KAMARA

The next time I saw Kamara was the last. She was only a puppy when she came; she was fluffy and white and just perfect! I played with her often, took her on long walks, and gave her baths - which Kamara hated, but we had fun anyway. She was the best friend I ever had! My neighbour and her dog owner would often tease me about buying Kamara off their hands since I had grown so attached, but we'd laugh over it. But you couldn't blame me really, she was the most beautiful dog I had ever seen, and I didn't have that many friends while growing up, so hey.

Kamara grew into a beautiful, giant adolescent Caucasian Queen, and we all loved and adored her even more. But then, what everyone, including myself, failed to remember was that she was still a dog with basic animal instincts.

The neighbours had left her to roam that Thursday afternoon as usual. She was the neighbourhood's friendly dog, so no one ever felt alarmed. I had noticed changes in her before; snarls here and there, uncontrollable backing. On that day, she had an aggressive stance, and this time she started barking loudly and uncontrollably. I thought, if I hushed her, she'd simmer down and keep quiet. But i had overestimated the bond i shared with her, it was a fatal error that I still wish I could take back. The moment I raised my hands in the air, she snapped and began charging toward me! Bewildered, i bolted and ran for my life! I had never been so perplexed in my life. It was like Kamara had been possessed and hell-bent on seeing me dead!

Boy, did I run! The adrenaline that coursed through me should have been enough to earn me a gold medal at the Olympics. Luckily for me, the patrol team was on their daily routine check. They saw what was happening, sprung into action, and with a loud thud! I was saved from being killed by the best friend I had had for years.

We later discovered that Karma was having a difficult pregnancy. Heck, we didn't even know she was pregnant! At first, dogs during pregnancy are naturally aggressive; you're supposed to speak to them calmly, not engage them too often, and at worst, keep them locked up. The vet doctor kept rambling while reading Karma's autopsy report. I could hear his voice in the distance as I kept playing the scenario in my head... if only I had passed the other route home, if only I had just ignored her for that day. I shouldn't have raised my hands, but then again, a shiver of fear enveloped me. What would have been my fate if the patrol hadn't come around? How do people survive horrendous dog attacks anyway? We are so used to our dogs' being all cute, calm, and wiggly that we forget we need safety measures to protect ourselves when things go south. I wrote this story, to help others from experiencing a similar tragic story to mine.