Kane's blog

So the other day we were listening to Elvis Costello. The song Blame it on Cain came on. Stella's eyes got a devilish twinkle in them and she looked like she was thinking that blaming Kane was a very good idea for anything she might do that she shouldn't. While we didn't agree with Stella, Kane liked the song enough that he wanted to use it. He now has his own blog.

Blame it on Kane

While he hasn't gotten much on it yet, please stop by and welcome him into the Dog with Blogs family. He did like the title Raising Kane as suggested in a couple of comments however he said that since he is a big seven year old, there isn't much raising left to be done with him. He also asked that no one laugh too much at his pictures. He is a long, lanky goofy dog and doesn't possess Domi's modeling skills. The camera flash also freaks him out.

The right dog

Kane napping. We've sen him sleep like this a couple of times.

Happy Boy!

Kane has fit into our home as if he has always lived here. When we arrived at the rescue, we could see him back in his kennel excitedly wagging his tale. The volunteer brought him out to us and he acted like we were old friends. It was like he was thinking "What took you so long to get here?" I filled out the paper work and then it was time to go. As soon as the car door was opened, he just hopped in and curled up. We had a 3 hour drive home and he slept the whole way. We weren't sure how Stella would react to him initially. She usually switches between being afraid of new dogs and wanting to be sure they know she is the boss and generally takes a couple of days to accept them. She immediately started sniffing and following Kane around as he explored the house and just seemed excited to have a new friend. Other than not wanting to share her rawhide (to which Kane has no interest in), they act like old buddies. We left them alone today while we did a couple of errands and they just napped the whole time. We were prepared to have to take some time for Kane to get adjusted and to get to know us but instead he has settled right in.

Kane is the biggest lover and very laid back. He's happy to go along with anything. We took a short walk before the rain came. He was happy. We all just hung out inside this evening and were lazy. He was happy. He is also very, very quiet. He hasn't barked, whined, cried, yipped or anything. I even rang the doorbell to see if he would react. Not a peep. Stella rarely barks inside but she is very vocal otherwise. Always grunting and groaning. Domi had her own set of funny sounds too.

We have asked Kane if he would like his own blog and he is considering it. He can't decide what to call it if he does so we will have to wait and see what he decides. Hopefully he will have an answer for us soon.

He's home.....

Pics to come soon.....here's one for now. He's too excited to be still.

And the suspense goes on...

Well, Kane is 3 hours away and my plan yesterday was to take off work early to go meet him and hopefully bring him home. Unfortunately life, as it is good at doing, got in the way and I wasn't able to get there. As I was laying in bed last night listening to the rain, I was thinking about Kane and feeling bad that my family was all nestled warm in our beds while he is outside. He's been at the shelter for a couple of weeks now and is probably starting to give up hope of his lady coming to take him back home. I can't imagine how that must feel, to have had the love of one person since a pup and a warm home and then to be somewhere new, living outside with just a doghouse for shelter. Especially for a Border Collie who are happiest when they have that one person to focus on and please.

The shelter will be closed on Thursday and Friday so I'm hoping that I will be able to make it there on Saturday. I have such a strong feeling about Kane, much like I did about Domi. I just think that he is the right dog for us and that we are the right people for him.

***********I do just want to add one bit before anyone starts thinking too awful of Kane's past owner. The shelter told me that that she was older woman and unable to keep him (I'm not sure if it was a health issue or not). She tried for a few weeks to find him a new home herself before the people where he is at now took him in. She was very worried about him going to a city shelter. He is in a no kill facility now and while they keep the dogs outside, they do have shelter and are in a place that cares about them. They are completely vaccinated and on heart worm prevention unlike the shelter that had Shy Girl.********************

Holding our breath......

Could he be the one?



I'll find out tomorrow.

A gift....

Today, among the bills and the junk mail was the most precious thing I think I've ever received in my mailbox. An envelope addressed to Domi, all the way from Singapore.....


