Domi the therapy dog

A pleasant surprise

2010-04-06T09:21:00.006-04:00

Hello,

I hope everyone in the dog blog world is doing well. I had a pleasant surprise the other day when I was trying to catch up on some blogs I hadn't visited in a while. The Musketeers are having a little contest on their site and giving away a dog portrait to the lucky winner. When Domi won the Miss Beauty contest, one of the things we received was a painting of her. Domi had just died when we received it so it meant quite a bit to us. A photo of that painting is on the Musketeers site as example of what the winner will receive. If you haven't entered yet, make sure you do it. You'll be very pleased if you are the lucky winner. The artist did an amazing job of capturing Domi's expression.

~Domi's girl

Kane's blog

2009-12-03T08:10:00.002-05:00

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

2009-11-29T21:05:00.003-05:00

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.....

2009-11-28T17:15:00.003-05:00

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

And the suspense goes on...

2009-11-25T08:49:00.005-05:00

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......

2009-11-23T14:35:00.002-05:00

Could he be the one?

I'll find out tomorrow.

A gift....

2009-11-18T19:20:00.006-05:00

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

2009-11-13T22:28:00.002-05:00

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....

2009-11-03T19:03:00.005-05:00

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.....

2009-11-03T13:32:00.002-05:00

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

2009-11-02T09:51:00.002-05:00

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...

2009-10-11T11:12:00.004-04:00

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....

2009-09-28T19:27:00.005-04:00

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.

2009-09-26T22:10:00.003-04:00

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

2009-09-17T08:28:00.002-04:00

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

2009-09-14T08:23:00.002-04:00

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

2009-09-09T06:00:00.001-04:00

Winner!

2009-09-08T09:59:00.002-04:00

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?

2009-09-02T10:20:00.005-04:00

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!

2009-08-28T13:14:00.005-04:00

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.....

2009-08-24T13:23:00.002-04:00

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

2009-08-17T09:21:00.004-04:00

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.

2009-08-15T09:17:00.002-04:00

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....

2009-08-13T11:10:00.007-04:00

1994-2007 Guinness

To the vet, again....

2009-08-12T13:50:00.004-04:00

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

2009-08-11T09:48:00.003-04:00

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

2009-08-08T08:16:00.002-04:00

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

2009-07-31T09:03:00.004-04:00

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!

2009-07-17T10:49:00.006-04:00

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!

2009-07-09T13:34:00.003-04:00

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!

2009-07-06T08:57:00.004-04:00

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

2009-07-03T10:20:00.003-04:00

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

2009-06-29T19:37:00.004-04:00

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

2009-06-22T14:28:00.003-04:00

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

2009-06-11T12:51:00.003-04:00

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)

2009-06-05T21:21:00.003-04:00

the thunder monster

2009-06-05T21:16:00.003-04:00

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..

2009-06-02T08:26:00.004-04:00

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!

2009-05-22T09:48:00.002-04:00

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

2009-05-16T07:23:00.002-04:00

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

2009-05-15T07:47:00.002-04:00

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

2009-05-14T08:34:00.003-04:00

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!

Not so bad....and not so good

2009-05-08T08:36:00.002-04:00

Dr. Lucroy called yesterday with most of my test results. Most of the blood work is okay. I'm a little anemic which is a result of having cancer. Not much can be done about that except remove the cancer which is impossible. He also said something about something with my liver being high but not enough to be concerned about. The upsetting news is from the x-rays. They discovered a rather enlarged lymph node against my sternum and some "suspicious" nodules around my lungs which means the cancer is probably spreading in that direction. Also as the lymph nodes and tumor continue growing, it could affect my breathing since it's all in my throat area. My snoring is bad enough now.

Dr. Lucroy said there is a different type of chemo we could try however there is a 50/50 chance of it working. And even if it does, it could make me sick. On top of that, it's really expensive. I wish I could find a therapy dog job that pays as my girl isn't sure they can afford any more chemo. The last time was very expensive.

I am one really stressed out Border Collie right now and I am still waiting for the results on the thyroid test. Ugh. Hope that will at least be okay. Between worrying about all this and the thunderstorm that kept me busy last night (have you ever tried to herd lightning? It's not easy.) I'm a mess. And if that wasn't bad enough, I've had a tummy ache and left a couple of messes for my girl to clean up. Hopefully life will get better for me soon.

Oncologist

2009-05-06T10:45:00.004-04:00

I saw Dr. Lucroy today. He said the tumor is definitely different. Lumpier. The hope is that it is just the lymph nodes being affected and not my thyroid. Even though I look skinnier, I haven't lost weight since the last time I was there although I think I am smaller than before the chemo. They took some blood and x-rays today. Dr. Lucroy said there is nothing with the x-rays that has him concerned but a Radioligist will look them over to be sure. They won't have the results from the blood work until this afternoon or more likely tomorrow. Dr. Lucroy has suggested starting me on chemo again but my boy and girl decided to wait until they get the results back.

I'm here at work with my girl and after all this excitement this morning, I think it's a good time for a nap.

Sigh...

2009-05-05T08:32:00.003-04:00

I just found out that I am going to the vet tomorrow. Not the regular vet that pokes you with a needle, gives you a treat and says "see you next year." Nope it's the cancer vet. My girl has been worried about the thyroid tumor I have in my neck because she thinks it's been changing and feeling weird. Plus underneath all this fluffy fur, I'm getting a little too skinny and bony. Hopefully she' s just being silly and over reacting. I guess we will know tomorrow.

Library Day

2009-05-01T22:15:00.003-04:00

Well, even if the hospital won't let me come visit, I still have the library and that is tomorrow. I can't wait. I have a feeling that a couple of the kids that read to me last month will be back again. I enjoy going so much. I highly recommend volunteering at the library to any therapy dogs out there.

There is also a couple of people that my girl works with who are launching a campaign to have me become a regular employee there. I really hope I can. It would sure beat being stuck inside with Stella all day watching her eat things she's not supposed to like kitchen towels and aluminum foil. I guess some days I would need to stay home so she won't get lonely but getting to work at least a couple of days a week makes my Border Collie heart so happy.

If my girl remembers to bring along her new camera tomorrow, I'll add some more pictures of me working hard listening to stories. I need to get some sleep now so I'll be ready to go in the morning.

Failure......

2009-04-28T19:41:00.004-04:00

I'm so embarrassed and disappointed in myself. I thought it was going to be such a good day. I had a great time at work with my girl. I met lots of new friends. After we left there, we stopped by her old work and I got to see my friends there that I've missed.

It was there that it went downhill. We got to the hospital and walked in. There was a young boxer at the door and well.....sometimes I don't like meeting new dogs. Especially when they immediately try to sniff me. I kinda growled. Not much...just a little to let it know that I was there to WORK not hang out and to let it know that I was protecting my girl. Well, the people in charge didn't like that and told my girl that I........oh gosh I hate to say it..........failed. I feel really bad that I let my girl down after she has made so much effort to find me a new job. I didn't even get to show them how good I really am.

But then the day got better again because I got to go for a CAR RIDE!!!!

Work!

