Comfort dogs
Comments
-
Faith got through all her surgeries! I am so happy
0 -
Super great news about Faith! Yay!
Here is an update on our menagerie. The town doggies and cat are doing wonderfully. My couch, clothes, and floor are covered in hair, and I don't care one bit. Clairabelle the donkey and Hershel the goat are quite the local celebrities. The farm is right along a major highway, and so many folks have told us they love seeing the little black goat hanging out with the grey donkey. There is a stop light right outside the pasture and I see little faces peering out to get a look, and occasionally I hear a "baaaaaa" coming out of the passing cars.
We also have success in the barn kitty department. This time I asked Oklahoma Humane for litter mates if at all possible. We ended up with three young males who ended up not being feral at all. We set up the cabitat in the barn and they L O V E it! I was worried about letting them out, and kept them locked up for three weeks. Now they just hang out sunning on the hay, or climbing the rafters. When I go in to feed them I hear clunk clunk clunk as they jump down from above to come in to greet me. I'd forgotten how wonderful kitties can be.
0 -
farmerlucy, sounds like your home is the place to be! I must confess to mooing at the cows while in my car. It never dawned on me to baaaa at the goats! Thanks for giving me a new pastime!!
Such great news Foots!!
Natsfan, I think you're right about the secret dog school. They are just too good at looking cute and begging!
Dogsneverlie, Big hugs to you!
0 -
The dog has been staying close to hubby since we came home from hubby's test today.
0 -
Hello! Wanted to touch base and catch up on everyone's posts. So happy we have a few pet forums. Last week was rough, we brought Bentley's ashes home but now he is on the fireplace mantle with his brothers. Bella seems OK being a solo pup so we will smother her with love.
M0mmyof2 - your pup probably senses anxiety and wants to give comfort, they are so sweet and loving that way.
Footprints - SO HAPPY for you and Faith!
0 -
Dogs I am so sorry about the ashes, that is always so traumatic. Bentley is home and safe now. I have two sets as well. No fireplace, they are in a cabinet. I wanted to share a picture of my 'boyz' with all of you. Both rescues, have had Sampson (RT) for 8.5 years and Murphy (L) for over none. Where does the time go? I love reading and hearing about everyone's babies. Keep the stories and photos coming.
0 -
DNL - Hugs re: Bentley boy.,
JMJ - They are so beautiful. I can feel their silky fur from here.
We had two doggies's ashes in the closet for a few year until I could figure out what to do with them. We planted new grass in the back yard and I put them in there. They'd always loved their backyard.
This past Sunday our minister (United Methodist) was preaching about All Saints Day, and the cloud of witnesses that have gone before us, and how thin the veil is between that world and this world. (Personally I thought that was pretty cool). She says she often senses the presence of those who have gone ahead of us. I think that not only about people but about animals. Bentley will always be as close as your heart to you DNL.
0 -
Warrior Woman - How is it going with the feral cats? I've been thinking of them and you. Don't you have another surgery coming up?
0 -
Lucy it sounds like your little zoo brings lots of smiles to people. How awesome is that? I love when an animal can just bring out joy in a person, young or old. They have such amazing spirits. I took my Spencer (lost far too young to cancer) to a nursing home once. He had no formal training but even as a young dog he had this calm quiet demeanor. I will never forget the joy he brought to so many of the residents. He got more hugs that day than he loved every one. He seemed to understand the fragility of the residents and was so sweet and tender with them. Never got excited or tried to jump. I always believed there was something extra special about Spencer. He was wise beyond his years. I wonder if he knew, somehow, that his time on earth was to be short and he made the most of it. I truly believe he was different.
Mommyof2 your animals sound really sensitive too. How sweet is that?
0 -
They are amazingly sweet boys. The dog was hubby's constant shadow every time he got up yesterday after we got home from hubby's colonoscopy. The cat would come by hubby while he was laying on the couch and would look up at hubby and meow as if to say "Its ok daddy, I'm here for you."
0 -
justme - I understand completely when you say your Spencer was different and seemed to be wise beyond his years. Thirty years ago, I adopted a 6 year old dachshund-beagle mix from our local shelter. We named her "Gypsy". I'd had all the stereotypical notions about shelter animals being problem animals, and after adopting her, I realized I was so wrong and there are wonderful dogs at shelters. Gypsy was one of the wisest beings I've ever known in my life, human or animal. I used to say that she had an old soul.
