Reina
Everyone says that they have the best dog, but I feel mine truly was. I got Reina at the beginning of March 1994 in Taos, New Mexico at a road side Indian jewelry shop. The owner’s Chow had accidentally mated with a coyote and had a big litter. They liked all of their puppies except for Reina. I watched the owner’s kids kick and torture Reina so I took her. They said that I couldn’t have her but I said that they didn’t have a choice.
So Reina and I were together from then on, until recently, when my Pet Loss At Home mobile vet, Dr. Karen Twyning, DVM, helped me ease her pain.
I never had to train Reina or scold her for anything, really. She always seemed to know what she could or couldn’t do. The one thing tough about her was… people. She pretty much only liked me and immediate family so it was tough having others over. She wouldn’t bite you but she was EXTREMELY intimidating. I always had to tell people to just ignore her and she’ll ignore you. It was true and worked, but a lot of my friends stayed away but that didn’t bother me. See, I was the only one who could touch her. When she had her own litter of pups, I was the only one who could touch her puppies. Later in life, when she was about 12-13 years old, she was more friendly. I always thought it was because she finally retired from her job as my protector. I truly believe she loved me, and not just because I fed her steak and other goodies!
I am finding it hard to write about her… not just from grief but from all the wonderful things about her and her life with me. It’s hard to sum it all up in a few short paragraphs. I do have her memories to comfort me…
She will be missed. I will always love my little angel. Goodbye for now my friend…
Dad