2009-04-27T18:22:00.004-04:00

Tomorrow is a big day. I am going to work with my girl and after that we are going to the hospital for my interview so that I can start volunteering there. I'm very excited but very nervous. My girl said that she is very confident that I will do well. The thing that I'm nervous about is that my girl said they will testing how I handle pain. I guess I will get pinched. Hard. My girl isn't sure where. She said maybe my side or one of the pads on my feet. My girl pinched me both places and then had my boy do it too. Not really necessary as I know not to bite or snap at them. Wouldn't they have been surprised if I had. If I had fingers, I would have pinched them back to see how they like that. I will try really hard to not react but all you dogs know that sometimes when a stranger does something mean, it's hard not to let them know what you think about it.

If everything goes well, I'll soon be going every Tuesday to visit sick or injured kids who are stuck in the hospital and hopefully help them feel better. Eventually I can also visit the hospice area. I don't know if I want to do that or not. I really like making people feel better but it would be so sad. Something to think about I guess.

Wish me luck tomorrow! I'll be sure to follow up with my adventure.

New camera

2009-04-22T20:32:00.007-04:00

My girl got a new camera. She took lots of pictures today as she learned how to use it. Some of them came out quite nice. She hated the old camera she had and had gotten lazy with taking pictures for my blog. Now I should have lots of pictures of ME to share with you. And I guess maybe a few of Stella too. Like these.

This is me happily chewing on a stick....

And then that awful Stella.....

..........stole it!!!

She is such a brat.

Summer Reading

2009-04-14T08:04:00.005-04:00

Great news! My girl said yesterday that she had received an email from the library lady asking if we would be interested in continuing the Waggin' Tales reading program into the summer. Usually they only do it during the months that school is in and take a break over the summer. I was thinking about this the last time I was there and how sad I would be to not get to visit with the kids and hear their stories. I'm very happy to get to keep going. This is my favorite volunteer job.

Updates

2009-04-10T09:39:00.003-04:00

Last Saturday was my day to go to the library and read with the kids. I love library day! This is me listening to a really funny story that a little girl read to me about a kid detective who is searching for his missing dog in a department store.

I also really enjoy reading to myself in between kids. Here I am thinking about the story.

Saturday was also my girl's birthday so after we got home from the library her family came over for a party. Stella and I spent a lot of time playing outside with Bon-it. My girl was inside cooking so she wasn't able to get a picture of us running around the big yard together. Stupid Stella almost had to ruin our fun by rolling in some deer poop. Fortunately she was cleaned up quickly. My girl's dad had to run to the store to pick up something she needed so all us dogs got to ride in his big truck. Library, CAR RIDES....what a day!!!!

My girl has finally got an interview scheduled next week to for us to volunteer at the hospital. If she does well with it, I will go in the week after for my part of the interview. I'm not at all worried about passing it. I'm Domi, the Super Therapy Dog!

Shhh....

2009-04-02T09:14:00.002-04:00

Don't tell my girl but I waited until she was asleep last night and sneaked back into the bedroom. My boy had made me leave but he didn't get the door latched. Heh heh. My girl woke up at one point during the night but I held my breath until she fell back asleep. When she got up this morning and saw me, she just patted me on the head so I knew I wasn't in trouble. It is very hard not to snore.

I have some scary news. My girl has noticed some changes in the tumor on my neck and told my boy that she thinks I need to go back to see Dr. Lucroy to make sure everything is okay. I'm a little nervous.

On the bright side though, I will steal a phrase from Ruby Isabelle whose blog I really enjoy reading as she is a wise young pup (so much more than Stella).

Life is good when you get to sleep next to your boy and girl.

All alone....

2009-03-31T11:35:00.001-04:00

It happened. My snoring has gotten me kicked out of my spot beside the bed. I'm a sad pup.

Zzzzzzz

2009-03-27T09:44:00.002-04:00

I need help. Seriously. I snore. I snore loudly. My girl says it sounds like an old man is in the bedroom. I snore so loudly that even after my girl kicks me out of the bedroom and I go sleep in the hall or the study, she still hears me. All you dogs know that a dog is supposed to sleep in the bedroom to protect their humans. My girl is so upset with me waking her up multiple times during the night that she is threatening to ban me from the bedroom at night. How am I supposed to make sure she is okay if I can't be near her?

Does anyone know a way for me to get my snoring under control? I was thinking maybe those breath right strips that people use might help but my nose is too fuzzy to stick them on.

My weekend

2009-03-23T10:10:00.003-04:00

Here I am, one very happy dog on a CAR RIDE!!! I almost got to go on a very long trip when my boy and girl decided to drive down to the ocean this weekend. They were worried they wouldn't be able to find a hotel that allowed dogs so I got left at my boy's parent's house. That was okay though. They bought me tennis balls and we played together and had a lot of fun. Stella, who you cannot see in this picture because she is curled up in a little ball as she is afraid of CAR RIDES (silly girl) had a lot of fun playing with our cousins Crazy Daisy and Molly. The people were told not to give me any of their food but I still got lots of treats and I got to take naps on the sofa all I wanted (my girl and boy don't allow us on the furniture). My boy's parents were so impressed at how well all four of us dogs got along and behaved that they said we can come back anytime we wanted. I had only been there once before and wasn't taken back because I wasn't nice to Molly the first time. It was right after I first came to live with my boy and girl though and was really nervous. I'm much more laid back now.

We are all back home again now. Hopefully there will be another fun CAR RIDE again for me in the near future.

Happy birthday Stella!

2009-02-15T10:59:00.003-05:00

Yesterday was Stella's birthday but no one was home to celebrate it so we will pamper her today. She had some yummy turkey bacon and apples for breakfast and is laying in her favorite sunbeam spot enjoying a nice birthday nap. Later we are going over to Bon-it's house to play and eat more good food.

If you saw the way she runs around all the time with her tail wagging at the speed of a hummingbird, you'd never believe that she is now five years old. I think when she is my age, everyone will still think she is still just a young pup. I guess I will be nice to her today and let her play with my favorite toy, the Kong Wubba. And if she destroys it, maybe my girl will get me a new one.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY STELLA!

New Job?

2009-02-12T19:15:00.002-05:00

Good news. My girl told me that she is working on getting me a couple of new jobs volunteering at 2 hospitals. One is at a hospital for children. My girl said not to get too excited just yet because before we would be allowed to go we have to complete a lengthy process interviewing and training. She is still waiting for more information on the other hospital as to what we would need to do to set up visiting it. I'm really hopeful about getting to go to at least one of them. A bored Border Collie is a sad Border Collie. And I'm tired of having to keep Stella company all the time. She stole my favorite toy and I haven't quite forgiven her yet.

Floor cleaning

2009-02-05T08:51:00.003-05:00

This is just a little note to any humans that read this blog.

If your dog that normally sleeps all night without disturbing you (other than a little snoring) tries to wake you up, do not ignore that dog. If, in the morning when you do finally get up after ignoring the dog, you discover a big smelly mess on the floor, do not blame the dog.

Boring!!!

2009-02-03T20:39:00.003-05:00

I'm still around but I haven't had anything to share lately. I don't get to go to work with my girl anymore because she changed jobs. She also works later hours and doesn't have time to take me for visits to the nursing home in the evenings either. We've gotten lots of snow and everyone is just wanting to stay home. No CAR RIDES, no visits, no playing outside in the garden. Just laying around and being bored.