.............from the Musketeers!!!! I had forgotten about her prize for being Miss Beauty in their contest. What was inside brought tears to my eyes and could not have been a more perfect prize.



I had known that a collar was one of the things she had won since they had asked me about the size and pattern I would like. The painting was a complete surprise and so wonderful. The artist captured Domi's expression and eyes so perfect. Everytime I look at it, the tears just start flowing and I feel like Domi is with me again.

Stella loves the treats. I tried to get a photo of her enjoying them but since she is such a wiggler, they were all a blur. This is my favorite one. I finally got her mostly to be still, but if you look at her tail, you'll see that she couldn't quite do it.




Thank you Musketeers!!!!! Words can never express how much this meant to me today.

Help Snickers

I just discovered a poor pup who needs the love and positive thoughts that Domi received so many. I don't know if there is too many who still check in on Domi's blog but just in case I know she would want me to help spread the word. The following was taken directly from Miss Snickers blog.

As you may know

Miss Snickers is struggling

Mightily

Along with her family.

(The best place to keep up with updates

is her Gussie’s blog.)

Last night looked as if it might have been her last.

This morning she rebounded with improved symptoms.

She is far from out of the woods

But she and her family

Including her gentle and loving brother Butchy

Have been granted another day.

We can’t help but believe

that part of the improvement is because of

The support and love that have surrounded her

From all around the world

Thanks to the linked paws

Of her blogging friends.

The Power of the Paw

We are asking everyone to set your alarms

And at exactly 11:00 PM GMT on Saturday 14 Nov 09

(Go to this link to find what time that is for you)

5:00 PM Saturday evening in Iowa

as Snickers' family sits down to eat

Turn toward them (in the central USA)

And join together in a silent minute

Of prayer, meditation, contemplation, reflection

Whatever feels right to you.

Followed by whatever means of communication

You choose.

Arrooing

Barking

Howling

Yipping

Yapping

Wooing

Meowing

Mewing

Purring

To wish and send Miss Snickers and her family

whatever is in your hearts

That will help them feel the Love and Support

They need right now.

Personally, we’ll be praying for a Miracle.

Then

Blow a Kiss

and send your Love and Prayers and Best Wishes

to Miss Snickers and her Family

and they will feel their arrival

in the breeze.

OK?

We believe it will help.

And we'll do anything in our power right now

To help.

Love,

Jake, Fergi, MomaSally and NinaGirl

Not this time....

I'm back home but without the dog. Shy Girl was as sweet as could be and I could have easily brought her home but......there were some issues. The shelter that had her does not do any vaccinating, testing, spaying or use preventatives (heartworm, flea, etc). It was so tempting to bring her home and I almost did but I started thinking what I could be getting myself into. For all I know I could end up with a pregnant, heartworm positive dog with worms that needed a fortune in medical care. If we weren't still paying off Domi's medical bills and I didn't have Stella who I refuse to take the risk of infecting with anything, I might have gone for it just to get her out of there and know that she would be in a good home.

We are still thinking about Kiedis and Kitty (if only we could agree on one) and I will keep looking around. There isn't a rush for us.

Oh dear.....

As if I weren't having a hard enough time thinking about Kiedis and Kitty (Bridget has been adopted), I would have to find this dog. The day I walked into the shelter and saw Domi for the first time, this is what what she looked like. So sad.....and the fact that this dog looks so much like Domi.......my heart is telling me to go there right now. All my coworkers are telling me to go too.

I guess from the advice I've already gotten about following my heart.....you all would agree.

Tough decision

On Saturday we went to a shelter in our state that had received some of the Border Collies that were removed in the Tennessee puppy mill raid. If you haven't heard about that, you can read about it here. I've seen several photos of the dogs and the condition they were in. Absolutely horrible.

