Kanti

     Kanti is the start of owning purebred, well-bred dogs for me. I named her "Kanti" which is the Algonquin word for "sings," because the only thing to calm her in the kennel when I got her was playing music she could "hum" along to. I was 16 when we got her from Heidelberg German Shepherds in Spring, TX, and she quickly filled a hole I didn't realize was there.  This was around the time my health truly started tanking, and Kanti stepped up with natural alerts galore - heart rate, migraine, blood sugar, the whole nine. She truly became the dog I didn't know I needed, and taught me so much about dogs and learning to speak their language without trying to talk over them. She was the dog I learned everything on, and has always been up for any challenge I asked of her, no matter how bizarre or deeply questionable. I truly fell in love with trick and obedience training through her, and I will forever be grateful to the dog who taught me how to sing from the heart.

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     Kanti was diagnosed with mammary carcinoma at the age of 6, in June of 2020. I've never been more scared in my life - what was I going to do when she couldn't fight anymore? A year later, and she's fighting harder than we ever anticipated, and with no treatment available, she's just about beat her cancer. If there was ever a dog to teach me to keep pushing on, no matter the odds, it will always be Kanti.