I can't wait until spring when everyone will want to be outside and to play again.

My very first blog award

2008-12-21T18:54:00.002-05:00

This is from Ruby Isabella. I'm going to copy her translation and what it means so please don't accuse me of being a copy cat (hee hee). Anyway....no more bad jokes.....here's the meaning of it.

"This blog invests and believes the PROXIMITY - nearness in space, time and relationships!" In other clearer words, "These blogs are exceedingly charming. These kind bloggers aim to find and be friends. They are not interested in prizes or self-aggrandizement. Our hope is that when the ribbons of these prizes are cut, even more friendships are propagated. Please give more attention to these writers! Deliver this award to eight bloggers who must choose eight more and include this cleverly-written text into the body of their award."

I'm pasing it along to these new friends I've made recently.

The 4 Musketeers
Amber Mae

I'd pass it along to more but I am still making friends and some have already received it.

Xmas is coming up soon and I hope everyone gets lots of bones and chewy treats. Have you all made your lists for Santa? I'm just about done and Stella has asked me to help her. She doesn't know how to spell very well. If I don't get my girl to let me on the computer again, I hope you all have a very wonderful holiday.

Xmas is coming

2008-12-13T07:56:00.002-05:00

Oooo, look at all the pretty presents under the tree. Hope Stella and I get some. We've tried to be so good all year. Do you see our faces how we are trying to convince our boy and girl that we need some new treats and toys?

I'm worried

2008-12-10T20:39:00.004-05:00

My girl has not taken me to work in 2 weeks. I'm starting to get worried. If I continue to be absent, maybe they'll fire me. I keep hearing about how bad the economy is and unemployment being record high. Doesn't she realize that this is not the time for me to have a long period of unexcused absences? I begged her to take me this morning but she said that my paws were too muddy. Seriously, is that any reason to leave a poor pup at home? Other than the library on Saturday, I have not been for a CAR RIDE in forever. I can't control the weather!!!! It's not my fault that the weather has been so awful and I can't keep my paws clean. And on top of that, I'm stuck with Stella all day. ALL DAY!!!! I hope her stupidity is not contagious.

Just in case the paper towel tube didn't convince anyone of Stella's stupidity, this story will. My girl and boy had to go to the store. While they were gone, Stella got a bag of screws and bolts off the counter. She said the plastic was yummy. I don't think she actually ate more than one or two of the screws and fortunately, they are really, really small ones so she should be fine but the plastic bag is now in her tummy. That dog can eat anything and not get a tummy ache too.

So please, is there anyone who can convince my girl to take me to work tomorrow? I really need to go. I'm trying to use my special dog hypnotic stare on her but it doesn't seem to working. Am I doing something wrong?

Robots and NFL heroes

2008-12-07T16:09:00.004-05:00

I had a good visit at the library yesterday. We had a heavy snowfall in the morning so my girl and I didn't expect too many kids to come in but we were actually busier than last month. I've gotten a lot more used to kids than I was when my girl first brought me home. They used to make me nervous but spending time with them (and getting lots of treats) has made me realize that they aren't so bad. Most of them are actually more gentle when they pet me than some of the older folks in the nursing home who don't have as much control of their arms and hands anymore. Our first visitor was a little boy who read to me a book about robots. I was really impressed by the big words he was able to read. Our next visitor was a little boy who read to me about some football champions. This I knew a little about because my boy loves football, much the same way as I love CAR RIDES. In 2 years, I've seen a few games on the television.

Our third visitor of the morning was an 11 year old girl. She has been really resistant to reading and was nervous reading out loud to me and my girl. My girl came up with a great idea in that she went and sat in the other side of the room (its really big). It almost worked but then someone came in and started talking to her mom. I think she started to feel a little too much pressure and was done. Hopefully she'll come back and read to me next month. Isn't it sad when you want to be able to do something well but are too shy and worried about looking dumb to be able to try. I bet Stella feels that way sometimes. She can be awfully stupid.

A big thank you to the wonderful librarians who made me a cute card and gave me a big of treats (my girl says I have to be nice and share them with stupid Stella). Queenie, the other volunteer dog also got some. I don't know if she deserved them since she always barks at me. My girl says to be nice because Queenie was volunteering at the library first and maybe she feels threatened and thinks I am trying to steal the kids away. Maybe she's right but it isn't very nice to bark in another dogs face when they are trying to be nice and sniff noses. Maybe she's just jealous of how much prettier I am.

Hopefully my girl will take me to work this week instead of leaving me home. I won't be going to the nursing home this month since my girl is busy with the holidays and stuff. If she doesn't take me to work, it will be a long, boring month for me just hanging out with Stella. And in case you don't believe me how silly she is, take a look at this picture. Stella gets confused and thinks that a cardboard tube from an empty roll of paper towels is a baby. She carries it around and growls at me if I get near her. Like I would want to steal it and look dumb like her.

Zzzzzzz

2008-12-04T17:15:00.003-05:00

It's cold out. Not much to do. Stella and I have been mostly hanging out in the house. She's always trying to snuggle with me. I think its that short coat of hers. She needs a nice fluffy (and pretty) coat like mine to keep her warm. She's always trying to find spots where the sun is shining in and laying in the sunbeam too. Maybe I can find a home in Florida for her? Anyone need a new dog? She's mostly good, just a little crazy and goofy. Aww, I guess she better stay here. My girl does seem to like her too. After all she does for me, I wouldn't want to make her sad.

Catch up

2008-11-28T20:18:00.003-05:00

First off, hello to my new friends! It's really cool to get to know other dogs from all over the world. I'm looking forward to reading your blogs and getting to know you better.

I never finished telling about my big night at the Hamilton County Humane Society Fundraiser. (It's so hard to get the computer away from my people....)The evening was so great. I wish I could have a copy of the presentation to put on here. My girl and I were in another room waiting for the time to make our entrance so we didn't get to see all of it but my boy said there wasn't a dry eye in the place. And in that place, there were lots and lots of people. It was packed!!! The presentation focused on what the HS does here and why they rely so much on support from the community. They are so awesome because euthanasia is a very, very last resort for them. There were 7 of us dogs there and a bunch of cats with our owners representing the successful adoptions the shelter has had. Some of the dogs and cats had started out with very sad lives. One dog had scars down her back from where her previous owner had poured hot motor oil on her. Another one had been thrown from the 4th floor of a construction site. He had a broken pelvis and broken legs. Sparky had an abscessed eye caused by a skull fracture. Angel was a pit bull who was abandoned by her owner because she wouldn't listen to him. Too bad he didn't realize that she is completely deaf. As I've said on here before, I was left at the shelter when I was 10 years old....I wish I knew why. But the presentation ended on a happy note. All of us have been adopted by wonderful owners thanks to a shelter that fixed our hurts inside and out and didn't put us on a time limit to find our right family. After all us had come out on the stage, the audience all stood and up and gave us a huge ovation. What a happy night. I hope the shelter made lots of money so that they can continue helping all the the poor, broken, unloved puppies and kitties out there find happy homes like we have.

I hope everyone had a happy Thanksgiving yesterday. Stella and I celebrated ours today with yummy leftovers. I can't wait to see what we will have for our xmas meal.