They have 4 Border Collies left of the ones received and our hearts were breaking looking at them. We stayed there for a while and visited with 3 of them. We went with the intention of possibly adopting one but realized this called for a big discussion and lots of thinking. None of these dogs have had any training or socializing. Kitty, the one that pulls my heart the most seems to be afraid to leave the her kennel. She stays in the back corner, curled up in a tight little ball with as much of her body as she can fit under her bed. I've never seen a dog so shut down. Kiedis, the one that Domi's Boy can't get out of his head, is a bigger than average boy. We are wondering if he also has some lab. He isn't quite as withdrawn as Kitty but he also seems to not know how to enjoy being a dog. He at least appreciates affection and I think wants to be able to love. The third one is Bridget. She is the most "normal" of them and fortunately is in a foster home. She is very affectionate and can't get enough attention. She also is very interested in everything around her. Her only problems is that she has had no training and will need a home that can make sure to focus her high-energy in a positive direction. The fourth dog is Fly. While a sweet and cute boy, we eliminated him from the list because his problems seem more than what we can take on and we don't think he would be good for Stella.

While we hate saying no to bringing any of these dogs into our lives and home, we really need to think about what bringing one in will mean, for both us and the dog. We both work full time so do we really have the time available that it will take to properly train and socialize one of these dogs? And what about Stella? While I know she is lonely during the day, is this the right "friend" for her? Expenses are another factor. The dogs have all been vaccinated and fixed by the shelter but they've been malnourished for a long time (resulting in some teeth needing removed). Will this cause any future health problems? Neither of us are sure if we can emotionally or financially take care of another long term illness after our battle with Domi's cancer. The shelter is a 3 hour drive from us so we aren't able to spend time getting to know these dogs as much as we like. I'm considering driving up later this week to meet them again and go from there.

If anyone has had experience rescuing a dog that has come from a similar environment, I would love to hear to hear about it. The good and bad.

~Domi's Girl

A year ago...

Last year around this time we all headed to the pumpkin patch. Domi really enjoyed the ride while the other dogs couldn't wait to get out of the car. We'll be heading back to get some pumpkins soon and when I think back to this day last year, I can't help but smile. We'll be sure to make an adventure out of it in remembrance of a silly Border Collie who made every trip something special.

Thank you....

As we suspected Domi did not make it into the night. She passed away shortly after her last post. Although she was struggling to breathe, we don't believe she was in any pain. It was not until recently that the cancer really seem to start bothering her. On our last car ride home, she was not able to stand up and "herd" the passing cars like she enjoyed but she still continued to watch them, eyes sparkling and ears busy. The cancer may have worn out her body but the Border Collie spirit continued to shine.

Looking back, it's hard to believe that she was the same sad, untrusting dog with the tucked up tail that I brought home from the shelter almost 3 years ago. It must have been very hard for her to go from a family of nearly ten years to spending 2 months in the shelter. It took a little time but the true Domi did come out. She was a very beautiful girl who seemed to touch every person she met. Tough guys melted under those eyes, kids who were afraid of dogs felt safe enough to pet her and all felt like they had a special connection with Domi. I don't know how many times I had people offer to take her should we no longer be able to keep her, even with the cancer.

Thank you to everyone who has come by her blog and left such comforting comments. Thank you especially to Raising Addie, Scout & Freyja and Tabatha and Echo for their very touching tributes. The Dog (and kitty) Blogging community is a very wonderful group and we are very proud to have been part of it. I hope to continue to discover great blogs and to continue to read about all the wonderful pets and their special owners.

I'm off to cuddle with Stella who is having the hardest time of all, trying to figure out where her much adored Domi is and why we haven't brought her home yet. Poor Stella hates to be alone and had a very long day.

Thank you all again for your warm thoughts,
Domi's girl

PS
I added one of the last photos of Domi I took of her, just a couple of days before she went to stay at my parents.

Hello pups, kitties and peoples.

I'm not feeling well and I think this will be my finally post as I doubt I will make it through the night. We thought we had worked out a good dosage of the steroid and I had been feeling good lately. I had been looking forward to my visit with my girls parents as they always have lots of good food and take me on plenty of car rides. Unfortunately, after a couple of days there I just really started to not feel so well. I lost all my energy and was just having trouble getting around and breathing. My girl's mom increased the dosage on the steroid but my face just continued to swell. I'm home now with my boy and girl and it's a good place to be. They are resting beside me and trying to keep me as comfortable as they can.

