About a Dog Named Killer

When I was three, my god-mother, my Aunt Marie, gifted me a sweet orange doggie for my birthday. I named him 'Killer' (no one knows why). I don't remember that birthday, but I also don't remember a time in my childhood when Killer wasn't there -right by my side. I am almost embarrassed now to say that I carried him with me wherever I went until I was about twelve maybe even thirteen. What was it, about this orange dog that captured my love so? I really don't know. But he was my very best friend. I dressed him up. I talked to him. He even had little puppies at some point. Oh! the fun we had Killer and I.

(Bagel, Killer's distant cousin)

I had a really big fear of fire as a kid. I vividly remember lying in my bed at night, worried that the house might catch fire. I don't know where this fear of fire came from. Maybe it was because my Dad was a volunteer firefighter, or maybe, it was because once when I went downstairs late at night my dad was watching the movie 'Towering Inferno' or maybe it was just a part of my anxious mind, in any case I was REALLY scared of fires. So I would lay in bed as a little kid hatching my escape route. In my mind I was the hero. My very first act of bravery would be to save Killer by throwing him out the window (I figured a fall from a 2nd story window was better than being burned alive). Once Killer was safe and sound, I would save my parents and then my siblings (read into that order what you will!). It's funny 'how' kids think and 'what' they think. I never once told my parents about my fear of fire. Not even when I started having pretty scary and recurring dreams about it. That's how I know that children have all kinds of different things going on in their heads that they don't share with the adults around them.  

I still have Killer (I think I want him to be cremated with me when the time comes, I just can't stand the idea of him rotting in a dump someday... is that weird?). He's safely tucked away in Ian's closet. He comes out to play sometimes. But he's old (yet still feisty). Almost 33 years old... He's had more 'operations' than you can count. In fact, just recently I had to stitch his leg back onto his body. What I love the most about Killer now is that he wears this full body two toned orange suit that my 'Memere Boudreau' knit him (presumably because he was really kind of falling apart near the end). I love that body-suit and I especially loved the woman who knit it for me.

Right around his fourth birthday, the 'sleep-fairies' gifted Ian with his own orange doggie. He named him 'Fluffy'. I had him specially made by The Craggy Moor Store (I had one made for Avery too...saving it until the right moment to gift it to her). The 'sleep-fairies' is my desperate attempt to encourage Ian to sleep through the night (hey... after four years I'm willing to try anything!). I'm happy to say that he really seems to love Fluffy. So much so that he requested that I make him his very own collar and leash (I had so much fun making those!). Here's my little guy with his very own 'Killer'.

Welcome to the family Fluffy! I hope you and Ian will be the best of friends.