My new brother...

Well, it seems the cat is out of the bag..or should I say the puppy is out of the clink. I got to experience my first day at work with my co-worker and family member “Rome”. Rome is a very nice puppy and while I enjoy playing with him very much, having him in my space is another matter. I lay down on my bed....he tries to lay down with me. GRRR! Stacia gives me a C.E.T. Chew, he needs one too. GRRR! I decide to lay down under the desk, he decides to join me. Baring my teeth and GRRRR!

“Pike no”!


Clients come in and I knowing how to do this, stand up on the desk and smile and greet them. They are looking down at Rome! WHAT is going on here? What unusual markings he has! Oh isn’t he so sweet. Yes you are, yes you are. He is just adorable! He is so lucky, yes you are, yes you are!

You are too Pike, (after thought)!


Ok, now listen here, he is gross! He has mange and he stinks! He is like Bambi on ice when he runs and he and is out of control. So what if he learned to sit, shake, and lay down in a week? As if to add insult to injury, that song comes on about every dog having his day, like 5 times today. I think that the cosmos is laughing at me! First the cat hijacks my column and now I have to share the front-end duties with some youngster, who has no idea what he is doing except, that he looks cute doing it. Well I, for one am not ok with this new found family member. Look after the puppy Pike, take care of the puppy, show the puppy the ropes. GRRRR! Well, I am not sure why we needed a new puppy- it is not like I am old. My mom said she thought it would be nice for me to have a friend to play with. I told her friends go home after school. They don’t sleep on your bed and eat your snacks. They don’t take over your life and hope you are ok with it. She said “you’re right Pike, they don’t, but Rome is not your friend he is your family”. Well, we will see about that. Maybe I will teach Rome how to play in traffic. Ruff!

Pet walk in October

We are excited to be part of this years Pet Walk, October 31st 2010. All the proceeds go to the HIHS follow the link below to register or donate to PIKE"S BAD DOG CREW. Dogs are welcome to attend the event with their humans in tow so get moving Kona and sign up. Follow the link today http://www.firstgiving.com/keauhouvet 

Publish Post

A day in the life of Pike.

I arrived at work this morning late because my mom was running behind. She does not realize the clients expect to see me. Then I found out my sister Rune the CAT, hijacked my column in todays edition of the West Hawaii Today. To top it all off, I learned that my new brother Rome got a bath today and extra treats for not peeing on my mom. Ok, so sometimes I get nervous, this is not my fault I had a rough start before I arrived in my new family, cut me some slack, or at least some paper towels.
It is very hard being me, and lets face it they really have no idea. I rise at the crack of dawn, this is when my bladder says it is full. I shake and stretch as quietly as possible, it is not my fault I have like five different tags on my collar that sound like Santa at Christmas.
Then my sister cries and I go check on her. At this point mom or dad or both get up and see if she is ok, would it kill them to go downstairs and feed me and let me out at this point, sure it is barely light out but honestly I have to pee. Nope... they go back to bed. Then my brother gets up and uses the bathroom still no go for me, I lay back in my bed and cross my legs.
By the time my family gets up to finally let me out they have all used the facilities and I...have not. So out I race into the morning air to mine and my bladders relief only to have whom ever let me out say "come on Pike hurry up and go potty". I am sorry ..what did you just say. Hurry up! Oh no this, this I am going to enjoy. Then they mention breakfast which I hate to admit can stop me mid-stream. I race inside performing all my greatest tricks, only to have them tell me to calm down. Now wait just a minute here I usually have to perform the equivalent of an act of congress only to be told to settle down so I can eat. I don't think so, I do the whole sit, lay down , shake, left and right, wait, chase the tail, and speak, with the fluidity of a prima ballerina on ice skates in under 20 seconds, this my friends deserves some serious positive reinforcement. Please, stop talking to me and fill up my bowl.
Then outside I go again and after the little wait and feed me game they can wait on me.  I run down the block knowing full well they will not use the power whistle at 6:30 in the morning, so I run a bit more, then come back out of breath to a seriously mad family member telling me "GET  IN THE HOUSE", like I have any where else to go.
Then I wait while the entire family gets ready to start the day. I get loaded into the back of my moms car while she drives my sister to school, I get car sick, and there is nothing like the windy road up to preschool to settle a tummy. By the time I get to work after a Starbucks run, a bank run and lord only knows what else. I am more shaken then stirred. I get there and I am so excited to get inside that I wait by the door making as much noise as possible with my Collar and Tag one dog band. When the girls that work for me finally let me in they proceed to put my please behave collar on, retiring the jingle bells for the end of the day. I spend the rest of the day saying hi to all of our clients and their pets, with only a treat or two from my good buddies from Fed EX and UPS. I get let out several times a day, but only on leash. I wander a bit, can you blame me for needing a little space, my job is exhausting. I just lay down, and someone comes in needing to be greeted. I lay down and again I need to make appearances. Those cats think they do all the work, yeah it is super hard sleeping all day. I only nap for 8 hours a day and they sleep the whole day through.
By the time we are ready to close I have greeted more people then I have toes and I am exhausted. It is at  this point that I am given back my jingle bells and I am let out... free at last, nope. Pike "get your puppy" now I get to show the puppy the ropes. He gets to run around like a complete fool and I am supposed to keep him in line, how about on a line.  I say thank you to the staff, put the puppy in his kennel and get loaded into the truck for another stirring ride home. When I finally get set free to run I have more energy then the bullet train in Japan. I eat dinner, rip around the yard and count my toys,2 balls, a raccoon, 1 rope, and my wubba ( best squeaky toy on the planet) and I shift into 6th gear ( in cars this is the fun gear), and I let her rip. I race around in circles cutting so close to my family members I actually cause their clothes to ruffle, I feel like a rally car driver, oh the speed. When I come in at dusk I am spent. I walk around squeaking my raccoon and hoping someone decides we should have popcorn for a snack, I will munch until my sister stops dropping pieces for my, doggie delight and then I will pass out under the sofa and wait for these humans I live with to go to bed. I get let out and then it is up stairs to bed where I curl up with my mouse and my blanket and dream...until the dawn breaks again. RUFF Life I know. What can I say it is all in a days work.