Before I go, I just want to remind all you pups and kitties to always have plenty of love for your humans even if they might be grumpy. Sometimes they get caught up in all sorts of things and take us for granted. That doesn't mean they don't love and need us. Also you humans, remember why you have us around. If you are feeling stressed out, pet us. It's been proven to lower your blood pressure. Also keep lots of treats handy. And for everyone, enjoy life. Always take time for walks, frisbee and CAR RIDES.

And one last thing for you humans. If you are considering adding another dog to your home, think about giving one of older dogs a chance. We don't chew up your shoes, pee inside (well, not unless we really can't help it) or need lots of training. Plus you will have a very loyal friend for the rest of our lives.

Good bye everyone. It's been really wonderful to get to know all of you.

Domi the Therapy Dog

Vacation

Hey, I'm visiting my girls parents for the rest of this week and all of next while my girl and boy are on vacation so I won't be posting anything for a few days.

Visitors

We had visitors this weekend. This mama deer and her two babies really like acorns so they have been hanging around our yard where there are two giant Pin Oak trees. They are so quiet that Stella and I keep missing them when they come. My girl stood on the terrace taking pictures and silly me was taking a nap at her feet completely oblivious. I guess I just assumed she was taking pictures of me instead.

Wordless Wednesday

Winner!

Is it silly that I feel bad about winner the Miss Beauty contest against so many other wonderful dogs? I wish there was a way that all the wonderful pups who entered could win a prize or that I could share mine with them. All of us pups whether we compete, volunteer or just know how to make people smile are lucky because we all have our humans that love us as we love them.

Hope everyone had a very relaxing and fun Labor Day weekend.

Have you voted yet?

Has everyone been over to the Four Musketeers contest and voted for your favorite Mr. Dog and Miss Beauty yet? Some of those boy dogs are quite handsome. I don't know who I like best. And Honey, the Great Dane!!! Isn't she beautiful? I wouldn't be at all upset if she wins. After all, she is a therapy dog too. If you haven't checked out the site yet, please make sure you do. The voting ends in just 2 days. Thanks to everyone who has picked me as your favorite.

One other thing. I've been having trouble leaving comments again on some of your blogs. So remember that just because you don't hear from me, it doesn't mean I haven't been visiting.

So mad!

Do you notice what is missing in every single one of these photos? ME!!!!! ME!!!!!!!ME!!!!!!!! I am always trying to catch one of things when they come over my house. It looks like it could be better than a CAR RIDE. My girl gave her dad a gift certificate for a ride on one (instead of me!) and he used it the other day. I was left at home with Stupid Stella and missed out on all the fun. They watched it go up, chased it in the car with the top down all over the place and then watched it come back down. I may never forgive my girl for this.

All that pee they've been having to clean up in the house........maybe it's not really from the steroids. Hmmph.

P.S.
I entered the Four Musketeers Mr. Dog and Miss Beauty contest. Please vote for me.
http://musketeers-mrdogmissbeauty.blogspot.com/

P.P.S.
OH NO!!! I just noticed that they put me under the Mr. Dog part. I'm not a boy! I'm a sweet pretty girl dog. I was born without any of that stuff hanging down between my back legs! Hope they fix it.

P.P.S.
I should just do a new post on this! Anyway, it's fixed. I'm a girl again but the votes have been reset. If you've already voted before the change, please vote again. If you've been waiting, you can vote now. Thanks everyone!

Not so magic after all.....

