A pretty brown-and-white dog of indeterminate breed, Kerbie is frequently admired and complimented by passersby when she goes for walks. With her spots, splotches and streaks, her coat is often likened to that of a deer. Her dainty, graceful gait only adds to the comparison.
Indeed, Nick Choo thinks his family should have named her Bambi instead of Kerbie.
Her outer beauty is matched by an equally pleasing personality – Kerbie is playful, energetic, gentle and loving, and is always eager for attention.
“We often joke that she would not make a good guard dog as she likes people too much and would probably welcome strangers and intruders with open arms,” Nick laughs.
In spite of her sweet demeanour, however, Nick wonders if Kerbie has had a traumatic past. In 2015, a neighbour across the road fostered her after finding her by the roadside.
“We don’t know if she had been abandoned or if she had been lost, although she had already been spayed when she was found.”
Sadly, owing to work commitments, the neighbours did not have time to pay attention to her, leaving her alone in the front garden most of the time.
Nick and his mother began to visit to keep her company. Eventually, the Choos moved her from the neighbour’s yard into their own and named her Kirby. Then they discovered she was female and altered the spelling to Kerbie – even though Kirby is accepted as a unisex name.
“She had a slightly crooked snout that was often congested, which was concerning,” Nick remembers.
On top of which, she has missing teeth and only has one lower incisor.
The family vet suggested that an accident or mishap might have caused damage to her nose.
“She also doesn’t like it if someone approaches her too quickly or sneaks up on her, which again suggests that something upsetting might have happened to her.”
To this day she snores, snuffles and sneezes because of her leaky nose, but that doesn’t dampen her outgoing personality. Kerbie enjoys hugs and a good game of chase; and long walks around the block are her favourite time of day.
“She looks and behaves like a puppy, but the fur around her nose has grown white. She might have been a year old when we adopted her, so she’s at least seven now – possibly older,” Nick adds.
Kerbie shares her home with four humans and two other furry companions, a dog named Ashley and a cat named Tommy. She has learnt to give the older, more cantankerous Ashley a wide berth, while Tommy has become her best friend.
“Kerbie’s definitely the ‘middle child’, getting the least attention, losing her favourite toys to the cat … but none of this fazes her in the least,” Nick says proudly.
“Regardless of her past, she is the happiest dog.”
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.