And she’s not even mine.
Kaja is one of the many dogs and puppies awaiting homes over at the The Olive Branch. Except that Kaja is different. Since the day she was dropped at the end of the driveway, to make her own way to the Olive Branch or get lost trying, I knew this little girl was different. She wasn’t even five months old when her owners dumped her and her sibling off, but I saw right away that she was special. Intelligent, kind, playful, and cuddly, with a willingness to please that is unsurpassed by any other dog there.
There are no other dogs at the Olive Branch that are given such freedoms. When I get to work in the mornings Kaja is fed with the rest of the pups, then let out into the play yard. She plays for a few minutes, then deftly climbs the four foot fence to come looking for me. She helps me clean the kennels, feed the horses, goat, and pigs, then rides in the Polaris with me while I spread manure.
She gets along with all the other dogs and is the canine ambassador in the cat kingdom. The older kittens just adore her --- rubbing themselves all over her, letting her join in their games of chase, and snuggling up with her for a nap at break time. Kaja has a special relationship with Whinnie the goat, and is trying her best to become friends with Tyler the pig. She keeps a respectful distance from the horses, has never offered to chase them, and has not once even barked at them.
Kaja plays a mean game of fetch and drops the ball eagerly at your feet. She knows “Sit” and “down” and is currently learning “Shake” and “Rollover”. “Stay” has been difficult because she hates being more than a few feet away from me. Her job, as she sees it, is to be next to me at all times. I recently fell off several bales of hay in the barn and as I was lying there taking stock of any injuries, Kaja curled up against my side, offering me her warmth and comfort because she knew I was hurt. She didn’t jump all over me and try to lick my face like most pups would do when a human is on the ground.
Kaja is special. She’s that once in a lifetime dog and today she was adopted. I get to give her one last bath tomorrow before her new humans come to pick her up. I’ll give her a kiss on the nose, a gentle ear rub, and wish her well at her new home. Then I’ll wipe the tears away and move on to the next puppy project. But I know there will never be another Kaja.
