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Kiowa's Storie Corner

Piano Man's Last Song :-(

Husky Howllow's Kiowa - TT, SJATD July 17, 1994 to Sept. 3, 2008


It's with great sadness that we have to announce that our MostlyMoyed Kiowa has played his last tune on the piano. Today we helped him to the Bridge to be with Bailey, who has been waiting to greet him. Life for Kiowa hasn't been good lately as his advancing and painful infirmities were proving it hard for him to maintain a happy face and live life as he wanted to. Kiowa came to us as a "foster" who we decided wasn't going anywhere moments after he arrived here. Kiowa's passions were eating and people. He had a great reserve of love and affection to share and did so during a Therapy Dog Career that spanned ten years from 1997 until his retirement in early 2007 due to advancing infirmities that made it hard for him to get around on tiled floors.


During his career he worked at the St Amant Center, Lions Manor and Concordia Place as well as Park Manor Personal Care Home where he spent the bulk of his time. His ability to play the piano was always a popular treat for his senior friends and he also made several guest appearances at various places in and around the area. The big white rolly polly teddy bear was a magnet for people young and old and meeting and greeting people was a huge part of his enjoyment in life. His tail would never stop wagging even when he was at the point of exhaustion. He was thrilled in April of 07 when he had a chance to pay a last visit at Park Manor where his retirement was announced. His career also included a magazine cover and several appearances on local television shows about Therapy Dogs.


Kiowa leaves behind his human family, Ron & Kirby and the extended family that was such a huge part of his life. He will be sorely missed by Daytro, who will miss having someone to argue with, his former kennel mate Santana and the new boy on the block, Balla, who over the past couple of months had taken on the role of watching over Kiowa and letting us know when something was needed, and the feline members, Smudge, Tantrum & Rusti. There will me many of his beloved seniors there to greet him and welcome his visits again and Bailey and the other Husky Howllow members who have gone before him will be waiting for him at the Bridge to guide him and show him around. No longer will every step be painful and he will be able to run and play again. His food dish will always be full of all those things he dearly loved to eat. He will be able to carry on his mission of making people happy that he so loved to do in earthly life.


Our lives were enriched by having the privilege of sharing time with him and he will leave another huge hole here at Husky Howllow. The house is going to seem so empty without him here.


Kiowa went quietly, a Therapy Dog to the very end as he lay his head in Kirby's lap when he was given his sedative because he was troubled by her tears. Many thanks to Vet Karen Skakun for her sympathy and understanding, and the rest of the staff at the Transcona Vet Hospital who have been so supportive and caring over the years Kiowa had been going there.


Run free of pain Kiowa. We will light a candle here tonight to light your way over the Rainbow Bridge and have a toast to you as you start your new life whole and young again.

Kiowa's Inadvertent Hand Stand

One spring a few years back, when we were cleaning the straw out of the dog houses, Kiowa showed us a new trick. He did a hand stand, sort of.

His dog house is like a chest. Four sided, rectangular, with hinges on the roof for easier cleaning. There is a ramp so he can get on top of his house and, from there, on top of the other dog house. Ok, now that the sight picture has been formed, on with the story Kiowa and Santana were running around, playing, in the dog yard. Ron and I were in the dog run, cleaning the old straw out of the houses. The lid to Kiowa's dog house was up, as I was digging out the old straw. All of a sudden, Kiowa came barreling, full steam, into the dog run. He did what he always does -- into the run, up the ramp, onto his dog house, when OOPS ! ! There Kiowa was, head first into the house, hind legs still running, in mid air. There *we* were, rolling on the ground laughing. Once we regained our composure, we lifted Kiowa out. Needless to say, now he is a lot more cautious when running up his ramp.