Animal Advocates BC | Kito's Happy Ending

After six years, crouched in a basement stairwell on his chain...

...so fearful of anything unknown that his bladder and bowels emptied when we called to him over the neighbour's fence. Fearful of hands, suffering the pain of years of chronically infected ears, bone-thin...he should have been ruined. But Kito is a forgiving Lab cross, and though he didn't know what he was living for...he was living for this...

If you had seen him when he was a psychological wreck on the end of a chain, you'd understand what these pictures mean for him, and for us.

AAS is begged almost daily to save a dog that is suffering from the cruelty of isolation, often on the end of a chain, sometimes beaten, usually suffering pain from untreated disease conditions and rotten teeth, and always known to the SPCA.

Kito's case was ordinary in that respect. His kind-hearted neighbour had given up begging the SPCA to take Kito away from his abusive owner when she phoned AAS. The SPCA came, finally, but little changed and Kito remained on his chain, huddled most of the time at the bottom of the basement stairwell.

What was particularly shocking and heart-breaking about Kito was that he was so fearful that when we called to him from the neighbour's yard, he crept up the stairs with his bladder and bowel uncontrollably emptying.

AAS wrote the BC SPCA Manager of Cruelty Investigations about the severity of Kito's psychological damage and told him that if for any reason the SPCA was given Kito, to please tell us so that we could rehabilitate and rehome him.

We knew we would not ever get that image out of our mind (anymore than we can forget any of the abused dogs we witness) and as we made plans to buy Kito, his owner decided to give him to a group that had been named to him by the SPCA. The neighbour found out, phoned the group, gave it $500 and they took Kito and kept him in their Langley facility.

Kito is one of those dogs that instinctively loves water. Here he is a day after we got him, wondering what this is...

It took him only three minutes to decide to find out...

We would have no cause for complaint if this group was all it should be, but we found out it wasn't and we got Kito out of there. The group got another $150 (from us this time) and Kito's ears got the medical attention they so badly needed and a new life. He housetrained really quickly, his bowels no longer empty in fear, his ear is almost healed and he has put on ten pounds and has five more to go. (Read more about how we got Kito at The SPCA claims to the media to be working with rescue groups. Just who does it mean?)

One week later, Kito is a full-fledged swimmer and ball fetcher...

He is so proud and happy when he brings his ball in that he races up the beach, prancing and kicking up his heels like a pony...

As I write this, Kito is at my feet, his tummy full of good food, sleeping the sound, healthy sleep of happy exhaustion after a day of interesting new experiences, of swimming and romping, of car rides and treats, of hearing his name said in a kind voice and feeling the touch of kind hands. This will be Kito's life now until he dies...AAS will make sure of that.

Kito has a real family of his own at last. In spite of the severity of Kito's isolation, he loves to play, and now he has a brother, named Elvis, to play with.

Thanks for all the wonderful work you and the rest of your group do for neglected,abused animals. Thank you for working with Kito, helping him to trust humans again and lose his fears, and loving him. I am SO HAPPY !!! My daughter Jessica is an animal freak and loves the pictures I have e-mailed her, thinks Kito is cute, and can't wait to meet him. I looked at the meaning of the name Kito on the internet. I learned that it is a Swahili name that means "precious", "precious child", or "a jewel".

Kito certainly is a jewel, and very precious to us :)

Regards, Marion

Hi AAS!

As you can see by the pictures, Kito is loved and spoiled.

I tried to get pictures of Kito and Elvis playing together, so I could e-mail you some. However, that was pretty impossible, as they move so fast! It is so cute, watching them chase each other around the house.

Kito continues to do well, and I love him very much. It was meant to be that we have Kito.He fits right into our home so perfectly. He cried last night when I was going to my bedroom to sleep, so I brought him into our bedroom, where he settled to sleep quickly on his blanket on the floor. He is so loving!

Thank you for all you did for Kito.

Marion and family

"Kito's My Name"

Kito's my name,
Chasing balls is my game.
I once was chained, day and night,
But lucky for me, there was someone to fight
For me, and all the others like me,
Called "The Animal Advocates Society".

I once was sad, hungry, and thin,
Till some kind people took me in.
They gave me shelter, took me in from the cold,
Loved me freely, with their hearts of gold.
They placed my picture on the internet,
Trusting that someone was wanting a pet.

Along came Marion, who fell for my face,
Wanting to take me home to her place.
She e-mailed a note, enquiring of me,
The rest, of course, is history.

Now I run free on the trails every day,
No more chains, in the house I stay.
I have a little brother who likes to tease,
He steals my ball, saying chase me please.

My family loves me, I love them too,
Kito says "thank-you", from me to you.
There are many more just like me,
I hope some day they will all run free,
And learn to trust humans once again,
When love has broken all their chains.

Marion Lindsay. November 5th 2003

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