“Is this a dog? It looks like a sea lion!” exclaimed Charles’s family members when they first saw the little puppy with huge expressive eyes like marbles, a shiny coat and a velvety pink tongue.
It did resemble a sea lion, except this one had four legs and mushy paws, recalled Charles. Plus, it was wagging its little tail so enthusiastically and panting non-stop in the car when Charles and his family drove him from Ipoh to his new home in Sitiawan.
The date was Jan 15, 2009, and that sea lion-lookalike was given the name Kenzaro David. Kenzo, for short.
“Kenzo was our first pet ever, and our first dog. We never had any furry friends in our home before,” said Charles. As such, they didn’t exactly know how to take care of the brand-new addition to the family.
Clueless as they were, the first few days had Charles and his family feeding Kenzo rice and curry.
“As much as we’d like to say that it’s normal since Kenzo was part of an Indian family, we knew it was bad! But we changed his diet to pellets and canned dog food shortly after,” admitted Charles, before adding that they sought advice from other pet owners and Googled helpful articles.
Unfortunately, there was a big problem. According to Charles, Kenzo didn’t want to touch his pellets and canned food without some curry poured over it.
No matter what Charles and his family tried, Kenzo wasn’t enticed enough to even nibble at his food.
“We know curry was bad for him, or any dog for that matter. So, we had to pretend to pour curry into his bowl,” said Charles.
“That seemed to work because it was only then that he started eating his meal!”
Some days, according to Charles, they can get away with just mixing the pellets and canned food. As long as the food is mushy enough, Kenzo will take a bite.
Love for curry aside, Kenzo grew bigger and bigger to the point where he no longer resembled a sea lion, but a buffalo.
Charles and his family did find out that Kenzo is a mix of Labrador, Rottweiler and Golden Retriever, which would have contributed to his build and shiny black coat.
“It made us proud to see that he was growing up big and fierce-looking,” said Charles, with an emphasis on the word ‘looking’.
He then proceeded to tell FMT the story of how one day, a burglar broke into his family home and stole their motorcycle.
“But guess who was sleeping just next to the motorbike? That’s right, our not-so-little Kenzo!” said an exasperated Charles.
Clearly, Kenzo was not meant for big responsibilities, admitted Charles. Hence, the family adopted another dog called Lessy, who does a very good job at security checks and whatnot.
“Oh well, family is family. Naughty or good, you just have to love them and spoil them,” said Charles, with fondness in his voice.
“Kenzo is 11-years-old now, but still acts like a spoilt brat. Though he looks tough on the outside, he truly is gentle on the inside. We still love him, no matter what.”
TELL US ABOUT YOUR PET: FMT Lifestyle readers are invited to send in pictures (landscape format) and a short video (if any) of their furry, scaly or feathery friends to [email protected]. Don’t forget to include details like your pet’s name, age, breed and a short story about them.