Oh, and just in case you were wondering why I haven't put any pictures of the fundraiser....you'll have to ask my boy why he didn't take any.

Going to bed...

2008-11-20T21:58:00.001-05:00

I'm off to bed but I just wanted to let everyone know that I'm home from the Humane Society fundraiser. What a night! It was awesome. I'm a little worn out from it all right now but I'll post about it tomorrow.

Yawn......

Update...

2008-11-19T20:12:00.002-05:00

I went to see Dr. Lucroy Monday. He said the tumor is continuing to remain the same. He also took xrays to make sure there wasn't anything else growing or spreading that we would need to be concerned about. The xray technician wasn't there to look over them but Dr. Lucroy said he didn't see anything to worry about and that if the other person did, he would let us know. So far we haven't heard anything more so I guess no news is good news. He also said I was looking well and that unles my boy and girl notice any changes in my breathing or if my snoring gets worse, he wouldn't need to see me again for 2-3 months. My girl said she didn't think my snoring could get any worse. I feel bad about it but I am such a deep sleeper. It happens once you turn 12.

I went to work with my girl today and would you believe someone showed up with a puppy? People are so fickle. All of a sudden everyone stopped paying attention to me to go on and on with some dumb little pup. The silly thing has these long ears the drag the ground and the shortest legs ever. I don't know what was so cute about it. It doesn't even know how to trick the people into getting treats. I know all kinds of things like catching a frisbee or using mind control tricks with my eyes. At least it didn't stay long and then everyone was ready to love me again. hmmph.

Well, tomorrow is the big day. I went to the groomer yesterday and I do look lovely. So soft and fluffy. I bet I'll steal the show. I just need to decide whether or not to wear my cool red therapy dog vest.

The life of a volunteer dog...

2008-11-14T08:11:00.002-05:00

I've been a little busy this week. I went to work with my girl on Monday. I was due for my annual check up and some vaccinations so she called Dr. Lee at BRAC to make us appointment. Turned out he had an opening after we got off work. I had on my new Therapy Dog vest which everyone thought was really cool and made me feel so special. It's red which is my color and I think I look pretty doggone good in it. I wasn't sure what I thought of it when I first put it on but I got so much praise after that I decided that if the therapy dog stuff doesn't work out for me, I may have to be a model.

Anyway, everything checked out fine with the vet. My ears are a little dry and irratated but no infection. That's good. I had one before and it wasn't fun. No parasites are living in my tummy either. I'm sure all the chemo I've had probably zapped any that were in there. We are now just waiting for Dr. Lee to mail us back the form TDI requires to license me as a Therapy Dog and I am good for the next year.

We went to the nursing home on Wednesday too. It was a cold, rainy day which seemed to make most of the residents there want to nap. We didn't get to visit with too many people but I did get a few pettings. I met a new man there. He'd had dogs his whole life and I could just tell that he enjoyed scratching a dog behind the ears.

That's it for this week. I'm going to be super busy next week.....got the Humane Society Fundraiser next Thursday. I sure wish everyone could come out and see me. I'm going to the groomer the day before so I know I will look lovely. Hopefully my girl will take pictures for me to share. I also will be seeing Dr. Lucroy. Cross your fingers for me. I feel like this dumb ol' lump in my neck has been getting harder. I can live with that, I just don't want it getting bigger.

My weekend

2008-11-03T09:20:00.004-05:00

Saturday was a really fun day. Other than Queenie, who is a little dog that barks a lot, I liked the library. It wasn't very busy. Some of the kids parents canceled their appointment because of being sick (too much Halloween candy, I wonder) and it was also Fall Break for the schools. The kids that were there were all really well behaved. Some were too shy to read but they still petted me. I liked a lot of the moms too. They really know how to give a good scratch behind the ears. In between visits, my girl tossed the ball for me so we weren't ever bored. I am looking forward to going back next month.

After the library, we went to a training class. There was a big Golden Retriever there named Charlie. He is like all other Goldies, very happy and friendly. We got along well. The class was to show us the things we will need to know when we start visiting the VA hospital. It seems to involve getting lots of treats and chasing the ball. I think I can live with that. I assume it will also involve CAR RIDES. I'm really enjoying this Therapy Dog work.

On Sunday, we spent a lot of time outside. Can you believe the sun was shining and the temperature was over 70'? In November!!! We had a little cook out too. I put a picture of me and that silly Stella on here. Just so you know, I never have any Stella pictures on here because she never stays still long enough for anyone to take one. This time she was worn out from chasing the ball. As you can see, I have my eye on the ball, ready to go after it some more.

I think this month will be busy. We have the Tinsel and Tales party coming up and the rehearsal before it. Also 2 nursing home trips, Turkey Day (yum!), another visit to Dr. Lucroy and I think I am also due to go see Dr. Lee. Whew!

I also turned 12 last month. My girl was a little late on remembering my birthday but she made up for it by giving me some really delicious treats. I'm not much worried about having a birthday even if I am getting older. Everyone tells me I don't at all look my age.

Big weekend

2008-10-29T10:23:00.002-04:00

On Saturday, I will have my first trip to the library where kids will read stories to me. I don't know what to expect but my girl assures me that I will be great at it. It actually sounds a little relaxing. That's a good thing because later in the afternoon, we will be going to a training for volunteering at the VA hospital. What a lot of steps are involved in that. My girl got a big envelope with the application and volunteer manual in the mail the other day. She has to go and get TB tested 2 times in two weeks plus this training thing that is more for me to see if I can do all that is needed. I think it will involve helping with patients who are in physical therapy. My girl said that one thing involves having a ball rolled for me to go get. How easy! Well, at least for me. I guess if you have been injured, rolling a ball could be difficult.

Sad news for this week too. On the way to work the other morning, someone hit the back of my girl's car. MY CAR!!!!! Now its gone away and she is driving this other car that I don't like as much. It is really hard for me to get in and out of it. My girl promised me that we would have our car back soon though. I hope so. My girl wasn't hurt so don't worry about that. We are both happy that I didn't go to work with her that day either. How stressful that would have been!

That's all for now. Its been a quiet week for me. I'll be back to tell everyone how Saturday goes for me.

Hey Bonnie!

2008-10-20T16:37:00.005-04:00

I found a really big bug outside. I wanted to keep it as a pet but my girl said to let it go. Oh well.

Check up

2008-10-16T13:51:00.003-04:00

I went to see Dr. Lucroy this morning. He measured the tumor and said that it might be just a tiny bit bigger and also feels firmer. He said that he isn't worried about it though because I seem to be doing good otherwise. He does want to see me again in another month just be sure that the tumor is still stable. That's what he says anyway. I think its because he will miss me if I stop going in to see him.

I was supposed to go to the nursing home yesterday. My girl kinda forgot though. On the days that we are supposed to go, she takes me to work with her and then we go straight from there to the place. We have gotten off schedule with vacations and then with me having tummy troubles.... Also yesterday morning it was pouring down rain so I stayed home and we just forgot about it. I feel bad but since my girl is the one who is in charge of my schedule, I'll blame her.

