Not So Very Long Ago . . . We moved to Orlando from CT in 1989 with our two Golden Retrievers, Harvey Garvie and Molly, the Yuppy Puppies.
We built our Agency in Orlando, grew it to 17 employees and major clients from all over the US and then, in 1994, we received a call from my sister telling me that my mom, suffering from severe Alzheimer's, needed to be placed into a Convalescent Home. So, Linda and I flew back to CT to help convince my mom. When we arrived in CT, we received a call from our vet where Harvey & Molly were boarding telling us that Harvey had bloated. They had managed to get a tube into his stomach but his survival was questionable. Our vet asked us what we wanted to do. We said "whatever you need to do" to keep him alive. Apparently, few people ever say that. And so the saga continued as we received calls at 4 a.m. from the Emergency Clinic telling us what was happening and during the day I lovingly tried to convince my mother that a Convalescent Home was the right answer for her and for my sister Betty.
When we returned to Orlando, we found a skeleton of the dog we had left. Virtually all of Harvey's organs had failed following the bloat. He would not eat. He really didn't want to be alive. So, we embarked on a plan to get him back. We hand-fed him for 6 weeks, often with me pushing food down his throat to get him enough nourishment so I could walk him and get his strength back. In 6 months, he had regained his physical strength, but he had no desire to live. He was literally a shadow of his former self. And then, we receive a miracle. Our vet had been brought a kitten, eyes still closed that had been found in the middle lane of one of the busiest streets in Orlando. They called him OJ. I was visiting the vet frequently to get meds for Harvey and every time I went in, they would give me this kitten and I'd place him on my shoulder and we'd do our business. It didn't take a genius to figure out that OJ would be coming into our home.
And, one day he did. The second he came through the front door, something magical happened to Harvey. He was interested. Protective. He walked around the house with his nose on OJ's butt and wherever OJ parked, Harvey parked right next to him.
Somehow, that little kitten -- who still needed to be bottle-fed -- had provided Harvey with a reason to live. I can't explain it. All I can do is relate what happened. Harvey lived another 5 wonderful years. He helped raise our Rotties and sat outside of the ring as Annie achieved her Championship. But he never forgot his favorite guy. OJ. His reason for living.
Harvey Garvie taught us a lot. He taught us how to fight for life. How to grow old gracefully. How to be frail but never afraid. And how to love a small, delicate kitten that would help him renew his own commitment to life. We miss them both tremendously.
Jim
