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| Name: |
Kobe
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Age: |
Nine years old
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| Gender: |
Male |
Breed: |
Labrador mix |
| Home: |
San Diego, California, USA |
In
2004 my sister and I started making weekly trips to the local animal
shelter to look for a pet. One week during the summer, I found and
instantly fell in love with a black lab mix. He was mangy, with large
brown eyes, and a curly tail. He was also gentle. I never heard him bark,
and he would just sit there with his head down while we would scratch his
ears. My family wasn't impressed with my choice. My dad was especially
unimpressed upon our return from the vet with the discovery that he had a
serious case of heartworm. It would require lots of effort and money to
treat, and success wasn't guaranteed. While my sister and I were away at
summer camp, my dad traveled back home every day during lunch to care for
Kobe. Due to the treatment, he had to be locked in a small room, and he
would experience fits of violent coughing. It would pay off. Kobe
flourished and he has repaid my dad through utter loyalty. Oh, and by
having the softest ears, ever.
Kobe's traits have become such an endearing part of our lives, we
reminisce and share in them constantly. First, Kobe knows exactly the
function of a human hand. One cannot sit on the couch for five minutes
before they have a cold, wet nose digging under their hand, as if to
remind them of that function. Next, Kobe loves lizards and squirrels. As a
game, we often shout, "Kobe, where's the squirrel?" and he will perk up,
run to the window, scan the yard and let out small huffs of air. I could
go on - his morning "talking" routine, how he prances on his walks, how he
always takes his cookies to the other room to eat. Then there's how he
literally follows my dad everywhere around the house. During our last walk
on the beach, I called for Kobe to join me in the waves. No go. My dad
started heading into the water and Kobe suddenly bounded past him head
first into a large wave. Like I said: loyalty.
Kobe has a remarkable tendency to capture anyone with his sweet demeanor,
beautiful face, and velvet ears. I always wonder what he was like as a
puppy, or why he runs away at the sight of a hanger, but I revel in what
his presence has brought to our family in the last seven years. Each time
I visit from San Francisco, a few more gray hairs have sprouted on his
chin and paws, but there is never a shortage of cold noses under my hand.
Kobe is an old soul and such a sweet boy!
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