I'm at work today. My girl has humiliated me by making me wear one of the t-shirts that they gave out to everyone not long ago. Everyone says I look cute but I don't believe them. How can a blue t-shirt look better than my own soft shiny fur?

3 dogs, 2 girls and a 62 impala

2008-10-13T08:14:00.003-04:00

What a fun adventure I had Sunday! Me, my girl, her friend Alysha, Stella and Alysha's dog Ellie piled into Alysha's big ol' Impala and went to the pumpkin patch. I love that CAR! It was big and roomy and I could see all around me. Can you see the happy look on my face? That's Ellie that you can see beside me. Stella is hiding on the floor. She still isn't sure about things that move fast.

We drove out in the country to the greatest pumpkin patch. We dogs helped the girls pick out the best pumpkins to take home. And they got yummy, hot cinnamon donuts for us all to share. All us dogs were on our best behavior so we would be sure to get some. After we left the pumpkin place, we headed over to see my girl's mom. She had cheese and pears to share with us. My girl and Alysha had planned a picnic too. We were having so much fun with my girl's mom and Bon-it that we decided to stay and have the picnic in the back yard. After that we all piled back in the CAR and headed home. Stella and I were so worn out by our exciting day that we went straight to bed.

I wish everyday could be so fun.

Me, for a good cause!

2008-10-09T12:46:00.004-04:00

I mentioned it before that I will be part of the Humane Society's holiday fundraiser on November 20th. I think all my girl's and my boy's family should come see me too. I promise to be on my best behavior and looking so soft and fluffy and beautiful. And best of all, the money goes to a good cause. The Humane Society does so much to find happy homes for all the poor abandoned puppies and kitties. So come see me on stage and eat some good food!

All the info for the event is in my previous post. If you want to go, let my girl know and she can RSVP for you.

Holiday Event for a good cause!

2008-10-09T12:41:00.003-04:00

Tinsel & Tails Holiday Petacular 2008

Thursday, November 20th

Tinsel and Tails Holiday Petacular is a family friendly event where you can share an evening with your family, friends and co-workers filled with music, an excellent dinner catered by Oak Hill Mansion and a heart-warming presentation featuring some of our most amazing pet adoption and survival stories of the year.

Silent auction items will include everything from autographed sports memorabilia, gift certificates for upscale dining, spa packages, golf packages, pet gifts, jewelry, and more.

The silent auction begins and hors d’oeuvres will be served from 5:30pm to 7pm followed by the presentation and dinner. A cash bar
will be available.

Tickets are $65 per person or $120 per couple.
Tables seating eight are $450.
To reserve a seat or table, please contact Rebecca Stevens at hamiltonhumane@yahoo.com or call 317-219-3324.

Big Fire and lots of sticks

2008-10-08T09:15:00.000-04:00

What a fun Friday night! My girl and boy made a big fire out in the yard. I don't care so much about that but they stayed outside and sat around it. My boy's family came over too so I sure got lots of pettings. The most exciting part though was all the sticks that were around. I don't know if I have mentioned this but one of my favorite things besides CAR RIDES and cat food, is sticks. I love when my boy and girl throw sticks for me. I love chewing on sticks. Sticks are awesome (do you see in the photo that I have a really yummy one?). The only problem with the fire is that they kept sticking the sticks into the fire. I'm sure you all know that fires are hot. Too hot to go sticking your paws in to get sticks out. But I think I was able to get several chewed on before they could go burning them. Humans are really funny too. They had special sticks that they wouldn't let me have. These sticks were also the yummiest. They kept sticking these fluffy white things on them and then sticking them in the fire. Then they would eat them. The fluffy white things were okay but the residue they left on the sticks was delicious. But after all I do for them, my people wouldn't share them with me. They get weird like that.

The night did get chilly later and the fire ended up feeling good on my fluffy coat. I hope we all hang out together like that again soon. Even Stella was good. She entertained those little kid things that came with my boy's family so that I could concentrate on sticks and being petted. We were one big happy pack. I would have put a picture on here of Stella too so that you could see her having fun but that dog won't ever stay still long enough. All the pictures were just a black blur. Oh well, its my blog about me, not her.

Back to normal

2008-10-07T09:22:00.002-04:00

My vacation wasn't quite what I expected. In fact I was a little stressed. Staying at a house you haven't been to is a bit of an adjustment. I started getting worried that maybe it was a trick. you know how sometimes humans say things to get you to do something you wouldn't do otherwise. Like they say "Let's go for a CAR RIDE" and get you all excited but its not really just a CAR RIDE, its a trip to the vet and you are going to get poked with lots of needles and stuff? So I started thinking that maybe it wasn't a vacation. Maybe this was my new home. But would my girl do that to me? I didn't want to believe it but I never thought my old family would send me to a new home either. All the stress started to get to me and I was having some problems. First a little constipation and then once it started it wouldn't stop. Of course, I had just had chemo before that so I was already a little sensitive in my tummy. I kept getting in trouble over what to eat and what not to eat too. Apparently, just because there is a bowl of food on the floor, doesn't mean you aren't allowed to eat it. There were two bowls, one with good food and one with icky stuff. Every time I tried to eat the good stuff, I would get yelled at and told it was the cat's food. Why, I ask, does a worthless ball of fluff get the good stuff, when I a noble, beautiful, hard working canine am reduced to eating bland chunks of mystery stuff? Hmmph. Cats.....

I'm back at home now. My tummy has settled down and I just stayed around the house and relaxed all last week. Now I'm feeling all better and ready to get back to work and CAR RIDES! The Library Lady emailed my girl and wants us to start working November 1st. I'm a bit nervous about these little kid things. You never know what they are going to do. My girl says not to worry though because these will be good ones that will just lay beside me and read a story. My girl reads stories all the time and she is so quiet and still when she does it so maybe it won't be too bad. We also have the nursing home to visit next week. We didn't make it last week because of my tummy troubles. My girl was afraid I might have another accident. Sheesh, I will never get to live that down, will I? Its not my fault that I'm a little sensitive. Maybe if I wasn't being given drugs all the time, I wouldn't have problems.

Oh, before I go for now, I have one other thing. Stella had a blast on vacation! She finally decided that just because Bon-it is big and has an even bigger bark, she is still lots of fun. While I was stuck living with someone's cat for a week and tied up in the yard, she was running around loose and playing lots of games with Bon-it and this is almost too much....she got to go for lots of CAR RIDES. In the BIG TRUCK too. I'm happy that she had so much fun but I am a little jealous. I think everyone likes her better now. Poor me.

Vacation!

2008-09-18T10:21:00.003-04:00

I'm looking forward to being on vacation. What a busy week. I stayed home from work today to take a break. We had a good visit at the nursing home last night. My tummy has been reacting much better to the chemo this time so no worries about any accidents.

I visited with a very sweet woman yesterday. She seemed very happy for the company. She told us about the Boxers her family had when her son was a little boy (he's 52 now). Their names were Duke and Baron. She was a dear and asked for us to come back and see her next time we are there. I also got to see a couple of my other friends too. We always get there at nap time so some people are still sleeping. We just tiptoe past them and let them get their rest. Being an older girl myself, I know how they deserve it.

