Keena is my canine soul mate... Was in life and is now in death. I have had multiple dogs, but she was something special, an extension of me. To try to put into words what she meant to me and what a special soul she was is an injustice really.. words cannot do her justice... She brought me more happiness than any other in my life ever has, period!



Her Story:

I acquired Keena at just 3 1/2 weeks old when her mother ran out of milk. I bottle fed her. Since the day I brought her home I know she was something special. Keena was a wild puppy, full of adventures. I'll never forget one day she's in the backyard to potty, it had been raining. I open the back door to find her splashing in a puddle of black muddy water by the shutters drain where the water from the roof collected. She was black from head to toe... I just laughed and laughed.



Keena was also known to eat things she shouldn't. One time she got into a Christmas Box, grabbed a foot high Santa Claus Candle and ate the whole head and body, left poor Santa with only pants and boots. Another time she snuck into the pantry and ate a whole box of Little Debbie's snack cakes. She ate them with wrappers and all. We gave her Hydrogen Peroxide to have her throw up, you could have opened the packs and eaten the cakes, she swallowed them whole. Oh my baby girl... what a little devil she was, so many adventures... she kept us on our toes. 



We almost lost her at 3 months old due to an Anaphalectic Shock reaction to a vaccine. At 3 years old it happened again... needless to say from that moment on I never vaccinated her again (Vet orders) and kept my eye on her 24/7. She had a fondness of eating paper towels, so I was always around her. She went everywhere with me... to the store, the post office, vacations, EVERYWHERE. I can tell you this dog never left my sight. If I let her outside it was constantly supervised... I could not risk losing her.



Keena was so smart, almost human like. She knew exactly what I wanted, when I wanted. She knew so many words. She would learn a knew word if you told her a couple times. She would fetch and bring you anything you asked her for. One day the Fed Ex Truck pulled up, I was sitting on the Front Deck and told her MAMA GO GET IT... Being a Pit Bull, and their unfortunate undeserved bad rap, she could intimidate people with her looks, but one wag of that tail and people knew she was friendly. I told the Fed Ex lady GIVE HER THE ENVELOPE... sure enough, she gave it to her, I told her GOOD GIRL MAMA BRING IT, she ran up the deck and brought me the mail.. How smart was she... So damn smart...



Keena and that tail of hers... oh my that tail... She bruised my mothers legs quite a few times, she'd whip it so hard. She was always happy. This dog lived life to it's fullest. She was always happy even on her sickest days at the end that tail never stopped wagging. She was happy, confident, outgoing, sweet, a licker... lick, lick, lick all the time. So lovable and did I mention she was always happy? The epitome of a great, stable, happy dog... yeap that was my girl.



Keena was a very well bred, pure Champion American Pit Bull Terrier. Due to irresponsible owners these dogs have a bad rap. You can't blame a gun for shooting someone, you blame who pulled the trigger, same with dogs. You blame the owner. This breed is one of the best breeds in the world, the best in my opinion, they are just not for everyone. You must know this breed and know how to handle them, read body language, etc. I have owned APBT's for over 20 years and have never once been bit by them. I have handled hundreds of them, big and small, young and old, never have been bit, ever!!! The Pit Bull was the choice dog for children, hence PETEY THE PIT BULL from the little rascals, so please do not judge a book by it's cover. Keena was an ambassador of her breed. She changed people's minds about the breed. If they were scared of Pit Bulls, they were no longer once the met her. She was that special.



Keena was obsessed with toys..... Every week she got new toys. The house was filled with them and she could not get enough. I loved seeing her happy. When I would place online orders from online Pet Stores and the boxes arrived, I'd let her tear into the boxes... she knew there was goodies in there for her and she did not stop until that box was open and she got her toys. When we went to Walmart or something, she'd go through all the grocery bags until she found her toys, she knew mom always had a toy for her.