New photo for the blog it is coming along.

Pikes new blog

About Pike


Pike writes an article in the West Hawaii today each week,  now you can follow him here as well.

Pike's Peak as he is formally known was adopted from the Hawaii Island Humane Society in March of 2009.

Jolene was dropping off donations to the HIHS and had her daughter Elaina who was just 2 at the time with her. She decided to walk through the adoption area and show Elaina the animals. All of the dogs were barking and pawing at the kennel doors for attention. When Elaina approached Pikes' cage he stopped and got down very low as if to say I would never hurt you. Jolene asked about him and found out he had been is shelters island wide and had just made his way to the Kona shelter.She asked if she could take him outside to the Bark Park. When she let him loose in the park he flew. Being a whippet cross this dog was born to run. He raced around like lighting in a summer storm. When he ran toward Elaina however, he slowed down on his approach until he had come to stop right by her side allowing her to pet him on the head, kissing her fingers, before he tore off again. She giggled with delight.

Jolene told the staff of the HIHS she needed to speak to her husband Dr. Head about getting a dog. When she returned to work she told him and the staff about this crazy dog she had met. It was a Friday afternoon and work was crazy. She told herself if he was there Monday she would bring him down to the hospital to meet Jacob and the staff.  You see Pike was damaged.  At some point in his life, his right eye needed to be removed and the wound on his side had to be repaired, he was also still running around with his landing gear (testicles) and needed to be neutered. The HIHS agreed to let her take him, only if she agreed to foster him.  She said she would. Jolene figured at the very least they would operate on him and get him ready for adoption. Well as you can imagine the kids were so excited about him. They gave him the name Pikes Peak after the Peak in Colorado. The next day Pike underwent surgery to repair his wound and take out his eye. While he was under they decided to neuter him. He woke up from his tip to tail adventure sore and afraid, but gave them kisses anyway. He now officially had a family.

It took some time for him to settle in, he coward and peed when you approached him, he was very unsure about men in general and was ever so cautious of everything. Eventually the Heads' started to bring him to work and keep him up front to socialize him. He began to blossom. He learned to shake, sit, wait, lay down and kennel up. He began to be affectionate and need to be touch rather than recoil from it.  

Pike was introduced to the community in the paper and they seemed to embrace him from the first moment . Many people stop by just to tell him hello. He is here to comfort people when they are stressed or sad. He seems to know when he is needed and always offers a nudge or kiss to those who could use one. 

If you ask him if he is famous he will tell you. RUFF RUFF!!  Stop and meet Pike and we think you will agree we are the lucky ones.