Mary Swark-Hougaard has been playing guitar since the age of 17. She never dreamed, though, that a song about losing a cherished pet would be her big break.
"It was probably the hardest thing that ever happened in my whole life was losing my dog." Nikita was an Alaskan Malamute, and the death hit Swark-Hougaard hard.
Turning to music helped her cope with the grief. "I realized that writing that song made her extra special and filled a big void in my life."
She began playing the song at a local pub in Pickering. She quickly became popular, and began writing songs for other people who had lost their best friend.
"I get a lot of ribbing, saying I'm like Phoebe off Friends but I didn't write a
smelly cat song." She corrects herself. "I have written a dead cat song." She's also eulogized a fish.
One fan, Steve, loves the idea. "It's awesome, I just lost one of my dogs, and it would be a great way to remember him."
To have your Fido or Fifi immortalized in song, click
here.