I'm having a little problem with my Magic Steroid Pill. It makes me have to go potty. ALL THE TIME!! Sometimes before I have the chance to tell anyone so I've had quite a few accidents in the house lately. It's really embarrassing. Especially at my age when I know better. I just can't help it. All of a sudden it just hits me and I have to go RIGHT NOW. Last night I was laying on the bathroom floor because I like the cool tile (and the great acoustics it gives my snoring) when I just had to go. My boy and girl were asleep so I didn't have anyone to open the door to let me outside. Later that night my boy had to get up to go to the bathroom and he stepped in the pee. He was not happy with me. Since they were worried I might have another accident on the carpet, I had to sleep in the kitchen all night. Sigh....

I haven't had the pills in a couple of days so we can see if I stop having accidents. Unfortunately my face is starting to get puffy again now. I guess that's better than having my boy and girl getting grumpy because I leave messes for them to clean up.

On a much brighter note, we had a party Saturday. It's one of the reasons why my girl has been really busy lately and unable to take pictures of me. Anyway, I'm not sure why all these people were at our house but I did my best to be the perfect hostess. I made sure that almost everyone got a chance to pet me and give me a bite of their appetizers. I think the party was success but it sure was exhausting.

The Invasion

Saturday started off well enough. My girl and I got up with the sun rise to get some yard work done before it got really hot. I had a good time supervising her while she shoveled mulch into the wheelbarrow and spread it around the yard. We had to make several trips and were quite exhausted by the time we finished. I was all set to settle in and relax the rest of the day when these two little things called "The Nephews" descended upon our house.

I wasn't too concerned at first since all the kids I encounter at the library behave well and just like to hang out and pet me. The littlest one did this at first. Then he and Stella decided it would be great fun to play tag. I was prepared to lay in my favorite spot and ignore them but it became really difficult when they kept running and jumping over me. I finally couldn't take it anymore and gave them a little warning snap. Hmmph, that got me locked in the bedroom for the rest of the evening. Fine by me. It was quiet in there. At least until they decided that Stella should join me. She was pretty worn out from all that running so it wasn't too bad.

Good news. I don't really know what these steroid pills are that they have been giving me but they seem to be working. My face was hardly puffy all weekend. I even felt like exploring out in the yard, something I hardly do anymore. And the best part is that everytime I get one, I get a peanut butter flavored treat. I love peanut butter. So, so very tasty.


This is Stella and I after the monsters, uh, I mean nephews left. We are worn out pups. It's a rare thing to be able to get a photo of Stella that isn't blurred.

Hey everyone! I don't have much time since it's a busy morning at our house but I wanted to let you know that the Oncologist gave me some steroids to try. Hopefully they'll keep the puffiness out of my face. He was willing to start me on some more chemo treatments or even radiation but we decided that just isn't what we want to do. We just wanted something that might help my lymph nodes to drain and to let me breathe a little easier.

Hope everyone has a great Saturday!

To my boy....

1994-2007 Guinness

To the vet, again....

Do you see my fat face?

My boy talked to someone at the oncologist office yesterday because my puffy face has been so much worse lately. It was going back to normal whenever I would get excited and pant a lot (like during CAR RIDES) but the past week I've stayed a fat head. It's really been affecting my breathing and making me feel run down. So back again to the vet. Hope he can make me feel better. I've been really clumsy too. My boy said maybe it's lack of oxygen to my head. I fell down the stairs yesterday. Fortunately I mostly slid on my bottom so I wasn't hurt and then I tripped getting out of the car too. I guess the car wanted us to keep going on more CAR RIDES!

Cross your paws that they can make me a pretty Border Collie again instead of fat faced Chipmunk.

Saturday at the Park

My girl just got this photo emailed to her from our day at the park when we volunteered for the Big Brothers/Big Sisters Summer Festival. I'm glad we got something since my girl took her camera but forgot to take any pictures. I'm a little hidden in it but you can see my white snout. All the petting I got that day was so wonderful. The other dog is a Golden Doodle. I was really happy about that since I get along best with Goldens. I guess I just prefer blondes.

