Kylie and Cricket
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When I was 4, I received a Basenji mix puppy in my Easter basket. In June of 2000 at the age of 30, I was given an opportunity I couldn’t pass up. I found an ad on a bulletin at my mother’s vet office for 2 Basenji’s, “free to a good home”.
That
weekend, I went to go meet them. I went
head over heels. They were 8 month old
sisters and they were adorable! The
owner had purchased them from a breeder and they were more than she could
handle. How could I ever choose? I could only afford to care for one dog at
the time. Kylie came home that day. I asked the owner for 24 hours and I would
find a home for her sister.
Cricket
went to live with my husbands’ grandmother on the condition that if anything
ever happened to Nannie she would come back to me. Cricket spent the next year being spoiled in
Philipsburg, PA. We would visit monthly
and Kylie and Cricket would spend the days doing laps around the house, chasing
each other up and down the stairs.
When
Nannie passed away, Cricket came to live with us. Since she had such a close relationship with
Kylie over the last year, the transition was smooth. They were inseparable!
Kylie
and Cricket quickly became known as “The Girls”. I could not have become more attached to
those dogs if I had given birth to them.
My life revolved around “The Girls”.
Kylie
and Cricket would go everywhere with me.
We attended obedience classes and “The Girls” both obtained their Canine
Good Citizen titles. They attended fun
matches, and won many ribbons through the Mid-Atlantic Basenji Club (mostly for
best costume). When Cricket became ill,
I spent 72 hours straight at the hospital caring for her. I was not going home without my “fur” kid.
In
April of 2012, my life changed forever. I
was working and got a phone call from my mother. She said my house was on fire. “Where are the girls?” I asked. She replied, “I am so sorry, they are dead.” The last thing I heard was my screaming.
My
elderly neighbor had seen the smoke and called the fire department and my
parents. The fire department arrived
within minutes and kicked in the door.
They found my girls and rushed them outside to administer oxygen and
perform CPR. It was too late, my girls
were gone.
The
fire had started in the living room. A
defective outlet had caused sparks within the wall. The fire had smoldered for quite a while and
Kylie and Cricket succumbed to smoke inhalation.
My life will never be the same.
The
Kylie and Cricket Memorial Fund was created by Kingsbrook Animal Hospital to
honor the memory of “The Girls” and the years of joy they brought to my life.