Keena was barely 9 years old when all of a sudden she got sick. She was perfectly fine that morning, ate her treats, played some fetch and we went to bed. (I usually sleep during the day). We woke up and all was fine, she was perfect. I went out back to feed our chickens and put Keena in her crate. (I never left her unsupervised). I came back in, prepared all the dogs foods, went to let her out of her crate and there she was lethargic and not responding. How could this be, she was fine an hour before. I rushed her to the University Vet School... I even blew the transmission in my car driving so fast... It's too painful to re-live it all so I won't go into all the details, but 3 surgeries and 8 days later I had to say goodbye. Her body went septic from a ruptured tumor. I spent $10 grand to try to save her, nothing worked.



The day we let her go, the Vet, who only knew her 8 days, started to cry. Keena, sick and dying, would not stop wagging her tail at everyone who was taking care of her in ICU. I drove over an hour to see her every single day, my husband took off work the whole week to be with her as well.... I prayed, oh Lord how I prayed. I knew I could not live my life without her... but after the 3rd surgery and her not getting better, it was only fair to let her go, I knew she was strong and would hold on until momma was ready and that she did. I wipe tears as I write this now and it has been 4 years. It has taken me 4 years to write this here.



Losing Keena was the hardest and most painful time of my life. I have lost loved ones, but Keena was my daughter, yes my fur daughter, but the only kind I know because I do not have kids. I lost a younger brother (my cousin but I called him my little brother cause our mothers were sisters and we were really close.) When I lost him I thought how could I ever feel such an intense pain again. I never knew the pain of losing someone. When I lost Keena, I knew what it was to hurt like I have never hurt before. I wanted to die that night, my husband wanted to call the rescue, he was so scared I would do something crazy... It was all a daze, it all felt unreal, like a nightmare. The next day I went online searching for Support... I knew those in my real life, even those who have dogs, could not understand me. Not every person who owns a dog feels this way, I did not feel this way about my other dogs, so I knew I needed support. I found it online on CHANCE's PET LOSS SUPPORT GROUP. If it wasn't for those ladies and one special man who lost his boy the same day I lost Keena, I would have gone crazy. 



My mother thought I was nuts, no one in my life understood. So if you are going through this, know that you are not alone, not everyone understands. I honestly feel Keena was meant for me, she was meant to teach me the true meaning of true unconditional love... Keena was and will always be my soulmate. I would have sold my house and flown her to another Country if I could have saved her.



It's May 2010, it's been 4 years without her. I love and miss her so much. My house is surrounded with her photos so she will always be a part of me and a part of my home and all I can hope is that I will see her one day again. I ask her to come to me in my dreams and when I dream of her I don't want to wake up because I know she will not be there. The pain does get easier for those who are freshly experiencing this, but the void will never be filled. 



I have lost all my old dogs now, so Keena is reunited with all her friends. I hope to get another little rednose American Pit Bull Terrier... not to replace Keena, but to love and give her a great life, to share my love with her. This is something I couldn't have said even a few months ago, but I feel I am ready to allow my heart to love another Pitty again... they are after all the best dogs in the world. I ask Keena when she's ready to send me a special puppy and when the RIGHT one comes along I KNOW I will FEEL it when I meet her.



Thank you for visiting my baby's page... If this helps anyone, then once again, Keena has done her job. This is a Poem for my baby girl:



~~The Cord~~



We are connected, 

my Keena and I, 

by an invisible cord 

not seen by the eye... 



It's not like the cord 

that connects humans at birth 

this cord can't be seen 

by any on earth... 



This cord does its work 

right from the start 

it binds us together 

attached to my heart... 



I know that it's there 

though no one can see

the invisible cord 

from my Keena to me... 



The strength of this cord 

it's hard to describe 

it can't be destroyed 

it can't be denied... 



It's stronger than any cord 

that man could create 

it withstands the test 

can hold any weight...



And though you are gone 

though you're not here with me 

the cord is still there 

though no one can see...



It pulls at my heart 

I am bruised... I am sore 

but this cord is my lifeline 

as never before... 



We may not be together

in the way we used to be,

We are forever connected by

a cord no eye can see...



So whenever I need to find you,

we're never far apart

I’ll look beyond the Rainbow

and listen with my heart...



I am thankful that God 

connects us this way 

it’s a bond so strong 

death can't take it away!! 



I will forever love you my baby girl...

Thank You, Thank you for allowing me to love you and for changing my life... Until we meet again Mama... I LOVE YOU and MISS YOU SO MUCH!!!