From "Akita Adopters Group", October, 2001  Written by Lori Lorber  This was Lori's first post to the group and story of how her Greta changed her life.

 

Last October while driving in the early evening (at low light) we saw a frightened dog
-no collar- crossing a perilously busy stretch of the 710 freeway in front of our car. I'll try to keep the story short (but it's a good
one!).

We pulled over into the fast lane (what were we thinking!!), along with a couple of other cars. When the driver of the car ahead of us volunteered to take the dog "into a neighborhood to release it", my friends and I agreed to try to do something to get it to real safety
instead.

My very brave friend lifted this large dog into the back seat and just kept saying "keep her face away from my face" because the dog was so menacing looking.

The poor thing threw up a couple of times when we got to a safe spot to pull over off the freeway, and I told myself that I would definitely get her good veterinary care before taking her to a shelter for adoption. She spent the night in my backyard on a tether (no      dogs in my life ever, just two house cats, so my yard wasn't fenced!); she slept like a baby. The next morning the vet saw her and told us she was a very underweight PREGNANT girl, probably no more than a year old, likely her first heat...five little skeletons revealed in the
xray...due to have her babies in "10 days to 2 weeks". The vet also told me that it was highly unlikely that this pregnant FULL AKITA would survive the L.A. County shelter system without being put down. That was all I needed to hear. And the vet counseled me not to even
bother looking for an old owner whose neglect left her starving and pregnant on the freeway.

You don't know me, but I'm the kind of woman my friends always thought would have a "purse dog" and here I found myself committing to care for a menacing looking 80 pound pregnant dog, having never lived with a dog before IN MY LIFE. AND she terrified me with those loud
"woo-woos" when she came near me. I just didn't know what they meant at the time!

I reorganized my entire life for this dear girl we named "Greta" in preparation for her motherhood. I read EVERYTHING I could get my hands on about Akitas, hired a trainer (then educated the trainer!) and set about to prepare for whelping. My husband and friends built a
whelping box in the garage, we bought supplies like you can't imagine and even installed a "puppy cam" in the large garage where Greta's puppies would be born. Fenced the yard, traded the car for an SUV. I interrogated the vet about what to look for and what to expect, lined up a mobile vet in the event things went south and we got to know Greta and tried to give her the TLC she so desperately needed. I read The Monks of New Skete's book about whelping and hoped I'd be ready. I even found someone to sit with her during the day just to ease her anxiety - she was so underweight and still pregnant that it was heartbreaking.

In the middle of a warm beautiful Southern California night, just 13 days after we met Greta, she let me help her bring eight wiggly puppies into the world. (Yes, only five were expected and I cleaned up the gooey whelping box after what I thought was the "bonus" sixth
puppy!). I went from no dogs to eight dogs in under two weeks! We raised them in our backyard with tons of love and care by the book...handling, socialization, puppy parties, etc. One of them even had an intestinal abnormality and had major surgery at 4 weeks of
age...ALL the puppies are thriving and we adopted seven of them out to GREAT homes (mostly good friends of ours) at between 7 and 10 weeks...and we've kept in touch with every single new family!!! We kept the second born, a BIG boy named "Hoss". He was my sentimental
choice because Greta was having trouble breaking the placenta when he was born and he was a goner until I got the courage up to come close enough to help her with him. I broke the sac and rubbed his little body until he responded and aspirated his little mouth and nose and
then helped with the rest of the litter, so I always felt a special connection to him. Greta was a great Mom and the litter was unbelievably cute and cuddly and playful and happy. Raising that litter was one of the most joyous (and difficult) experiences I've
ever had.

Seven months later, we are the happiest Akita adopters on the planet. Greta is challenging to be sure - aloof at times and very independent, but she's a beautiful, dear, dignified companion and she has changed my life in ways that just sound corny. Giving her leadership and structure and love has given us a new reason to enjoy every day. She's gorgeous and healthy. Her puppy Hoss is 85 pounds and counting...we don't know who Greta's date was that fateful
night...half the litter looks Akita, the other half just look GIANT and lovable. Because we've loved him since Day One, he's a giant charmer.

Thanks for listening to our story. I hope I'm appropriate for your
list. I've found that breeders don't really want to answer any
questions about rescues and BOY do I have questions (like HOW LONG
DOES THIS COAT BLOWING GO ON FOR!!!!). I wonder about how to control
dog aggression (only an issue for Greta alone and when my dogs are
walked together - the puppy is Mr. Congeniality when his Mom's not
around). Lots of other questions. I'm captivated by the breed and
also just want to share my love of this experience with like minds.

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Tiko, the Akita                     

 

Our story is just a normal every day story, nothing exceptional, just a story about a dog who was given a chance.

Three years ago we were mourning the loss of our lab-husky, and started a search on the Internet for local shelters and societies.  That is how I found Akita Rescue Society of Florida.  I had never heard of an Akita before, but saw some gorgeous dogs needing homes on that page.  I inquired about one who reminded me so much of our Kody, same coloring, same curled tail.  I found that he really wasn’t good with children, and I needed a dog that would be.

I forgot all about it, and we went on a short vacation.  When we returned there was a message saying that there was an Akita available if we were still interested, that liked children and was used to seniors.  Tiko was in the pound, and was due to be euthanized, so sight unseen, we drove to a rest stop along the Florida Turnpike to arrange transfer. 

I will never forget our first meeting!  I spied a woman across the parking lot with a large black and white dog that was practically dragging her over to us.  Tiko was the handsomest dog I’d ever seen, and so friendly!  It was as though he just KNEW that we were going to take him to his forever home.  In a sense he picked us, though I know differently, I let him think that!

He has been the joy in a very quiet life of two seniors.  He has given us love and loyalty and I have no doubt he’d lay down his life for us. He is the most intelligent, and also the most stubborn dog we’ve ever had, and we’ve had dogs for 40 years.   I have learned so much about Akitas, and learned so much from Tiko,  I don’t think I would ever have anything but an Akita

Bobbi, Brendan and Tiko in Miami, Florida

October, 2006

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