I'm heading to my girl's family this afternoon. I'm even getting a break from that silly Stella. She'll be at my girl's parents and I'll be with her brother. I'll miss my girl and my boy but I think I will still have a good time. My girl's brother just got home from someplace called Iraq and hasn't started working yet. He and I will be hanging out all day being buddies. And then when his wife comes home, I'll get tons of love from her. It will be nice to be an only dog. There will be a cat there but I don't pay much attention to those little meow-y fluff balls. Oh, did I mention that my girl said they are great cooks? I can't hardly wait.

Have a good week.

All done!

2008-09-16T11:48:00.004-04:00

I had my final chemo treatment today. They said the tumor is stable and shouldn't bother me. I go back in a month for a check up to be sure that I'm all better.

This picture is of me at work with my girl trying to convince her that I need another treat from the goody bag I got as a reward for being a good chemo patient. Its got some really yummy treats. I just hope no one expects me to share with that silly Stella. She is such a pig that she'll probably eat them all in 2 seconds. She stole my treat right out from under my nose the other morning. My girl made sure that I got hers though so I felt much better. Stella's plan to get them all backfired. She swallowed mine so quickly that she had to later ask me what it even was and had to watch me eat hers like the lady dog I am.

I've got a busy week. There were some friends of my boy staying with us over the weekend. Today was chemo day, tomorrow I am going to the nursing home to visit my friends there and then Thursday my girl will take me to to her family's house to stay for a week while she and my boy take a trip somewhere. Whew! I sure will be ready for a rest.

Now if I could just get another one of those yummy treats to keep my strength up......

All better

2008-09-08T10:49:00.002-04:00

Good news, the medicine has been working and I haven't had any more accidents. I can go visit without being embarrassed. I got some blood work today and everything is looking nice and normal with it. Now I just need to go to the groomer and get all cleaned up and trimmed. Hopefully my girl will make an appointment for me to go soon. She and my boy are having friends in town for the weekend and I need to look pretty for them.

Feeling better

2008-09-07T08:15:00.002-04:00

My girl got some medicine for me and I've been feeling a lot better. I did have one other accident in the house during the night but not since. I was so worried that I would be in trouble for going on the carpet. I was just trying to get as far away from the bedroom as I could so the smell wouldn't wake them up. I have to admit that with this chemo, my poop sure is stinky. I want to get far away from it too.

I have to get better soon because my boy and girl will be going on vacation soon. No one will let me come visit if I'm having accidents. My girl said that she might change my food to something really bland and boring to help keep my tummy calm. I'm sure if I bat my eyes and look pretty, I'll still get some treats.

I think I will be staying with my girl's brother and his wife Michelle. I love Michelle. She is so sweet and gentle, just like me! I like my girl's brother a lot too but I think he prefers Stella over me. They like to play rough together and chase around the house where I prefer just to snuggle and maybe catch a ball. My girl's brother just got home from Iraq where he has been for the past year. Everyone is so happy to have him back home.

I was going to stay with my girl's mom but she said three dogs is just too many for a week. I agree. Stella and Bon-it wear me out. They both just want to play and run around all the time and try to steal my turn for pettings and CAR RIDES. This way I'll be an only dog and maybe Michelle and I will take lots of quiet little walks together. I wonder if she'll let me sleep on the bed too. Maybe at least a sofa.

YAWN....I think its time for a nap. Stella woke us all up too early this morning.

Humiliation!

2008-09-04T08:02:00.009-04:00

I am so embarrassed. Yesterday was my day to visit all the nice people in the nursing home. There were so many people to visit with and they all told me how pretty I am. I was feeling a little antsy though and just not into staying for long. My girl just thought I was being curious and wanting to check everything out. I might have been but I had more serious thoughts on my mind. My tummy was just starting to feel kinda icky....you know that feeling when you just really need to find a nice green patch of lawn.....I was trying so hard to hold it in though because a very nice woman wanted me to come in her room to visit.......I don't know if I should even say this.....I'm just so embarrassed........I just had to go sooooo bad......and well.......

I pooped. Right there in the hallway. I just couldn't help it.

I felt so much better after though and was ready to go visit some more. There was one guy who saw it all happen. I didn't think I would want to see him after that but he was so nice about it. He told me it happens, especially in a place like that. The activity director who works with us when we go there, she thought it was really funny. She said that the maintenance guy is really lazy and she enjoyed seeing him upset to have to work.

Yesterday just wasn't my day at all. When I got home Stella was happy to see me until we went outside. We had a little misunderstanding that turned into a big fight. It wasn't exactly a fair fight either since I didn't feel good. Good thing my girl heard us and came to the rescue. Stella had to have a time out for it.

My tummy has still been upset and I've had some more icky poop so my girl said she'd call Dr. Lucroy to see if everything is okay with me. I had an accident in the house over the weekend too (I'm such a bad dog lately) that my girl thought she saw blood in so she is a little worried about me. I guess its just the chemo. Good thing I only have to have one more treatment.

And the worst thing about all this is that my girl is making me stay home and relax instead of going for CAR RIDES!

Whew! I'm tired.

2008-08-21T11:35:00.004-04:00

What a day yesterday! I went to work with my girl and visited with everyone there and then after work, I went to my second job at the nursing home. I met lots of people and got lots of petting. A couple of people told us about their dogs that they used to have. We spent about an hour there but it seemed so much longer. Two levels with lots of hallways to go up and down. I definitely enjoyed it and look forward to going back next week. I just hope I don't have to go in that weird box thing again....I think my girl called it an elevator. I didn't like it one bit. It's scary and I don't get scared easily.

My girl was surprised that I went straight to bed when we got home. We both forget that I'm eleven and that I get tired a little quicker than when I was a pup.

Oh, one other thing. My chemo that I was supposed to have today had to be rescheduled to next week. Something about a hurricane or something in a place called Florida has delayed shipment of the medication. I suppose it is okay because it gave me a chance to stay home and rest and keep Stella company.

My boy and his dog

2008-08-19T09:00:00.007-04:00

This is a picture of me and Guinness helping with the gardening last summer. My boy has been really sad this week because it was year ago that Guinness left us. My boy really misses him and worries that he made the wrong decision in ending Guinnie's life. Guinness was 13 and was starting to get some icky arthritis that was making him hurt and slow down from his ball chasing. My boy had been concerned about this and working with the vets to try to make Guinnie feel better. After coming home from a weekend trip, my girl and boy returned home to find Guinness in really bad shape. He seemed to be really suffering and in a lot of pain. They rushed him to an emergency vet who did some tests on poor Guinnie and discovered that he had cancer. It was down around his tummy and had spread bad. After consulting with Dr. Webb, My boy had to make a really hard decision. Even though he really worries that he might have given up to soon, none of us think he did. Guinness had a really good last day with my boy and girl. Stella and I went to visit my girl's parents so that Guinness would have all the attention to himself. The weather was perfect for playing in the yard with a ball. Guinness was so obsessed with chasing balls. Sometimes he'd get really nutty and try to stuff a couple in his mouth and then chase another to try to get it stuffed in there too. They also had a picnic outside with yummy grilled cheese sandwiches.

