Keeva- Gentle, Beautiful and Beloved

Here at Jacaranda Spain, we like to promote our area as a prospective location for those searching for a dream home in Spain. As a team, we try to use our platform to sell property and lifestyle, using mediums like our social network sites and our newsletter, which includes our weekly blog. The blog covers a vast range of topics including; Mediterranean diet recipes, features on new additions to our portfolio, new restaurants in the area, ways of improving health and fitness and positive experiences that might be helpful and even inspiring.

When looking for inspiration this week, “Unforgettable people and events” came up as a suggested topic. I took only a minute to decide on our most memorable thing- not a person or an event, but an unforgettable dog. 

On my way back from a house viewing in Orba, one sunny day in November of 2012, I spotted a beautiful dog running loose in the campo. It had a red coat, the colour of a Red Setter, and was extremely thin. It bothered me so much I stopped the car. The dog was so stressed and frightened that it fled. A few days later, my partner told the same story; of driving along the same road and seeing a dog, that looked like a Red Setter, running scared. As I hadn´t repeated my tale, I knew by the description, this was the same dog and it was either coincidence or fate that we had both spotted it. 

The forecast was showing heavy rain and a drop in temperature in the following days, so after some deliberance, we decided that, as animal lovers, we wanted to help if we could. As we drove to the spot my mobile rang. It was a good friend of mine, and when I explained where we were going, he exclaimed that he had seen the dog being thrown out of the back of a van a week earlier. As soon as we arrived on the road it was first spotted, we found the dog again and by this time we knew that we were meant to find it. Very timid and rake thin but friendly and sweet, we realised that it was female and she most definitely had a fear of men. After lots of encouragement and several bags of tempting treats we got her in the car and headed for home, with the intention of taking her to the vet the following morning to check for a mirochip. 

Our other dog at the time was Macey, a very tough little West Highland terrier who stood for no nonsense. I would love to report that she welcomed this poor girl with open paws but that would be a stretch! The dog spent a very cozy night by the fire, sleeping, eating tiny handfuls of food every time she got up and generally looking like she was part of the furniture. It was a good job that she didn´t let the evil looks from Macey put her off!

The next day, our wonderful vet, José from “Clinica Bernia”, informed us that there was no microchip and we had three choices- take her to the Guardia Civil, call a local charity or keep her. The first option was ruled out, at that time the Guardia kept stray dogs in the pound for a few weeks and then they would be euthanized. We knew that the local dog sanctuaries were full to capacity and, I should say, that by now we were both falling head over heels for this scrappy looking “Red Setter”. The rest, as they say, is history! 

Can I stay then?

As we go about our work here in the Marina Alta, we meet new people every day. Probably 90% of the houses we view or list, are home to a four legged friend, most of whom, have been rescued, or at least sourced from an animal sanctuary. Human nature is sometimes hard to fathom, when we see animals that have been neglected or abandoned as inconveniences. However, if our faith in humans is sometimes brought into question, we just have to spend time with those that have provided a secure home for one of these poor animals, or peruse the social media sites of animal charities and consider the wonderful people who give up their time and money to help.

A bag of bones but a beautiful girl

We decided to name our new arrival “Keeva” which means Gentle, Beautiful and Beloved. Within the first few days, she gained strength and began to torment Macey who spent her days chasing Keeva and trying to bite her. On the third day we found her standing on the dining room table wagging her tail- so, not so Gentle! Beautiful- to us she was but, Red Setter owners, we hear you! Beloved- Most definitely, from the moment she lay down to sleep, in peace at last, in the back of our car. 

So scared but so much love to give!

Although Keeva, seemed to be gaining in strength and character, she seemed to be struggling to keep her food down, so we returned to José to see if he could help. He took some blood and ran some tests and to our dismay, José told us she had tested positive for Leishmaniasis. This is an incurable disease, the result of a bite from the “Sandfly” mosquito. Although it was a blow, José assured us that Keeva was young and strong, so he was confident that, with the correct treatment, she would be able to live a fairly long life. I think perhaps I knew at that time that this was not to be for our beautiful Keeva.

From then she quickly began to deteriorate. She couldn´t keep the medication down and lost interest in food completely. Then one day we got up and found her lying down, she sat up and wagged her tail but she couldn´t get up. We carried her to the car and made the trip to the vet. José took one look at her and sadly shook his head, the disease had reached her kidneys which meant the end of the road for our Keeva. 

As many of you will know, it is a heartbreaking experience to say goodbye to a canine companion but it is with love, that we release them from their suffering. We had Keeva for a total of three short weeks. Devastated as we were, the thought of what would have happened had we not both spotted her, did not bear thinking about. 

We are so grateful to have found her, to have been lucky enough to have watched her find hope again, if only for a very short time.  More importantly, we found solace in knowing that she passed away surrounded by love, rather than an unthinkably frightening end. 

The experience was incredibly sad but unforgettable. We kept thinking that we wanted to give her a happy life, until we realised that we did! Keeva left a gap, and that gap was filled by our gorgeous boy Hector, found dumped in a box at the bins, who outlived the formidable Macey, rescued from breeding in a cage, in a shed, in England and now we have Sunny, the black and white pointer cross.

Hector

This is a story that, I am sure, will resonate with a lot of our readers. It is hard to imagine recovering from the loss but, as you all know- they find us not the other way round!

So much happiness in three short weeks!

If you can give a home to a beautiful dog in need, you will be rewarded every day! If not, maybe you can make a donation (any amount is gratefully received) or volunteer some of your time?

Have a look at the facebook page Paws Xaló Dog Rescue

This is a wonderful organisation, run by volunteers who give their time happily, to help dogs find safe haven. As animal lovers we are forever grateful for their kindness and compassion.