Celebrating the Life of Kanti

Kanti was one of twelve in a litter from Ace Aus Der Karpatenvorland (Sire) and Fresca Vom Emmanuel (Dame), born in Sylvan Lake on May 28, 2011 and registered with the Canadian Kennel Club as a purebred. She was the inspiration and the face of Grand Dog Essentials.  She was also our Gentle Giant and Greg’s shadow.  

Kanti passed away peacefully at home, on her blanket on the laundry room floor with Greg by her side stroking her. A few weeks shy of her eleventh birthday her big heart stopped and she left us immediately after Greg told her she could go and that he loved her. She died the same way she lived, with quiet dignity and little fuss, simply content to be at Greg’s side.

She had a big furry body and a heart to match her size.  When she ran it sounded like thunder. But for all her size and strength she stubbornly refused to go up or down stairs for the first year of her life.  It took some very concerted training and cajoling to get her over that.  She could track with her nose in a way that was amazing to witness.  She was extraordinarily gentle when she sensed she needed to be. The only person she ever gave a ball to willingly was our nephew who has developmental challenges. Everyone else had to wrestle or trick her into giving up the ball but she would lay it gently in his lap so he could throw it over and over for her. 

As a puppy she herded Joy everywhere and left her legs black and blue from being nudged with that big old nose.  She had a really strong will and she was fiercely smart. Kanti was the boss of the Grand Dog pack and she would give Philly a tune up every visit just to remind her. Greg always thought Kanti was the best to the point the family announced he was wearing “Kanti glasses”.  She could be a real scamp, but he never saw it, or he refused to admit it.  She was perfect in his eyes and she reciprocated that unconditional love to him too. 

Without Kanti we wouldn’t have gotten into raw dog food, and we never would have conceived of the idea of a business like Grand Dog Essentials. But here we are, nearly eleven years later grieving our beautiful critter and so thankful for the years of fun and love we were blessed with.  

“Life is amazing. And then it is awful.

And then it is amazing again.

And in between the amazing and the awful

It’s ordinary and mundane and routine. 

Breathe in the amazing,

Hold on through the awful,

And, relax and exhale during the ordinary.

That’s just living heartbreaking,

Soul-healing, amazing, awful, ordinary life.

And it’s breathtakingly beautiful.” 

L. R. Knost

Greg and Joy Monsma