anybody, is if they stepped on her paw or tail and she does it out of simple reflex. Even then, she just snaps then looks at you all sad as if to say 'That hurt, dummy'. So why is it that she attacked like this? So violently and obviously unrelenting? And how is it that she was able to get to his face? Why not go for the hands or legs... the first thing within sight when feeling threatened? This dog has gone through so much, and never done this before. I've had to actually beat her with a hanger to get her off of a dog that didn't have any teeth... but she didn't turn on me. She's been picked up by the neck and smacked repeatedly by her other owner. She's even been angrily thrown across a room simply because she was wet and got on the couch. Still no attacks. So why now? When she gets scared or hurt, she runs. She hides. She tries to find any safety she can. So why attack this time?

My only thought, given the description of this guy, is that he did something to her. Something mean and hateful. That, combined with the general terror of the situation, made her snap. Or she just realized she needed to defend herself.

Another thought we had, is that they didn't decide to randomly put her to sleep. They had to put her to sleep after what he did to her. Or she wasn't put to sleep at all, but he did something to kill her.

Things just don't seem to make sense, unless he did something mean to provoke it.

Also, we were pissed when no one was notified during the time that they were trying to figure out what to do with Kira. We knew at least a few people that would love to have her, and she wouldn't have been a problem at all. She was thrown into stupid, fucked up, ill thought situations. It wasn't her fault.

So it was easier for them just to kill her.

If they are honest about simply putting her in a kennel then deciding to put her to sleep (instead of the other thoughts about foul-play cover-up), I guarantee he wanted her to die simply for what she did to him.

Our only ease in this, is that at least she did some major damage to be sentenced to death. At least it wasn't something trivial, like a small bite on the hand, that led to their decision.

It all still pisses me off, because there was no need for this to happen.

- - - - - -

On a personal note, I'm sad that she's gone. She was a sweet, cute dog. And I can't help but think I never had the chance to take Romie to play with her again. Though I do have video somewhere of the two of them playing, which is just too adorable.

Despite being sad, I haven't cried. I've had tears start to form once or twice, but they never fully emerged. And, yeah, I'm angry. I'm angry enough to rant about this and I'm angry enough to place blame.

But I'm not angry enough.

I don't feel like I'm as angry as I should be. I feel like I should be seething. But I'm not. It's like these emotions are all there, just tucked further back in the closet. Faded into the background. They've been blurred or muted. Like I've had a stroke, and I'm only able to feel half of what I normally would.

Normally, despite what state of mind I'm in, I would be distraught and completely beside myself. Crying quite a bit. I'm typically a big dope that way.

I've thought for awhile now that I might be broken. And I guess this only helps in proving the point.

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