Country roads

I have the best girl ever. Last night my head was really, really swollen and I was feeling uncomfortable. My girl had already gone to bed when I came over to lay on the floor beside her but she reached down to pet me for a little bit. She noticed that I didn't want to put my head down because it was so uncomfortable for me. We've discovered that CAR RIDES really help me because I get so excited and pant so much that it makes my face drain. Not sure why it happens but it does. So she got up and took me for a late night drive in the country last night. It was a beautiful night and we enjoyed a large, bright moon to light up the way. We got home and were all able to fall quickly asleep.

My girl is the best.

Best Weekend Ever

Last weekend was the best weekend of my whole life. I thought I would be staying with my girl's parents. We drove there and I watched as they loaded everything into my girl's dad's BIG TRUCK and expected them to drive off without me. But they didn't!!! I got to ride in the BIG TRUCK. I LOVE THE BIG TRUCK! After being in it for a long time, we drove back into some trees and my boy started setting up all this stuff.


Are you wondering what I'm looking at? No, it's not my girl taking pictures of me. It's the BIG TRUCK!!! I just couldn't wait to get back in it to go somewhere else.


And this is where somewhere else turned out to be. The beach! Wow, look at all that water.
We took a very long walk out to the end of this pier and then another long walk back to the town. I was so worn out.Do you see the sand on my nose? I wasn't expecting it to stick.

There was a nice river that fed off the lake and went along the town. Everyone liked to sit in the grassy area to watch the boats coming and going. I was so happy for the break. My tumor makes it hard to breathe sometimes when I'm panting a lot. This was a wonderful spot to rest. My girl likes this photo because she says I am making a classic Border Collie face.
Back to the campsite. This was my favorite place to hang out while while we were there. I could keep an eye on the BIG TRUCK and my people at the same time.

I'm glad I got to go on the trip. It was wonderful. This weekend should be another fun one too. Saturday is Library Day and then we are doing a special thing on Sunday with Big Brother/Big Sister at a big park. We will have a blanket and some books for little kids to sit outside and read to me. The weather is supposed to be perfect too.

Here I am!

I'm still around. Just been chilling out lately. My girl found a new lump on me. This time on my side. We've been debating whether or not to bother going to the vet about it. Either it's another cancer lump, which in that case there isn't much to be done about it since my girl said she won't make me suffer through another surgery or it's not anything to worry about. If it isn't anything then there is no point in paying the vet to tell us that.

On the bright side, my girl signed me up for another volunteer opportunity. We don't know all the details yet but it will be us and maybe some other dog/person teams going to a park with some blankets and books. Big Brothers/Big Sisters will then bring kids around to visit with us and read stories. It's August 2nd so that will be a busy weekend as I will be doing my normal reading routine at the library the day before.

Oh, one other thing. My boy and girl will be going out of town for the rest of the week so it will be quiet around here until next week. Stella is staying at my boy's parents house and I am going to stay with my girl's parents. I'm really looking forward to the vacation from Stupid Stella. I always get good food and lots of CAR RIDES while I'm there too.

CAR RIDES!

The great thing about my puffy face is that my girl has been taking me to work. I don't like her worrying so much but I love the CAR RIDES and getting to visit with her co-workers. Even if they made me wear one of the organization's t-shirts. I'm pretty enough without it. I guess I can't complain too much when it gets me lots of attention.

My girl just told me that we will be going to the library Saturday so the kids can read me stories. I was afraid that she might cancel it. The library lady said there are lots of kids signed up this week too so it should be lots of fun. I'll try to get my girl to take some good pictures to share.

Hope everyone is doing well. I'm still working on getting around to all the blogs as we've been busy this week.

Thanks!

Thank you to all the pups and kitties who have stopped by my blog and left me good wishes. It really has cheered me up. I was feeling really down this weekend since I found out there isn't much to be done about having a puffy face. At least it goes away after I wake up.

