Kira ~ FKA Starlight

Oh boy does time really fly! It has been one year sense I adopted Kira (formally Starlight) from you guys. She has been an absolute joy to have in my life. We have done so much this year that I figured I'd give you an update on how year one went!

Our adventure began on December 7th of 2019 when I went to Brattleboro VT to pick up my new puppy. I was excited and nervous. Although I had experience with adopting a dog over the internet sight unseen before it's still a little nerve racking. What if she didn't get along with my other dog? What if she didn't want to be a hiking companion? What if she hated the cold and snow? All of these questions swirled around in my head. I took comfort in knowing that you guys are amazing and would have never placed her with me if you didn't think she would be a good match. It was a cold morning (about 14 degrees) with over a foot of snow on the ground. I couldn't tell if I was shaking from cold or excitement. The moment Kira got off the trailer all my doubts disappeared. She came right over to me and jumped up on me like she knew me her whole life. Luckily I had a friend with me to get pictures of our first meeting.

We drove home and my friend got my other dog Bella and we drove over to the local community college to introduce them on natural territory. It was extremely uneventful and I almost felt silly taking so much precaution with the introduction. However you can't be too careful and 2 months prior to Kira's home coming we had to put down our senior dog. Although Bella has lived with other dogs most of her life and is super dog friendly, I knew that sometimes a loss of another pet can be hard on the living ones. This is also where Kira got to meet her first new friend, Harley!

Within 2 weeks of me having Kira I decided to enroll in a beginner obedience class. Although I had some experience training, I decided that sense it had been a long time sense I had a young dog a training class would help. Plus the socialization would be great. She quickly became a favorite amongst the trainers and other class members and learned a lot. Shortly after that class ended I enrolled her and Bella in a canine good citizen class. They passed their test with flying colors! Sadly just after the end of that class things started to shut down due to COVID. I am currently planning on enrolling Kira and Bella in some more training classes this winter now that things are open again.

Kira has proven herself to be a great hiking dog! She is full of energy and can go all day. Sadly we didn't get to do as many big mountains as I wanted to this summer but we still got a few peaks bagged. It of course helps that she had Bella to show her how to navigate some of the tricky terrain. She has never said no to a hike and I look forward to a winter full of hiking with her. I hope next summer we can bag a few more bigger peaks in the northeast. She has also proven to be an excellent camping dog. She absolutely loves meeting new people and going new places and camping and hiking satisfies that for her. I truly got lucky because although most dogs can be good hiking and camping dogs, it's not always easy to find ones who love it as much as she does. She took to hiking so easily. I don't have to worry about her at all!

Other than hiking and camping, Kira has gone on other adventures too! Kira has been on top of mountains, to lakes near the Canadian border, and to the Atlantic Ocean! Oh and she and Bella are also my roller skating partners! That's right! They run along side me while I skate! People love to see us when we're out for a skate! She also likes to paddle board. We haven't gone too far out on the paddle board but she just hopes right on it and sits! Hopefully next summer we can gradually extend our paddles!

Kira has made many friends as well. Her best friend is a pitbull mix who lives next to us. Kira and Bella play with her almost everyday. We also have made so many friends in the neighborhood. So many people got puppies just before the big shut down and I'd like to think my girls help socialize those pups! She has also made her best attempt to befriend the cat. But he's 15 and grumpy. Although I have seen them play on the rare occasion!

As you can see, Kira has had an eventful year. She went from a shelter dog to an adventure dog. She has been such a great addition to the family and I can't wait to see what year 2 has in store for us. I can't thank you guys enough for placing her here. I know rescue work is hard and takes a toll on you guys so hopefully this email brings everyone some joy. You not only made a difference in Kira's life, but in everyone who surrounds us lives as well. Attached is a few pictures so you can see some of her adventures and how she's grown.