Remembering Kiki. A Dogs Life Well Lived.

Our best friend and best dog model passed on.

We met Kiki when she was eight weeks old at her kennel with her other brother and sister pups in her litter.  She was a curious and confident pup that caught our eye, and she has since exceeded all our expectations by being a loving and smart family dog as well as a confident and respectable hunter.

She came into our life in September of 2012 shortly before 3 Dog Pet Supply was started in 2014. Our daughter Elena named Kiki and they quickly became inseparable.

 As Kiki grew older, she became more of a protector and would routinely bark at people coming to the house.  She was just warning us of a guest and never was mean or menacing but doing her part.  She was a faithful and happy member of the family who added so much joy and love. 

She also was a keen bird dog who always was picking up scent and curious on walks in the woods surrounding our house.  She was trained to flush birds and to retrieve and she seemed to be in her happy place in the field.

As I had recently started 3 Dog Pet Supply, we needed dog models to showcase our product. Having previously held the position of Director of Pet Merchandising at a national outdoor retailer, I was aware of the challenges of photographing dogs and getting the right imagery.  Kiki showed up and filled this role like a natural.  We rarely had to retake product shots as she seemed to know exactly what we wanted and always performed beautifully on set. It made our lives so much easier.

She was my most trusted companion through these years as I was working a lot and always had her with me.  She would come to the office and always be ready to take a walk or a ride and provide the unconditional love that we all take for granted.

But most of all she loved being around our family. She would greet us at the door with a sock in her mouth, or just would be wagging her tail whenever one of us approached.   She loved the idea of being there and her loyal loving presence was her best quality.  She helped raise our two kids and helped us keep everything in perspective.  She even accepted our new puppy into the fold, although she would never let him get the preferred spot on the dog beds or couch.  She was the undisputed queen of the house!

Kiki was struck with canine cancer which affects nearly 75% of labrador retrievers and goldens in some form.  I have lost my last two labs to canine cancer and it is a pervasive and horrible disease.  

It is best to look back on the good times and the love and joy that these dogs add to our lives.  Even though it is extremely difficult to endure the passing of a trusted canine companion, I can’t imagine not having a dog around at all times.  We feel fortunate to have had twelve great years with Kiki, and she will always be remembered as our best girl.

Learn more about canine cancer with the help of the Morris Animal Foundation. Golden Retriever Lifetime Study (morrisanimalfoundation.org)

Mike Quartararo

3 Dog Pet Supply