Our friend Alysha who works at the Broad Ripple Clinic arranged for Dr. Lee to come to the house to give Guinnie his last shot. I'm really glad I wasn't there. Everyone was so heartbroken. I hope that I'll always be as loved as Guinnie had been his whole life. I know Guinnie also really loved his boy and trusted him to keep him free from any pain and suffering. I know I can trust my boy and girl to do the same for me and Stella.

What a weekend!

2008-08-18T20:59:00.002-04:00

What a fun weekend. My boy and girl went away for a few days so Stella and I went to stay at my girl's parents. We always have such a good time there playing with Bon-it (the dog that lives there). And gosh, do we eat good! Because of my sensitive tummy (from the chemo), my girl and boy don't give me much treats. Forget the dry stuff when we are there though! I dislike it so much that I have to scoot the food bowl off the rug and then I try to cover the bowl with the rug to hide it. It seems to fool my girl's mom when I do that because then she gives me good food. I'd try to tell you all I had but like she said, it would be easier to list what we didn't.I didn't even get sick from all of it!

We all went for lots of CAR RIDES too. I prefer to be without the other dogs. They don't seem to get that there is work involved. While I'm trying to control traffic and keep all those cars in line, Stella and Bon-it just like to go from window to window and get in my way. One time we ended up in a big field. Bon-it and Stella just wanted to run around and play but I decided to stay in the car. I was hoping maybe we could just leave them there for a little bit so I could get some work done.

Bon-it is the funniest, happiest go lucky dog. So opposite of Stella who's always nervous about everything and everyone. Bon-it just wants to play and love, play and love. Even though she is huge (70+ pounds), she is still pretty young. She had a really serious accident last summer when she got hit by a car. Would you believe the woman driving didn't stop? Poor Bon-it was trapped underneath the car. The woman went a block dragging her until some people got her to finally stop. The car then had to be jacked up to get Bon-it out from underneath it. She was against the exhaust and had horrible burns that went into the muscle. The vet had to wire her hip back together too. She's all healed now but the fur the will never grow back where the burns were. Its just black scar tissue. She's a pretty blond too. Such a shame. It hasn't affected her personality at all though. She still loves everyone and everything. Especially chasing Stella and playing with Miley, the dog next door and her best friend.

Even though we had a great time, we were so excited to see our girl and boy (and to take a CAR RIDE!). Its good to be home. I get to go to work in the morning too!

New gig!

2008-08-12T13:23:00.004-04:00

My girl finally got in touch with a woman at a nursing that she has leaving messages with back and forth for a couple of weeks. She said they are excited to have me come visit because their residents love dogs. My girl has to go in and fill out an application for us and get a TB test first. She's going to try to do that tomorrow and then we'll be able to get started. I think I'll be going once a week. We'll be going after work so once we start I'll have a long day but think of all the petting I will get! Have I mentioned how much I like older people? Don't tell but I think they are better than little kids.

UPDATE:
I start next Wednesday at the nursing home.

I'm a celebrity!

2008-08-06T12:31:00.003-04:00

Okay, I'm not really a celebrity but because of my girl's email to the humane society, we've been asked to be part of their holiday fundraiser in November. How exciting is that? They will be sharing amazing adoptions and survival stories during the dinner. Its at a fancy reception hall, the kind that dogs don't usually get to go inside. My girl said there will be a silent auction and hors d'oeuvres followed by dinner. Hope they will share them with me. I bet it will be yummy!

Humane Society

2008-08-06T08:57:00.013-04:00

Yesterday my girl emailed the Humane Society she had adopted me from to tell them about the new life I have since being adopted by her and my boy. She said they see so many sad things everyday (kinda like she does at her job) that maybe they'd like to hear a good story. This is the response she just received:

Thank you so much for updating us on Dominique’s new life. It is people like you who really make a difference in these animals’ lives. We love to hear these kinds of stories, it makes our job a little easier knowing there are people in the world who really do care. Thank you for giving Domi a loving home and a second chance at life.

I really am lucky that I was adopted by such wonderful people. While I don't fault people who do want a purebreed (after all, I am and quite proud of it), I do want to encourage people to check their local shelters first and also breed rescues. Its a good way to get a really good dog for much less and to save a life at the same time. And if you do go to a breeder, make sure its a reputable one who really cares, not a puppy mill that's all about making money.

Oh wow, my girl just received another response from a different person at the Humane Society as I was writing this. And they remember me! Here it is:

Thanks so much for your update on Domi - I remember her well (not to mention the fact that we somehow had her down as a male). It is very heartwarming to hear back about how our dogs have done - and we do consider them ours, as most of the staff spends more time with them than we do our own dogs. She is truly a miracle and was placed with you for a purpose. Thanks again for the update!

That's a great response! It makes me feel good even if they did think I was a boy. I don't know why since I'm so pretty. My boy and girl get a chuckle out of it as they say I am a bit prissy. Hmmph, they should try keeping white paws clean.

I'm at work today and I should go see if anyone needs to pet me.

Bad Dog

2008-08-05T13:28:00.002-04:00

Well, my girl is at work but I'm not. I'm stuck hanging out at home with Stella. There was a big storm last night with lots of thunder. My girl and boy just don't seem to understand the importance of me getting that thunder and putting it where it should be. Its a really hard job because that thunder is so hard to see. It just moves so quickly too. It gets me so worked up that I can't help but bark at it. And I guess I barked quite a bit last night. Stella even got up and tried to help me. My girl was a little bit grumpy with me this morning. I kinda forgot that she was sleeping in the midst of all that. When they finally let me out this morning I got even more worked up because I was finally out there where the thunder actually is. I got soaked running around the yard. My girl was just little upset with me. I made her late for work and she said she was not taking a soaking wet dog in the car and since I was a bad girl I didn't deserve to go anyway.

Its been a long day here at home too because in my excitement, I kinda forgot to go potty. It's supposed to storm again tonight. I'll have to try hard to just ignore all that noisy thunder and go to sleep. I don't want to get fired for missing too many days at work when I haven't even got to start yet.

New job!

2008-08-04T21:20:00.003-04:00

What exciting news today! My girl works at a non-profit agency that works with families in crisis situations and also assists Child Protection Services. They help lots of kids that are being abused or have parents involved with drugs and lots of other sad things. I'm not going to talk about any of it specifically because of all sorts of privacy laws....and well, this blog is about me, not her job. But anyway, one of the supervisors there had this big epiphany that hey, I am a therapy dog. What do you do when you are therapy dog? You go to places like nursing homes, hospitals, places that can be stressful and you help people there to unwind and feel a little less stressed. Where my girl works can be very stressful. So, she spoke with the director and they decided to offer me a full time position. They will even keep a personal file on me!

My girl said that I can start tomorrow. She warned me that even though they have said I can go everyday, she may not always take me with her. The other dog in my house, Stella, really hates to be left home alone. I guess it wouldn't be fair to her if I get to do something cool everyday but she doesn't. I'm really excited to have a job. One of the things about Border Collies is that we are workaholics and can get depressed when we don't have something to occupy us. It will be so neat to not be there as a visitor but as worker! My girl makes me stay on my blanket beside her usually when I am there but she's promised that I will get to visit more and maybe even get to see the office next door!

I'm off to bed now. I want to get lots of rest for my big day! I hope I don't snore too much tonight so my girl can get lots of sleep too.