Here's a little history on my cancer for my new friends. About a year and a half ago, the vet discovered a lump on my side and on my neck. During the surgery that I was having to remove the cancer lump on my side, they attempted to remove the one on my neck but were unable to due to the location. They did a biopsy and discovered that it was thyroid cancer. They were really surprised. I guess thyroid cancer is not very common in dogs. Not long after that, I went through chemo for 6 months which really helped slow the growth. I went back for my six month check up in May. The oncologist discovered that the tumor was not only growing again but spreading. He said that there was one other type of chemo that they could try but that it only had a 50-50 chance of working. I talked it over with my boy and girl and given that it might not work, my age and the expense, we decided not to pursue it. The tumor itself doesn't really bother me. It doesn't hurt. The only problem I have is that it has spread to my lymph nodes. I get out of breath easy now, I snore a lot and now the puffiness in my face. My family and I try not to think about it too much and enjoy the CAR RIDES we have left together. My boy and girl have promised me that they will love me for the rest of my life and do whatever they can to make me happy. Including lots of treats, CAR RIDES and pettings.

I'm going to try to get a visit in to all my new friends blogs in the next couple of days. Until then, THANK YOU for the DWB and CWB love!!!!!!!

Scared

My girl woke up this morning and discovered my face is looking really big. She called the oncologist who wasn't in today and was able to speak with someone else. That doctor suggested that the tumor may be preventing the lymph nodes from draining and causing my face and neck to fill up with fluid. I have an appointment a little later at my regular vet office to see if there is anything that can be done to help me. I'm really scared.

UPDATE:
The vet did agree that my head was probably full of fluid from the lymph node not being able to drain. More than likely from how I was sleeping. It's mostly gone away now and I look normal. I'm breathing a lot better too. Unfortunately, it could very well happen again since the tumor is rather big. The vet suggested using a heat compress on my neck next time. I'm just so happy to be back to normal. My girl and boy were so worried about me.

Lumpy neck

My boy and girl are really starting to get very concerned about me. The tumor in my neck has been growing like crazy and spread into my lymph nodes. I've gone from having one lump in my neck to several. They are getting hard too. They used to feel squishy. It's not really bothering me too much yet other than I get out of breath quicker than I used to and sometimes when I'm eating, the food gets caught in my throat. Too bad I can't have wet food. It's easier to swallow but unfortunately makes my tummy upset. My girl puts chicken broth on my food though and that helps a lot. Plus it tastes so yummy!

I don't like being old and having cancer. I still feel like the young pup that I used to be and can get in the air to catch my frisbee. I try not to think about the cancer and just try to enjoy my life. CAR RIDE anyone?

Chopping down a tree

My girl's dad came over a few days ago to help remove the tree that was blown over. He brought Bon-it and his big truck. I LOVE HIS BIG TRUCK! Stella and I entertained Bon-it while the guys worked hard. I got to go for a short ride in the truck and hoped if I stayed in it, I'd get to go for a longer one but no luck. By the way, Stella isn't in any of these pictures because she had to be tied up. She's not very smart about knowing the boundaries.

TRUCK RIDE!

Bye bye tree!

Library Saturday

Last Saturday was my volunteer day at the library. It was a little slow since it was a beautiful day outside but I also think it was my most worthwhile visit. There was a little girl who came in that was so very shy. Too shy to speak at all. When my girl spoke to the little girl, she looked terrified and about to cry. I worked my magic on her though. On her first book she brought (Dr. Seuss' One Fish, Two Fish), we just looked at the pictures together and my girl would comment on it. We got some smiles and giggles looking at that silly book. After we finished that one, the girl had another Dr. Seuss book for us to read. This time she felt comfortable enough to actually read it out loud to me. She opened up and was really having fun. This is what the reading program is all about. Giving kids confidence. I hope she comes back next month. I think it would be good for her.

The above photos are from our slow time between readers. My girl tossed my favorite indoor frisbee for me. It was almost too much fun. By the time our last reader came in, I was ready for a nap.

