Addendum: Jaco Kitty (excerpt)

“My Father’s Greatest Gift:  Life Lessons from a Black English Labrador Retriever”

My Father’s Greatest Gift

Č’ert Dog had a plan for me. Four months to the day, I awoke
compelled to walk to watershed where we would drive him to go
for his walks. It was the last place he walked while still with us. As
I began walking back down the busy road (which I normally would
drive when Č’ert was with me), I heard a crying sound. Sure enough,
atop an old oak tree there clung a gold and white kitten holding onto
the very top of the tree for dear life. After about an hour and a half
of praying, talking to him and encouraging him, he finally took a
“leap of faith” from his predicament as he began to fall down the
tree, clinging to branches along the way. I climbed up the tree and
caught him. He trembled as I wrapped him in my scarf and I held
him close to my chest as I walked him home. He was very dehydrated
and looked as if he had not eaten for many days…

Jaco Kitty’s first toy was a tiger printed bow tie from one of
Č’ert Dog’s Halloween costumes. I stuffed it and put elastic around
it. It is his favorite toy and he brings it everywhere with him. It is
actually very coincidental as that it was Č’ert Dog’s as he always had
to have a toy, a shirt, something in his mouth. Jaco is also very fast
and runs around the house and outside when we are outside with him.
When he first gets up in the morning or when he is running around,
he makes a squeaking sound similar to that of my favorite bird call
of the goldfinch. Of course, he goes for the white birch tree out front
and likes to perch inside its weeping branches. I did find him in a
tree, so I guess it is his favorite place to be!