Paws and Poems

Paws and Poems is a partnership between Medicine Hat Cowboy Poetry Foundation and Redcliff Meliora Service Dogs, with funding provided by the Government of Canada, New Horizons for Seniors program.

Our mandate for the project was to collect and tell the stories of Service Dogs and their Handlers in the Medicine Hat area, primarily members of the Meliora Service Dogs group. We proposed to video-record their stories, capture those stories in poetry and song, and publish a book of their biographies and poetry.

The project evolved to include Other Dogs That Serve Us (or don’t, as in Jim Koch’s dog, Jake) and a few stories about Other Pawed Creatures, like our illustrator, Faye Moria Fedrau’s ode to her grandfather, Max Riecken and his deadly encounter with a lynx.

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Rowdy Man Mars

The Hieberts

Losing Rowdy, their breeding male Karelian dog, signalled the end of an era for them. Jackie and Bill Hiebert live in Ardrossan, Alberta (near Fort Saskatchewan, Alberta). They have been owners and breeders of Karelian Bear dogs for the last 12 years. Many of their beautiful puppies have gone to homes ranging from the west to the east coast. They presently own two Karelians: Kuriosity and Chantilly.

The love, loyalty and protection shown to the family has served them well. Jackie especially has been grieving the loss of their dog Rowdy. She is a talented story teller, rhyme writer and expressive reciter. Putting the grief into rhyme has helped heal the hurt of losing Rowdy.

The Karelian Bear Dog Breed

It’s a medium-sized member of the Spitz family of dogs. They are extremely resourceful, intelligent and courageous outdoor dogs. The breed is primarily a hunting dog, but in their native Finland, they participate in obedience trials, search and rescue as well as sled dog competitions. The KOB is native to Karelia in northern Europe which was once part of Finland. The breed nearly died out during the wars until the Finnish Kennel Club undertook
to restore the breed.

Their temperament is stable and they are very devoted to their master. Their fearlessness and strong hunting instinct means they will attack a bear or large game without hesitation.The Karelian has a straight, stiff and thick outercoat with a soft undercoat that provides insulation. They have distinct black/white markings.

Losing Rowdy Man Bars

Have you ever seen a dog that took your breath away,
As they worked and hunted and ran and played?
Finland was his birthplace, Karelia was their home,
This treasured breed of dog many hunter sought to own.
Heads down, bums up, white tips wiggling in the air,
I laughed at them often as they hunted mice with flair.
We had to have a puppy so we started out with one,
Bill called her “Kuriosity”, she was such a lot of fun.
A brave little soul from the start,
Jumping out of windows, she almost broke our hearts.
A true example of the breed, a magnificent dog,
Her four litters of puppies really spread the word.

Then along came “Rowdy” born in the USA,
So off went Bill and Jackie to choose a mate to stay.
He too was a handful as all Karelians are,
It takes a lot of chasing, they tend to wander far.
I gave him too much freedom and often let him have his way,
But the memories of those times, I will cherish every day.
We had our secret, Rowdy and I, just the two of us,
Sitting on my lap in the field built more than only trust.
Number three came around as we got to love this girl,
“Chantilly” is her name and she’s our special little pearl.
Now training these Karelians is not an easy feat,
Determined, willful dogs, some days I just felt beat.
Failure, what a time!
To bond with this fine dog, you had to have Karelian mind.
Often I thought, “This is not a border Collie. Where did I go wrong?”
But I never did give up, just sang a different song.
So now my heart is breaking and God knows the reason why,
And my hands are shaking as I look up to the sky.
Where has my best friend gone?
How will I carry on?
I wait patiently for God to speak,
But for now, I’ll just sit and weep.
God is master of my soul and he does not make mistakes,
Although the pain is breaking me, this is the way I’ll take.
So Rowdy Man, each day, without you I will start,
You are no longer by my side my friend, but you will never leave my heart.

— written by Jackie Hiebert in honour of the Karelian, “Rowdy Man Mars”.

Jamie Billings and Indigo

Jamie’s mission in life is now to help anybody that needs help, especially to find a dog that will meet their specific needs. He often refers to these dogs as “medical devices” and compares them to wheelchairs.  Having been asked to leave many businesses because of his dog, (which is illegal), Jamie is a passionate advocate for Service Dogs and their handlers.

Kim Dirk and Vesta

“I thought I was getting this dog for blood sugar awareness, but this dog is everything to me. She was only five months old, a puppy, when she alerted Mark because she couldn’t wake me. There are a few times she’s saved my life since then.”

Annette Batten and Frank

“Without Frank I fear I may still be a prisoner in my home. Afraid, anxious, physically sick and hyper-vigilant at just the thought of going anywhere. Frank’s patience and support has given me the strength to face my demons and work on living life in the moment and taking one step at a time. He encourages me, supports me when I feel like a failure and even helps me up when I’m stuck on the ground. Oh! And he’s a masterful alarm clock!”

BJ and Curz

BJ, Jamie and all the Meliora participants celebrate “the successes of people who before that would not go out or not do anything with their children. That’s why we do it, for that reason alone.”

Annette Hewitt and Montego

When Annette’s sugars get too low, Montego’s job is to automatically get her tester, honey and juice out of the fridge (and close the fridge door, without being told).   At the drug store Annette takes a little cloth bag for her medication refills. “When I tell him ‘pharmacy’, he carries the bag into the drug store for me, puts it on the pharmacy counter, goes to the other end and waits there till they give the bag back to him. From there he puts it on the counter so I can pay for my medication.”

Cassandra and Nova

As this story shows, dogs can get PTSD too. And in most cases are the first responders in the household. Oakley saved Cassandra’s life and the lives of her family. JZ

Josie Fitterer, Service Dog Breeder, Retired

Her favourite saying is, “In my darkest moment, I reached for a hand and found a paw”. She concludes our interview by saying, “If I could relive any part of my life, that’s the part I’d live again, my work with dogs.”

James Koch and Jake

The proof of his love for animals is how dogs and cats gravitate to him. He has many stories about the dogs in his past, one of which is the love-hate relationship he had with Jake, whom you might say was the opposite of the service dogs featured in this book and video series! Jim dreams of having a Corgi some day.

Ken Kundert and KC

From Canine Ranchhand: “KC might be graying, but there’s no way she’s staying indoors, in the house near the fold/ She’s been on this ranch since she’s seven weeks old,/To Ken she’s worth more than her weight in pure gold,/She’s a cattle dog battered, her ears are all tattered, but no way admitting her body is old.”

Faye Moria Fedrau

From the poem, Ode to Max Hans Riecken by Faye Moris Fedreau. “Heading back at a leisurely pace/He noticed a stirring in a bush/ Went over to check out the case/ A lynx put him on his back with a push

With a survival instinct, Max reached for his knife/The lynx attacked viciously with sharp claws/He made a slash at the throat to protect his life/However, it took many thrusts to stop the deadly paws.”

Old Cowboy and Old Dog by Shelley Goldbeck

Harry Forbes’ dog story

                                                       Syd’s Dog Left Home

Syd Doe was a WWI veteran -fought in the Battle of Vimy Ridge. After being discharged, it was to Maple Creek that he and his dog came. In 1928 he married Edna Koester. When their son Dick was born in 1934, the dog was pretty put out. Someone else was getting all the affection. In 1935 when their daughter Mary Ellen was born, the dog left home and lived behind the Post Office. If Edna, the mother, came downtown for the mail, the dog was friendly. If she came downtown pushing the baby carriage, the dog crossed over to the other side of the street and would have nothing to do with her.

From “Our Home on the Range” by Harry Forbes. See our series Harry Forbes Remembers.

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