Wordless Wednesday (my first one)

the thunder monster

We had a really bad storm the other evening. Of course I had to work hard at keeping that thunder monster away. I'll keep doing it even if I continue to get yelled at to stop barking. I'm hoping my boy and girl realize how important it is that I do this for them now. After the storm, we all went out outside to look around. That bad thunder monster had blown one of our trees down! We are all sad about it because the little birds loved it and would sit and sing to us in the evenings. Today my boy and girl spent the afternoon cutting most of it away. My girl found two little bird nests in it. I hope the babies had already learned how to fly away before the tree came crashing down.

The next time that thunder monster comes around, I will make sure he doesn't blow down any more of our trees.

Comments..

Something funny has been going on the past couple of days for me. I've tried to leave comments on a few of my friends blogs but it isn't working. Any other dogs having this problem? I think I'm going to go out to my favorite spot and think about this for awhile.

Happy weekend!

My boy and girl said it's going to be a 3 day weekend. Hopefully that means lots of playing outside, going for walks and a nice, long CAR RIDE!!! I'm really looking forward to it.

Shelters in Need

This news story makes me sad. This is the shelter where my girl rescued me. It's a very busy place full of very caring staff and volunteers. I'm very lucky that my people have secure jobs and can provide for me. It's so hard on a dog to spend it's life with one family and then all of a sudden end up in a cage surrounded by lots of other sad, barking dogs. It's overwhelming. This shelter has always prided itself for having a no kill policy. I hope they don't have to change that.




Ham. Co. shelter says it's overwhelmed

Shelter may have to change no-kill policy

Updated: Friday, 15 May 2009, 10:57 PM EDT
Published : Friday, 15 May 2009, 9:52 PM EDT

Jennifer McGilvray

NOBLESVILLE, Ind. (WISH) - The Hamilton County Humane Society is making a cry for help. The shelter is full, but more animals are being surrendered.

Daisy and Donald, two springer spaniel mixed breeds, have been the shelter's longest residents at 15 months. But now the two, who are brother and sister, are finally going home.

"We live close to the Monon, so we plan on walking them two or three times a day…a house that's theirs…two queen-size beds to sit on, a couch to lay on," Daisy and Donald's new adopted owner Angie Simmons said.

The dogs' old cage won't be empty for long, the vacancy will be filled all to soon.

"We are an open-admission shelter. We don't turn anyone away and when we are full, and the next animal comes in, we have to find a place for them," said Executive Director Rebecca Stevens.

There are 250 cats and 95 dogs in the building, even more in foster care. The shelter said people are surrendering their pets faster than they can adopt them.

Stevens said the economy is to blame for the uptick.

"We don't have another cage or another kennel to put another animal in," said Stevens.

Many are older dogs are like eight-year-old Dexter, who isn't used to shelter life.

Not only is the shelter seeing an increase owner surrenders and strays but also abandoned animals left behind.

The shelter has a no-kill philosophy but Stevens said euthanization could become a last resort if the community doesn't start adopting pets or fostering them.

"I don't want to have to get to that juncture, so this is our cry for help. Help us make that not even a possibility," said Stevens.

The shelter is running an adoption special for any black or white dog or cat in honor of the Indianapolis 500.

Oops

After a great day yesterday.....CAR RIDE, walk in the park, catching the frisbee......My girl was not so happy with me today. I got an upset tummy last night and left her a mess to clean up in the kitchen. Again.

That is what she gets for not letting me sleep in the bedroom with everyone else.

Zzzzzzzz

Boy am I tired today! I was so busy last night. There was huge storm all night so I had to work hard to keep that noise out of the house. Just as soon as I got to snoozin' good......BOOOOMMMM....more noise and I would have to get up and go after it again. What I don't understand is why my boy and girl don't seem to appreciate all this hard work I do to keep them safe. I'd bark and then they'd yell at me "Domi!!! Be quiet!!" A few times I was able to get that lazy Stella up to help me out but she mostly slept through it.

Good news though, I think all that barking worked because the rest of the day is supposed to be sunny and warm. Hopefully I'll get to go for a walk today or help my girl work in the yard.

UPDATE:
I got to play frisbee. Check out my action photos!