“You can’t buy love, but you can rescue it.”
Our beloved rescue mix Kaci died Tuesday, Sept. 28, 2021, after being diagnosed with an aggressive form of cancer last year. She was 11.
Ever the guardian of her family, Kaci was the gentlest giant who had a knack for keeping stuffed toys intact — though, later in life she would destroy the squeaker within minutes even as the toy remained fine — and loved cuddling on top of blankets.
Kaci rescued us with love in February 2010 from a Yukon, Pennsylvania, animal rescue organization. As a very young puppy, Kaci, originally named Ann, and a sibling were neglected by a previous owner.
She left those bad memories in the past when she became part of this family zoo.
While having no puppies of her own, Kaci had an incredible motherly instinct — always honing in on the emotions of the humans around her. And when any fellow furry family member had to go to the veterinarian, Kaci expressed concern, typically howling and scurrying around to find that particular animal when they returned.
She understood love, happiness and grief better than most humans do, which allowed her to also be a better caregiver than most people.
While her bark might have seemed off-putting to some, this was her way of expressing concern for those she loved.
And when she wasn’t keeping watch for every pizza delivery or FedEx driver, Kaci was an excellent teller of time — always knowing exactly when it was breakfast, dinner and snack time. Though, she couldn’t quite figure out the changing seasons and clock adjustments.
Never one to turn down food, Kaci enjoyed everything from blueberries to Wegmans butter cream icing. She ate better than many humans as her parents meal-prepped protein and vegetables each week to add to kibble.
While she tolerated spring and fall weather and downright hated even a slight bit of humidity, her love of snow was unmatched. She enjoyed intensely running in snow. Other than snow, Kaci enjoyed visits to Presque Isle, staying under the tent, away from the sun.
Though initially listed as a “pointer” mix, though no pointer ever seemed evident in her, Kaci grew to love her pointer family — first with Sidney and then with Anne and Macy.
In her waning months, as the aggressive form of cancer progressed, her spirits never diminished. While experiencing bad days among the good — sometimes, bad moments of a good day — her love for those around her never stopped. And Kaci still knew when it was feeding and snack time.
In lieu of squeaky toys and tasty treats, hug your furry little animals and remind them how much they mean to you.
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