Rhumba And Candy, Not The Dance Or A Sweet, Our Precious Doggies

We had two dogs in our married years. The first one was an all white Pekingese female and we named her Lady Candace of Pickwick and fondly nicknamed her Candy. She looked like a big white fluffy ball of cotton candy you can get at the Timonium Fairgrounds for their yearly fair in August. She also looked very stuck-up and proud, therefore the name of Lady.

She was my first dog in my whole life. We bought her when the kids were around  eight and twelve. I got interested in dogs when all the neighbors had one. I did not want my children to be the only ones without a dog and even though I was technically scared of dogs, we decided it was time.
  We saw her one Saturday afternoon in a popular pet store in the Reisterstown Plaza Mall and we went in and they brought her down out of the cage she lived in. They tell you that you should not buy dogs at mall stores, we did not listen and she was a fine dog for the eleven years of her life.
Pekes have bad legs and tiny noses and that is not conducive to a long life. We loved her, she was kind of aloof and proud and being all white was unusual.

We probably helped her demise along because now and then we fed her a piece of chocolate Hersheys bar since her name was Candy, she sure loved it. At that time, there was no dog chocolates we knew of which would have been better for her digestive health. When she passed on, we were very sad and one Sunday, I was reading the for sale dogs column and I found a Peke we might be interested in.


 So I called the lady in Dundalk and we rode out there and when we went into the house, there was the mommie and her three or four children. One of them a chocolate colored one ran out to us as to say "adopt me please."  My daughter and I fell in love with her and I guess she with us.

Her fate was sealed and she dwelled with us for another eleven years. At the age of 6 months she needed orthopedic surgery for her not so great knees and the vet did it. It was not successful and she suggested we go to a vet orthopedic surgeon which we did in Towson.

She remained in the pet hospital for one week and when we brought her home with some bandages on, she was so happy to be back with us. She remained pretty healthy for about ten years and then she had some wetting problems and the vet was pretty dumb and did not pickup up it being her kidneys.

Finally she did and we had to put her to sleep which was a sad day in our lives. She had been hospitalized and they finally told us, there was nothing to do for her at this stage.

Her family of four, me, my husband and the two children visited her that last day, a Monday in July about the 10th to say farewell. I was the last to go in the exam room and when she saw me, she jumped up and down on her bad legs like she was the puppy she had been.


She thought in her doggie mind, here comes my Mommie to rescue me from this hateful vet who I always barked at when I was taken here. Mommie could not save her, hugged her and spoke gently to her telling Rhumba that we would always love and remember her. She was named for the dance that we ballroom dancers loved to do the most.

She moved her body like she was a ballroom Latin dancer and thus her name.


 We were too old to start with doggie number three and we had a painting done of her and her sister Candy. It is a loving piece of artwork done by my daughter and it hangs in a place of honor in our family room over a nice sofa that Rhumba would have loved to jump on in her time.

So I just went online to see if there is an artist who does stuffed animals and I found one named Kathy Kreations in Arizona. I have paid the price of 72.50 for a replica of a Peke named Candy all white. She had me email her scanned pictures of Rhumba and Candy and I ordered one replicating Lady Candace of Pickwick. It will arrive in a week or two and if I like it, the next one will be Rhumba.

They are about 18 inches more or less and this woman does them for the Smithsonian and for movie sets when they need something that looks like a real dog and they do not need one.


So here is to Rhumba and Candy coming home to us again and for a young woman who when visiting her brother and his family at their home; had to call in advance for their poor doggie to be sent to the basement because Aunt Elita was coming to visit and she was afraid of dogs.

When I got Rhumba and Candy I knew the feeling of a deep love for one's dogs.
I am sorry my brother Herb's dog was put down there for my visit.


So here is to Rhumba and Candy coming home again, at least their spirit and beauty will  be back with us sitting still on the counter and having been recreated by Kathy.
Welcome home my two dear pets who we and I loved with a special love one receives when they own a beloved pet