Dogs have almost always been part of my life since I was born, except while I was in college at Penn State, where having such a pet was totally impractical.  My sister, Jan, and I were raised with pets around.  It was natural for us to love and appreciate nature and animals.  We did not have to be taught to like animals.  Animals were treated as part of the family.  There was no need to "train" us to like them.

     Nikki, a Belgian Shepherd mix, came into my life in August 1987.  She was a stray with a Sheltie who ran together around my apartment complex for a couple of weeks.  The SPCA came and caught the Sheltie.  The Shepherd had run and avoided being caught.  I felt sorry for her, so I put out some food and invited her in.  That was the beginning of the love affair.  Nikki was estimated to be about a year old at the time.  We got along great although she never enjoyed the usual Shepherd games like chasing a ball or frisbee.  She had a terrific personality trait that all people should have...Nikki assumed everyone was a friend until they proved otherwise.  This trait never changed all her life.  She was very affectionate.  With others she was very happy if they would just give her a friendly pat hello.

     After a couple of years it came time to move.  It was tough to find a place that would take a 65 pound dog.  There was no way that I would move to a place without Nikki.  I found and bought into a condo community that would allow larger dogs, with nice courtyards and a separate doggie run.
 

My Nikki

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     She loved our home.   She made friends with many of the other dogs.  One of our neighbors, who didn't have a dog, liked Nikki and several other dogs very much.  They had treats for them every evening.  As soon as we would say to them "Let's go get treats" they would race to their door, wag their tails against the door to let the people know they were there, and then rush in the second the door opened.  They would come back out afterward with happy wagging tails and heads held high.

     Nikki loved to sit outside and just watch, a common pleasure of most dogs.  Each night we had extra special extended cuddle time before going to sleep.  We spent many happy years together.  But, nothing lasts forever.  I hope you will read on, because the rest is actually more uplifting than sad, with an intensification of the love Nikki and I had for each other, and a new dawn for the future.

     As you probably already know from the theme of this site, my passion is to go out and video tape lightning.  In August 1997 I was working very late night after night.  One night there was a storm out over Lake Pontchartrain that lasted a long time.  When I came home and watched the tape I noticed some very unusual lightning displays.  One in particular was very strange.  The lightning came out of the cloud horizontally for some distance and then it suddenly shot down to the water with a very large number of branches shooting out from the main bolt.  As I watched this strike frame by frame several more times I said to myself, "This is evil lightning...something bad is going to happen."
 

My Nikki

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     Four days later I had to take Nikki to the vets at Crowder Animal Hospital because she wasn't acting right.  They checked her and took some blood tests.  Her kidney function was not good.  Antibiotics were tried for a time but her blood work did not improve much.  I was told that I would lose her, but that with fluid treatments and a restricted diet she might live and enjoy life for 6 months to a year without discomfort.

     Tears flooded down my face.  I immediately agreed to any treatment that would make her feel good and extend our time together.  I also made a commitment to Nikki to make her time left quality time.  It was time for me to give back to her as much as possible for all the devotion she had shown me over the years.  I began taking her for special 1 hour walks at a large park along the Lakefront where a number of people bring their dogs.  For every fluid treatment she got I took her to the park for this special walk.  By Thanksgiving her treatments had to be increased to twice a day, so she got two long walks a day.  We only skipped going if it was raining.  My feelings for Nikki grew so strong because I knew what was coming.

     I took her with me almost everywhere.  She loved to ride in the car, sitting in the passenger seat next to me.  She would look out ahead in great anticipation of where we might be going, or at me with love in her eyes.  I will never forget looking over at her sitting there and seeing how happy she was as we rode along.  I knew I was doing the right thing.  The love and bonding between Nikki and I grew to heights I never thought possible.

     We listened to light rock stations on the radio in the car.  A number of songs expressed so well how we felt about each other.  One song by Amy Grant, "I Will Remember You," said so much.  One phrase in that song said it all..."True love is frozen in time."  Quite a powerful phrase, isn't it!
 

My Nikki

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     The girls at Crowder Animal Hospital were terrific...every last one of them.  Dr. Karen Miller had started the clinic many years ago.  Her first class personality and character were extended in her hiring the best people to make her clinic a true classic of how to do it all the right way.  Nikki didn't like me doing the treatments at home.  Since she loved seeing everyone there so much, I just took her in for them to do it.  I have never regretted my decision to do it this way, regardless of the substantial cost.

     Dr. Sandi Simoneaux became Nikki's doctor.  Sandi soon became attached to Nikki.  She spent lots of time with me to help me adjust to the inevitable and make sure I knew if Nikki was not feeling well enough to continue the treatments.  She checked into the possibility of a kidney transplant, which turned out to be a poor bet for an older dog.  One thing Sandi did early on was to give me a poem, "Rainbow Bridge," the perfect piece to help anyone who is going to or who has lost a special friend.  It is so uplifting and positive.  See below to go to the site for this wonderful poem.

