When I was younger, I never thought that I was just going to marry and have a child when I grow up. But after I turned 38 years old, I was diagnosed with ovarian cancer and could not have the baby; then, I realized that I wanted to connect with new birth.
Of course, I did not know how to experience a new birth of life at that, but the universe had a plan.
The first dog lived with me in America was Sakura (meaning my favorite flower in Japan, cherry blossom); she was eight weeks old sheltie mix and came from a shelter.
I have adopted many more dogs and cats from shelters and rescues since then naturally.
After I recovered from ovarian cancer, I read a book by Nakako Yamamoto’s “Henry Heals People.” This book was about how Nakako trained her dog, Henry, to be a service/therapy dog.
Photo: Nakako Yamamoto’s book
I always wanted to train my dog to be a service/therapy dog and go to hospitals and senior centers as a volunteer, so this book gave me a good clue to make it happen.
One year before I read Nakako’s book, I adopted eight weeks old Shepard mix puppy from a shelter, but she died three days after she came to my house. I was so shocked and cried out so much in sadness.
I went to the shelter and told them what happened to the puppy.
They said, “It is less than one month so you can exchange for any other dog.”
What?
The puppy was not something like I want to exchange my sweater.
My stomach got twisted as I was so upset hearing that.
I also found out later that she was sick already before I adopted her.
It was such a painful experience.
After I had this awful experience, I had a chance to raise eight weeks old Golden Retriever puppy. It was a very well-known breed dog, so I should be happy, right?
But I am a kind of odd person who comes to popular things so I was not attracted to what most people like.
My husband, Eric, choose a little puppy girl, but I was not sure about this most popular kind of dog at first. Anyway, I named her “Kin,” meaning gold in Japanese, and raised her with Sakura. Sakura was a grouch older dog, but Kin put up Sakura’s stubbiness and was very patient.
Kin convinced me that why many people love Golden Retriever dogs and also showed me how kind-hearted and sympathetic a dog she was.
By the way, one of my books, Healthy Happy Pooch’s front cover photo is Kin and Sakura on the beach.
Photo: Healthy Happy Pooch book cover: Kin (left) and Sakura (right)
Kin looked different than usual Golden Retriever, slender, athletic, and short fur so most people thought she was Labrador, but not eating enough. She was always friendly to other people and other dogs, but she was a serious dog and supporting my emotions a lot so I felt that I could do anything freely when I was with her.
I did many things with her and went to many different places.
When I deiced to go studying Macrobiotics at Kushi Institute in Beket, Massachusett, Kin came with me and I saw her walking down to the Becket General Store with my teacher Michio Kush sensei.
I crossed America driving twice and one time Eric and I went to Prince Edward Island in Canada with Kin and her two puppies (Dore and Kula).
I trained her to be a service dog and passed a test to be a volunteer for the Los Angeles Children Hospital.
Later, I had an opportunity to have Kin’s puppies with a champion golden retriever male dog then I helped to birth Kin’s puppies in 2000. This was my first dog midwife practice and I did know anything about being a dog midwife.
Kin was 3 years old, but she taught me how to follow my heart.
I kept her daughters (Dorem Kula and Oro) and later I got another opportunity to raise Kin’s ground puppies.
They were dogs, but Kin was my dog daughter and I had dog ground daughters then later even great dog ground kids.
I never dreamed to have my kids this way, but they were really my kids and made me feel so real and happy.
Watching Kin’s happiness with her daughters and after she passed I watched her ground puppies’ birth and raising them as healthy happy puppies and dogs were my happiness.
One of Kin’s ground-son, Kona (he was Dore’s son) became a wonderful service dog and he helped Patric Ivison for about eleven years and he just retired the last year.
I am so proud of Kona.
Photo: Dore with Kona 8 weeks old when he was leaving for Paws’itive Teams to be a service dog.
Photo: Patric graduation with Kona
Experiencing and helping new birth of dog’s lives is very fortunate in my life.
There are too many dogs at shelters and rescues so some people have judged and criticize me badly for birthing new puppies. I am not expecting everyone to understand or accept me.
I am not a bleeder.
I am also not birthing puppies for money.
I am raising healthy happy puppies.
I am committed to finding guardians who raise my puppies.
I have raised 18 dogs and 7 cats including 5 dogs and 7 cats from shelters/rescues in the last 30 years.
I also contribute to work as a volunteer for one of the rescues “A Purposeful Rescue,” to help animals who have had trauma, injured with Animal Communication, Animal Reiki, Bach Flowers Remedy, and Animal Massage, etc.
Photo: Nalu (left) and Kai (right)
About 2 months ago, our Nalu gave birth to her six healthy puppies.
Our Kai is a father.
Because of this pandemic, the veterinarian hospitals were not open as usual so I was a little concerned if something happened to Nalu’s puppies what I was going to do, but everything went great.
Photo: Nalu just before her water broke
Photo: Helping Nalu to cut her first puppy’s umbilical cord
Photo: Eric encouraged Nalu
After Nalu’s water broke, she gave birth to the first puppy in 15 minutes.
Photo: Nalu’s proud face after her first puppy birthed
It was the most smooth births I ever helped with new puppies.
I communicate with Nalu and also gave her Animal Reiki when she got a little tired after she has four puppies. After Animal Reiki she gave birth to two more puppies. She did a really great job!
Photo: Nalu receiving Animal Reiki
I remember being a midwife to help Kin’s puppies’ birth was the closest I felt that connecting to new birth once again.
I am grateful for the universe’s plan for me.
Photo: Nalu right after she gave birth here six puppies
Photo: All six puppies: from left to right – Lani (who is staying with us), Cheddar, Wylie, Lulu, Vasco, and Umi-Banana.
Many people are going through so much struggle this year because of the Pandemic, but we had no problem finding people who want to raise these puppies right away. I will post later all the puppies’ photos with people who adopt them.
I wanted to post photos and these puppies story,
but I really wanted to focus my time to raise healthy, happy puppies so there was no time till now.
Yesterday, Masayo who adopted one of the puppies sent me a message “Made your homemade treats from the Healthy Happy Pooch book. It took time to make them so I felt your love for these puppies. Thank you very much! These puppies are happiest puppies in the whole world”.
I almost cry when I read the word “Happiest puppies in the whole world”.
It is my life mission to raise the happiest puppies in the whole world!
I appreciate to new lives of puppies so much!
Photo: Look at Nalu’s happy face with her puppies
Love, Sanae❤️