Chemo

2008-07-31T11:49:00.004-04:00

I had my 4th chemo treatment this morning. They said that the tumor is now exactly half the size that it was when we started the treatments. And Dr. Lucroy said it's "squishy". That's a good thing, by the way. So just 2 more treatments and then hopefully it will be gone.

For those of you who might be curious, the drug that they are using on me is Carboplatin. Its one of the mildest chemo drugs as far as side effects. If the tumor hadn't shown any shrinkage, we would have had to use a stronger one. Fortunately, its working.

I'm at work with my girl now. I love all the people in the office. They always have time to pet me and sometimes I go out with some of them for little walks. I've also gotten to munch on some animal crackers. Yummy! I've been showing off my therapy dog tag too. Some people wish I could come to work everyday. Petting a soft, furry dog is very healthy. Do you know that studies have shown that petting me can lower your blood pressure? I would go to work with my girl just to be guaranteed of 2 car rides a day.

I still need to write about becoming a therapy dog but that will have to wait until later.

cancer

2008-07-29T09:32:00.005-04:00

Last year in November, my people took me to the vet to get my yearly check up and vaccinations and to have my ear looked at for a little infection. Dr. Lee is my vet at Broad Ripple Animal Clinic. He's really nice. My girl happened to mention to him that I had a little lump on my side. Dr. Lee said it was probably nothing to be too worried about but he'd do a biopsy to be sure. What a surprise we were all in for in the next couple of weeks.

When we went back the next week to make sure that my ear infection was cleared up, Dr. Lee also had the biopsy results. My little lump was cancerous. Upon examining me a little more, they also noticed a lump in my neck. My people took me to see Dr. Webb at Stop 11 Animal Hospital who did my surgery to remove the tumor on my side. Dr. Lee was willing to do it however my people needed someone they could afford (and trusted as much as Dr. Lee). Dr. Webb had been Guinness' vet so they knew he'd take good care of me too. Dr. Webb also attempted to remove the lump on my neck and to do a biopsy of it. He thought it might have been just a swollen gland or something. Once he got in there though, he was in for a shock. I had a huge mass (the size of a racquetball!) wrapped around my arteries. I started to hemorrhage so he got enough to test and stitched me back up.

I wasn't in too good of shape for a little while. The incision on my side healed up nicely but I couldn't leave the one on my neck alone. It just bothered me so much. My people wrapped up my feet to keep my claws from scratching it open but lucky for me, they couldn't stick one of those big, cumbersome Elizabethan collars on me. Well, maybe it wasn't so lucky. Since I wouldn't keep my feet wrapped and wouldn't stop scratching at my neck, I got an infection. I wasn't feeling so hot. And on top of that, when we went back to see Dr. Webb, he had the test results. He was a little shocked. It turned out that I have thyroid cancer. Dr. Webb said that in all his years of being a vet, he'd seen it many times in cats but never in a dog.

Dr. Webb had to refer us to see an oncologist. I've been going to see Dr. Lucroy for a few months now. He really knows his stuff! He told my people that thyroid cancer is very rare in dogs. So rare that they aren't really sure how the best way to treat it is. I guess with people and cats, a radioactive iodine (or something like that) treatment works best. For some reason however, it doesn't work on dogs. Our options were to try chemotherapy or radiation. With the radiation treatment, I'd have to go somewhere else like Columbus, OH or Chicago and my people would have to leave me there for maybe a week at a time. We decided to try the chemo since my people would be completely lost without me at home to keep an eye on Stella.

This Friday will be my fourth treatment. Everyone always asks my people questions like if my hair will fall out or does it make me sick? Chemo with dogs is different than with humans. First off, its given at a much lower dosage. I am treated every three weeks, with a blood check every ten days in between. I haven't lost any hair and if I did, that would be a cause for concern. Dr. Lucroy said that it usually takes at least four treatments to see results but I won't receive more than six. After six treatments, it can start affecting my liver and heart. The blood work is to check how I'm responding. After the first treatment, my white blood cell count dropped and I had to be put on a super antibiotic just in case I picked up any bugs. With a lowered immune system, I could get sick easier. They lowered the next chemo dosage and I haven't had any problems since then. One of the side affects that could happen after a treatment is vomiting or diarrhea. My girl takes me to work with her after I've been to see Dr. Lucroy so that she can keep an eye on me to make sure I'm handling it all okay. I never have any problems but I'm glad she lets me go to work with her. I love visiting people and I think they love me too. And I get to go for lots of CAR RIDES!!!!!

So, that's the story on my cancer and its treatment. I have my next visit Friday so I'll update how that went. I still have to write about how I became a therapy dog too.

My first job as a therapy dog.

2008-07-28T22:00:00.002-04:00

We heard back from the library today. They have a program in the children's department called Waggin' Tales. One Saturday a month I'll get to go listen to kids read stories. I love the attention and by reading to a dog who listens but doesn't criticize or correct, they build confidence. I can't wait to get started. Too bad it won't be until October. They have another dog there too. Her name is Queenie. I hope we can be friends and she can give me tips on how to be the best therapy dog I can.

My shelter story....

2008-07-28T21:13:00.001-04:00

One year and seven months ago, life was looking very bleak for me. I was in this strange place in a little kennel surrounded by other dogs. None of them were very happy. Some said they were picked up off the street and locked up, others said they had cruel owners that yelled at them all the time. Some like me had had a good life with a nice family when one day, their people dropped them off and were never seen again. Christmas was getting near so lots of people were coming in and taking some of the dogs home. I was too depressed to really care although the smart ones made sure to look as cute and friendly as they possibly could. There was one happy go lucky guy who wagged his tale so hard, he ended up breaking it and then having to have it amputated. The sympathy he got from that sure got him into a new home quick.

One day a girl showed up in a red jacket. She walked slowly through making sure to give everyone a little love. Then she stopped when she got to me. I raised my head for a moment but expected her to move on. She wasn't my person and that was the only one I wanted to see. She disappeared but soon came back with one of the shelter workers. They took me in a small room and tossed the ball a few times for me. My heart wasn't into it but it felt good to get to move a little bit after being cramped in that kennel for so long. And then a moment later, back into it I went. Later on someone came and wrote "HOLD" on my info sheet. What does that mean I wondered.

The next day, the girl in the red coat came back for me. The car ride was nice but I was feeling so awful that I didn't care. My eye was very irritated and full of green discharge and I was developing a cough and breathing problems. My new person and the boy she lived with were very concerned. There were 2 other dogs in the home, Guinness and Stella and they filled me in that this was my new home and that it was a very nice place. There were always balls to play with and bones to gnaw on and the people loved each other and them very much.

The next day I went to the vet who checked my eye out first and got the big piece of plastic out of it and then she gave my new owners some medicine for the respiratory infection I had. I was slowly on the way to being a healthier but still broken hearted Border Collie.

Time eventually moved on and my old family started to fade from my memory. I adore my new family although Guinness left us last summer after becoming ill. I feel sorry for my boy as he really misses him which I can understand after spending 10 years with my first family. I have a huge yard to run around in now though, we go for lots of car rides and walks and that crazy Stella is always good for a laugh. Other than my cancer, which I will leave for another time, life is pretty good and I have a new job being a therapy dog.