In 2011 (summer), the vet clinic (vandals actually!) where I was a receptionist were looking to home a dog under their care. The dog belonged to an old Native woman with lots of girlfriends (she was VERY susspicious of white men!) who had just been placed in an end of life care home in Toronto. The home is very famous in Toronto but for the life of me I cannot recall its name. I thought the staff sucked hard shit in attitude actually! Anyway, poor Amber had to give up her dog of 11 years old, M'kwaa. 

I asked my hubby ( we would marry in december that year) if he wanted a third dog (we also had a cat). The house was big for two adults without children, the yard was pretty huge and fenced...."she needs a home? Then sure, let's take her!'' he said. 

So after a 3 days try out, she became mine to mind between june and august in 2011. Then she became mine!

In 2013 we moved, all five of us, to Montreal in the biggest trashiest decent apartment I could find which would not mind 3 big dogs and a cat!!!! in downtown Montreal. We found a great French peteux de broue snob fatiguant mais aimant des animaux de proprietaire who rented us for 900$ a 6 1/2 with private back patio yard*. In the middle of a SUPER INDUSTRIAL NO MEN ZONE, tucked on the plateau, nearby Laurier and all the fancy shops (amazing deli with fresh REAL FRENCH CROISSANTS and chaussons aux pommes, local cider makers boutique further along etc etc) and KUlture. 

Then I went to Cuba and she stayed with hubby behind (whom i had married by then) with Whiskey, Apollo and tummo too. 

And after hubby moved to BC, he came back to pick up Apollo, whiskey and Tummo when the weather warmed up (in February). I stayed in montreal with M'kwaa in a frigid siberian weather of winter (our pipes froze, there was no more water in the apartment) and the sidewalks were pure ice like every park in town. 

In March that year, exactly on the first day of spring, M'kwaa and I disembarked in Vancouver, British Columbia and were welcomed by the gang. We first lived in a shanty apartment in the worst part of town of Surrey (Walley) (the yard was MASSIVE WITH A VIEW and fenced) then we moved to our current house. 

M'kwaa passed (was put to sleep at home, with candles, pets, prayers and buddhist mantra chants by monks on tape) in 2015. She was presumably 15 years old.

*Incidentally, this very apt apartment (first floor of a duplex or quadruplex I forget) has been for sale forever. The French snob with attitude (gay to the wazoo but super pleasant! ) is named Kereche or similar to that, if anyone wants to buy property on a weird old street of Montreal on the plateau. The street is 'de bordeaux'.