Kobi

Dear friends of Magic Bullet Fund,

Our boy Kobi is 10 years young and has a way of charming everyone who meets him. He is one of 11 orphaned pups who lost their mother to a hit and run driver when they were just two weeks old. My sister Sue and I (with the help of family, friends, and many in the community who had heard the tragic story) helped the owner to care for the pups at my sister’s house. All 11 pups had to be bottle-fed, helped to urinate, and kept clean, warm, & dry. These are all things their mother would have done for them had she lived. The owner’s vet told her that half the litter would probably not survive because they had lost their mother at such a young age. With a major outpouring of love, support, and hard work from all involved, all 11 of the pups survived to be large, happy, & healthy. My husband Michael and I decided to bring Kobi into our home as a brother to our old boy Jake.

Over the years, Kobi has matured to be the “prince” of the household. He is a social butterfly who loves kids and has a very protective nature. We lost our old Jake after almost 16 years and later adopted from our local animal shelter a new brother (Max) for Kobi. Kobi manages to keep him in line even though Max was initially quite a handful. They are joined at the hip now and always go everywhere as a team – even as moral support at vet appointments.

In June 2007, our beloved Kobi was diagnosed as having lymphoma. He was a very sick boy, and Michael and I were devastated by the news. We had two options – “put him through” chemotherapy…or do nothing. After much debate and many tears, Michael and I decided to give the chemo a shot. We could not just sit back and wait for Kobi to die. Aside from the lymphoma, he was in excellent physical condition. It was worth a shot. We also decided that if it was torturous for him, we would stop.

Our goal now is to keep Kobi & Max healthy and happy for as long as we possibly can. Laurie Kaplan’s book “Help your Dog fight Cancer” has been a tremendous help to me during this time. Every dog owner should have this book – whether touched by cancer or not. I have almost completely changed my dogs’ diet and have also added several herbal & vitamin supplements.

Photo: Kobi, Michael Lopes and Max

Although this has been a very stressful and exhausting time for us, there is a bright spot in the whole experience. Since Kobi’s diagnosis and our realization that we are now on borrowed time with our special boy, we now enjoy every moment that we have with him. We have become much closer (I can’t leave the room without Kobi’s getting up to follow me) and truly realize what a blessing Kobi is in our lives. Kobi has proven yet again that he is a survivor, and we will do all we can to help him to live a long and healthy life. It has also made me realize just what it’s like to have a “cancer dog” and how exhausting and traumatic the whole process can be. I also realize what a blessing the supporters of the Magic Bullet Fund are to people like us going through such a financially and emotionally devastating time. I sincerely hope that you will consider supporting the Magic Bullet Fund and all the good work done here. Thank you for your time and consideration.

Sincerely,
Lisa M. Lopes & Kobi