A few years after I adopted her, I took a job at that very shelter as their public info person so I could spread the word about shelter animals. Part of my work was going to schools to talk about animal shelters, safety around animals, and how animal shelters are "community helpers". Gypsy was my co-presenter - she'd sit quietly on my lap, and I'd always tell the kids that if they were good, we'd have petting time at the end. During the 8 years I worked at the shelter, we gave programs to hundreds of classrooms and thousands of kids. Despite my best efforts, during petting time sometimes a child would be so excited that they'd squeeze her too hard or maybe pull on an ear. Never once did she ever show any signs of annoyance or temper, and she usually managed to handle the situation herself, either by giving the child a loving lick or rolling over on her back so the child could pet her tummy. Being near DC, we have a lot of international kids in our schools. Some of them came from poor countries where rabies is spread by stray dogs, and fear of dogs is a rational reaction. I could always tell these kids when I'd walk into a classroom - they'd be hanging in the back of the room, terrified of Gypsy. But inevitably, after an hour of seeing her and hearing how she suffered as a stray and how the shelter rescued her, their fear began to subside, and by the end these kids were ready to try to pet her. She always seemed to understand how to be extra gentle and endearing with kids who were timid or fearful.
Eventually I left the shelter and moved on. I think Gypsy missed going to schools because whenever I walked her and we saw kids, she always demanded to be taken over to them so they could pet her. Time went on, and she handled the inevitable indignities of old age the way she'd handled everything else in her life - with dignity and wisdom. She died of a brain tumor at 20.
A couple of years ago, at my current job, I was talking to a customer on the phone. When I gave her my name, she asked if I'd worked at the animal shelter years ago. When I told her I had, she told me that when her son was a little boy, I had visited his school with Gypsy. She said he'd always loved animals, but having Gypsy come to school and learning all about her made a huge impact on him. She said he talked about it for weeks afterwards. She was so proud as she told me that he was finishing his last year of veterinary school, and was looking forward to being a family veterinarian taking care of people's pets. I was in tears by the time we hung up - I felt like Gypsy's spirit still lived on in that boy.
I've loved all my furkids, but every once and a while you get one who is special. Gypsy was that one for me. She sounds very much like your Spencer - a soul who seems to possess several lifetimes of wisdom. We're lucky to have had them in our lives.
0 -
Oh, Mary, what a wonderful story about Gypsy!! She really touched some lives. I do think that her spirit lives on in that young man. He will be a great vet.0 -
That is a beautiful story NatsFan. I am writing through tears.
0 -
Mary what a wonderful story, I can picture your sweet Gypsy on your lap, listening with great understanding. Then to be able to gently gain the trust of even the most skeptical child. What a gift she gave, and clearly continues to give. I know she touched my heart.0 -
Thank you for sharing all of these stories.
0 -
bump
0 -
My neighbor has a new puppy. Maltese and poodle mix. 3 months old. SO cute and very soft fur. Tiny. It's funny to watch her walk UNDER Ava! And Ava is bulldog mix so she has really short legs.0 -
Spookie can go under Kris. He always acts sooooo surprised when she does. He's abot 20#, very leggy. Malti-poos are cute. We know a few at dog park
0 -
I love puppies so much and morn the fact we'll prob not have another since it seems we're basically in the old lady dog buiness. They're a bunch of bitches.
0 -
Janis - they are so BEAUTIFUL!!!!!!
I meant to come out sooner and visit but feeling so sad, can't believe our boy has been gone almost five weeks now. Miss the "boy" bark....our little Bella has a "lady" bark!
Farmerlucy - thank you so much. I truly believe our pup energy stays with us, especially since we think about them all the time; Jim and I talk to them all the time too. Sometimes at night, I close my eyes and picture myself floating up to a beautiful field and play with our kids.
They all have such beautiful souls.
I am so happy we all share our stories. Thank you so very much.
0 -
The little puppy was climbing on Ava's back yesterday. It looked like he was maybe trying to hump her. It was really funny. Ava just sat there, barely noticing that the little pup was on her back.
