Kayla is the sweetheart of the group, and is also the reason for our kennel name!
                                                                                                       We often call her T-Bear, T, or Kaylatee. She is our little "nanny". She mothers
                                                                                                       everything she can, no matter what it is...a puppy, a kitten, a human baby,
                                                                                                       WHATEVER! Kayla is the alpha of our pack, and a born lead sled dog. You can
                                                                                                       just see the wheels turning when you look at her. She understand EVERY word
                                                                                                       we say, whether it is something we want her to understand or not! Her favorite
                                                                                                       thing to do is ride to the "window thingy" (fast food drive-thru window) and
                                                                                                       charm her way into some free food! She also LOVES to mother her "stuffed
                                                                                                       things" and she takes great care of them. Any of the other Mals have stuffed
                                                                                                       toys gone in less than 5 minutes! She was recently diagnosed with cancer, and
                                                                                                       takes her runs in harness alone, and a little slower than usual. She is still as
                                                                                                       playful and happy as ever and hasn't slowed down one bit. We hope she can beat
                                                                                                       the odds of the terrible disease. She definately has the strength and heart to fight
                                                                                                       through this, along with an amazingly large support team ALL OVER THE
                                                                                                       WORLD.

                                                     Owners: Carla M. Nichols and Melinda S. Marks - Kaylatee Kennels - Canton, Ohio

                                                     Breeders: Monica Jeanne and Benny James Goodman - Knightmute-Nikos Malamutes - Flint, Michigan

                                                     Born: January 9th, 2000                        Color: Gray & White

                                                     AKC DNA: V176747                              Normal Thyroid

                                                     Eyes: CERF Normal

                                                     Lines: Storm Kloud, Knightmute, Terrapin, Wolfpack and Silver Frost




It is with a very heavy heart that I report the passing of the greatest being to ever bless my life. I know I should have written sooner, but I am just now finding the strength to talk about her. On Monday, July 30th, 2007 at approx. 5:30 pm, I helped my beloved Kayla, Knightmutes' Kayla Teamo Yepa (AM/CAN CH Terrapin's Against All Odds CGC WPD x Knightmute's Ropin' The Wind) to the bridge. It was the hardest day of my life.

You may remember me writing about her in November of 2005. She had developed a tumor in her mammary gland, that came back showing she had osteosarcoma. I was told I would only have her with me for 1-3 months unless I did chemotherapy. After a lot of thought and talking to many people who had been in my situation, we decided to take our chances and not put her through the chemo. A year went by with no problems, and then last December, I found another lump close to where the first had been. Knowing it was probably cancer as well, I had it removed and she had a complete mastectomy. She recovered very quickly and was back to herself in no time. But a couple of weeks ago, she was having a hard time breathing. We took her to the vet and found that her chest was full of blood, and her lungs had no room to expand. It was probably a tumor on her heart or lungs that was slowly bleeding into her chest. At that moment, though I was thankful for the extra (almost) 2 years that God had given her, my world came crashing down, and Iife as I knew it would NEVER be the same. I had only one choice.

Kayla was that once in a lifetime dog that was much more human than canine. She could read my thoughts, and understand anything I said to her. She was special and loved by all that ever met her. The hardest time is at night, not having her beside me, and in the morning when I don't have to step over her at the top of the stairs. Yet it is just as hard to have the sweeper running and not have her jumping back and forth infront of it barking, tail wagging, wanting to play. Or hearing the ice cream man coming and not hearing her join in with the others as they howl "I want ice cream!" It isn't the same sitting down on the couch at the end of a long day and not having her attached to my leg begging for just one more hug, or eating tea cookies or twizzlers without these big brown eyes asking "are you gonna share or what?" I miss not having her come up to me and put that big paw on my foot, for no good reason other than that she wants me to bend down and give her another hug, even though it has only been 5 minutes since the last one.

She knew ALL of her toys by name, her favorites being her carrot, hamburger and the "stuffed thing"...but most of all she loved that lazar pointer. She loved Grandma the most I think. When she was around, no one else existed. The car was her favorite place and the best thing about it was going to the "window thingy" because they would always give her something free. She was known to those around her as "Precious Princess'", "Kayla-T", "T-Bear" or just plain "T", and she answered to every one of them. She could say "I want it" and "I love you" plain as day. If you cried, you knew Kayla would be there right away to find out what was wrong and why you were making that wierd noise. It makes crying over her even harder than it should be.

The other dogs are starting to settle in a little bit without her. She was the alpha and for a few days they were very confused, looking behind the couch, under the tables and up the stairs. I saw Verizon the day after, laying in the livingroom, literally hugging the malamute rug she used to sleep on. Christmas will be hard this year. She loved to watch us all open gifts, and with each one would get more and more excited, waiting to see what we would pull out of a box next.

I knew this day would come, eventually. But when it did, it left me wishing for just one more day. One more chance to take her swimming, one more chance to play our "run around the house" game or keep away, one more chance to go for a walk, just the 2 of us. But most of all, just for one more chance to hug her and tell her how she was the most wonderful animal on the planet.

Wear your silver harness with pride my Precious Princess, until we meet again...

Carla M. Nichols and family

Knightmutes' Kayla Teamo Yepa
1/9/2000 - 7/30/2007



AM/CAN CH Terrapin's Against All Odds CGC WPD
BIS BISS AM/CAN CH Storm Kloud's Fortune O' Kasaan ROM
AM/CAN/ASIAN CH Storm Kloud's Vvanilla Snoman CD WTD WWPD ROM

Kasaan's Keefer Of Storm Kloud WWPD

BIS BISS AM/CAN CH Byeyo's Champagne 'N Ice AM/CAN CD CGC ROM CAM
AM/CAN CH Moonsongs Ursa Minor

AM/CAN CH Sugarbear's Winning Colors

AM CH Knightmute's Ropin' The Wind
AM CH Wilmac's Me And My Shadow
AM CH Wilmac's Elwood Blues WWPD

Wolfpack's Sweet Abby

Knightmutes Frosty Night
Marshalls Yukon Samoy

AM CH Lady Graydale's Artic Storm

                                                      Kayla Photos                                                                                        Long Pedigree


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