     The girls at the front desk became very special people for me and for Nikki.  Jeannine, Brandy, Lorna, and I had many friendly chats that helped make the twice a day ordeal a more positive experience.  Drs. Tracy Davis and Sharon Schmidt, as well as Dr. Miller herself, also saw Nikki at times, including Sundays and holidays.  The techs were all great too, including Katie, Lacy, Jenny, Phyllis, and Cheryl.  They are all friends for life.  I hope everyone reading this either has or can find a great vet in their area like Crowder Animal Hospital here in New Orleans.  In February 1999 Crowder Animal Hospital merged into Gentilly Veterinary Hospital.

     In April, more than 8 months after this all began, Nikki and I came across the first stray we'd seen on one of our walks.  We had to coax her.  After 3 days we were finally able to bring her home.  Her name became Lilli, a Lab mix.  She weighs about 45 lbs and every hair is jet black.  The girls at the clinic all said that Lilli appearing then was meant to be.  I had thought I might not want to get another dog after Nikki because of what this was doing to me.  A Coincidence?  Yeah, sure, right!
 

Lilli

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     Shortly after that in late April we were getting in the car to go to the vet.  Another dog, a full size Chocolate Lab, appeared and wanted to go along.  She and Nikki sniffed noses a moment with tails wagging.  I told the dog I couldn't take in another now...to come back later.  And that was the last we saw of her...well not quite.  Read on!

     In June Nikki began having trouble keeping food down.  I thought this was the end.  Dr. Miller put her on something to help move food through her system better.  She showed a remarkable improvement.  But this was only able to help for about 3 weeks until her kidneys finally gave out.

     During her few last days, we had 3 super important special times together.  On 2 nights she came on the bed, pressed close against me, and cuddled with me for a very long time until we fell asleep.  On another night out at the Lakefront, Lilli romped off to check things out on her own.  Nikki and I sat down and cuddled for a long time.  As she looked at me I could feel intense love radiate from her.

     Her kidneys shut down late on Sunday night, July 12th.  She had a massive seizure.  I had to take her to the emergency clinic.  They said they could bring her out of it, but I knew it was time to say good-bye.

     Earlier I spoke of evil lightning 4 days before I took Nikki in and learned of her kidney troubles.  Did I see this kind of evil lightning again?  2 days before I lost Nikki I taped another night storm with it.  While this type of lightning isn't extremely rare, I had only seen it and gotten it in on tape these 2 times at this point.  A second coincidence?  Yeah, sure, right!

     Remember the Chocolate Lab I wrote about above.  Well, after not seeing this dog again since late April, she suddenly reappeared by my house one Sunday in early August while I was taking Lilli for a walk.  She looked up at me and said she wanted a home too.  She and Lilli hit it off together right away.  The time was right for me to be able to handle yet another dog.  So, I took her in and now I have these 2 wonderful Labs!  This one I named Tika (pronounced tea-kah).  A third coincidence?  Yeah, sure, right!  No one can convince me that Nikki didn't have something to do with bringing Tika back at just the right time.
 

 Tika

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     Tika loves a good tennis ball and going for a swim.  So typical of a Lab.  She would love to catch a duck, but she can never quite swim fast enough to catch one.  Lilli is more the rascal of the two.  She has learned to enjoy playing ball, but she seldom brings it back.  Both love to sleep on the couch or on the bed with me.

     So, yes, I lost Nikki.  It hurts every day, and always will.  But, I have 2 new buddies who are very happy to have a home with love.  Remember, many pets do not do well if their owners pass on before they do.  It is best that we outlive them so that they will be cared for in the same way, all of their life.  If you think you can't stand their loss, how do you think they would do if they lost you?  Food for thought.  There are so many dogs who need and would love to have a nice home.

     A word of caution to all pet owners!!!  If you live in an area with mosquitos you probably have the  potential for heart worm problems for your dogs or cats.  Both Lilli and Tika tested positive for heart worms.  Both have now been successfully treated.  It is expensive and can be avoided.  Please consult with your vet and put your pet on the prevention program if you have heart worm problems in your area.  Even pets who stay inside 100% of the time can get them from mosquitos getting into the house when you open the doors or windows.  Heart worms are often fatal within 2 years if not treated as soon as possible!  The heart worm test is simple for your vet to do.  If you love your pet even just a little, you must do this for both of you.  By the time symptoms show up, it may be too late to save a pet.

     A Couple of Worthwhile Pet Links:

     For the wonderful "Rainbow Bridge" poem click here:

     For Dr. Sandi Simoneaux's site click here.  In her site is a page called "Furry Friends."  She has a story about a late love of hers, Amber.  I think this helped her help me so much with Nikki.  You will see that she is far more than just a vet.  She even took in an injured squirrel who now lives very happily in her home.

     Even after Sandi went to another clinic, Primary Vet Care, during Nikki's care and treatment, she was always interested on her status.  We talked several times on the phone when I was feeling down.  Even after it ended she sent me e-mails to lift my spirits.  I am indebted to her forever.  God bless you, Sandi!

   "The dog is the most faithful of animals and would be much esteemed were it not so common.  Our Lord God has made his greatest gifts the commonest." Martin Luther