0 -
The cat was acting really goofy this morning while I have been knee deep in house work. While his dog "brother" Jackson has been sleeping, Charcoal was following me all over the place, even while I cleaned the bathroom. Felt like he was supervising me as I worked and he was going to tell me if I was not working to his standards! lol
0 -
Dogs I am so sorry about your loss, and sadly I understand having lost a few over the years. When I lost my first Golden, Spencer, I went into a very severe depression. Spence was very special. I got him right after my divorce. I was living alone, unemployed, and barely able to function. I saw an ad in the paper for Golden puppies and picked him out and put a deposit on him. I actually begged the breeder to let him go early, assuring her I was home 24/7 and he would have plenty of attention. The transformation for me was astounding. I always said Spencer saved my life. He was so pampered and cherished and a wonderful easy going puppy. I finally found work when he was 3 months old, but hired a friend to come over daily and let him out, play with him, etc. He was truly my heart dog. At 6 months he developed a limp in his left front leg. My vet thought he had a condition which required an orthopedic surgeon. There were no specialty vets in Wyoming so we made the five hour drive to Colorado for a consult. He had a cartilage flap in the elbow joint that needed to be removed. His surgery was scheduled for November and we had to be at the vet at 10:00 AM. His surgeon was about an hour from Denver, and my son and DIL lived there so I planned to spend the night with them. I barely slept the night before as the weather was lousy. It had started to snow, so I left about 4:00 AM for that long creepy drive through ice and snow in the dark. We made it safely and the surgery was a success. He had no problems at all until he was four and began limping again. I wasn't worried at first because we had rescued Murphy who was about 4 months old when we got him. As he got bigger they played hard and I thought he had just strained his leg. No such luck. After my vet did x-rays they revealed a mass in the elbow which he thought could be infection or cancer. This time we went to CSU in Fort Collins Colorado. The consult and further tests confirmed only what my vet said. Cancer or infection. He was scheduled for an evening surgery and it was the longest night of my life. My good friend Miranda was a vet student there and she waited with us. When the vet came out of surgery she was beaming. She said when opened the mass was full of thick thick pus. They scraped it well, cleaned it and had the oncologist look at it. Without a biopsy result yet they couldn't say for sure, but both agreed it looked nothing like cancer and was likely an infection. We lived on a few acres and it could have even been from a small thorn. He stayed overnight and we had to wait a few days for the biopsy results. I was not worried. I felt so positive. Imagine my total devastation when the surgeon called four days later to tell me it was cancer. Not just any cancer, he had a very aggressive cancer and she said he likely had only 2-3 months to live. My baby was FOUR!!!! We did a few things to try to make him comfortable and extend his time here. My local vet put him on prednisone and that helped a lot. I had recently remarried and was so lucky that my new DH supported me in all decisions. He brought his beautiful Border Collie into the marriage. We both are animal lovers. Spencer's vet bills were so bad that we had to cash out our last CD, which ended up depleting our savings. In the end Spencer lived 7 months after diagnosis. I always said I would let him go when he stopped eating. Spencer loved his food. He refused all food on a beautiful fall morning. He wanted only to lie outside under his favorite pine tree. I stayed with him, offered him every food he loved, to no avail. I could get him to take a little water but nothing else. I knew. It was a Friday, the beginning of Labor Day weekend. I didn't call the vet all day but finally began trying to call about 8 PM. I would dial 3 digits, hang up, four digits, hang up. It took awhile. Spence never came back in the house. He wanted to be outside in the beautiful cool air. We finally took him in. I don't need to say more........but I always felt like I somehow failed him, ridiculous as that is. I said that he saved me, and I couldn't save him. After many months of intense grief my youngest son convinced me to come to Colorado to visit a Golden Retriever rescue there. He had done a lot of research online. he lost his Golden, Arizona, just two months prior. He offered to pay the adoption fee ($200) for me for my Mother's Day gift. I had to apply online and have a home visit. Even though we were in Wyoming they had a woman there who did home visits. We passed of course and the rest is history. A few weeks later we came home with Sampson. The only history they had on him is that he came from a home where he was kept outside tied up. He ended up in the pound in a small town in SW Colorado, and someone from the rescue made the long drive there to bring him back to Denver. He was a young adult, estimated to be between 1-2. We have had him 8.5 years so he is probably right about Murphy's age. One reason he fit so well was because of Murphy. Sunka, our Border, did not play with Murphy. Spence did, they were best buds. After Spencer died Murphy had Sunka but nobody to play with. As a young dog this was hard to see, he missed Spencer too. We took both the dogs to Denver when we picked out Sammy. They have a large play yard just for this reason. Sammy is ultra playful and loves every dog he meets. He was an instant fit! He and Murphy are still best friends ever. Murphy is ten this month, and we assume Sammy is the same age. Close enough!I encourage everyone here to share stories about a special pet who touched their lives. Spencer was here on earth a very short time, but he had a purpose, that I believe.
Love and hugs to all!
0 -
JMJ - Oh that is heartbreaking about Spencer. It is funny how we set out to save an animal and they end up saving us. Our son's dog Izzy used ot spend a lot of time with us while his parents worked. She was there the night we unexpectedly lost our Cricket girl, and I was able to let her sniff Cricket's body so she'd know her friend was gone. She hid behind the lazy boy for about a week and would not come out. She was also there that morning I received the awful call from the doctor about the surprise IDC, and just a week later her parents were moving to Denver so she stayed with us for another three months while they found a house. She was there during my recovery. I will always be thankful that crazy head (she is a pointer/red heeler) was with me. We have an unbreakable bond.
Ok here is something that makes me lol everytime I see it. We've had a terrible cold snap, and I thought Clairabelle would like a coat. Being the cheapskate that I am I just duct taped a fleece blanket to her. I think it is hilarious that it is zebra print, since her ancestors were zebras!
0 -
I love the zebra coat! Does Clarabelle like it?0 -
love the zebra print on Clarabelle!
0 -
I LOVE CLARABELLE!!!!!!!!!!
0 -
Clairabelle is adorable!
Thought all the animal lovers would appreciate this one.
0 -
Love it!!0 -
Clairabelle is ok with her coat but the tape ripping sound of the duct tape unnerves her. Hershel the goat has his own coat (not animal print tho) and he LOVES it. It is a goat coat! I moved the DGDs plastic playhouse inside the barn and he sleeps in that.
0
