December

I have once again been slacking on posts.  Although this is the slow time of year for us at work, I find myself very busy during this final month of 2012. 

December arrived with no relief from the warm weather.  We highly considered turning the AC back on after only a few weeks of not using it.  Finally, about a week ago, a cold front came in but it was short lived, as today was 70 again.  I just can't get into the holiday spirit with this ridiculous weather.

A couple weeks ago, I had the opportunity to attend the first annual "Rescuers Unite" dinner party.  The point was for all of us in the local animal rescue community to actually put faces to the names we see every day.  We all network and communicate with one another constantly but very few of us have ever met in person.  Facebook has done wonders for animal rescue!  I think there were about 70 or 80 people there.  Most were from AR, but we had a few people from the neighboring states too!   It was nice to be surrounded by people who share the same passion in life.  It was a diverse group.  Young and old, married and single, wealthy and poor, but there was never a lack of things to talk about.   The only people who truly understand the crazy lifestyle that we choose to live are the others that have chosen it too.  I can't wait for the next gathering which will surely be even bigger and better!  One woman's husband joked, "So what goes on at one of these things?  Do ya'll just go around sniffin each other's butts or what?"  For the record, no.;-)

The other day, I got a box full of goodies delivered for the rescue dogs.  Toys, treats, leashes and collars, even a thundershirt!  Rheagan's mom sent them all the way from Virginia!  She also sent a collage of photos of Rheagan who looks amazingly happy.  I will always remember Rheagan as my first out-of-state transport adoption.  So hard to go through, but SO worth it!  I would be thrilled if every one of my dogs got a home like Rheagan's!  Thanks Tangela!

Since he is still here, you have probably guessed that I chose to keep Winston with us and not transfer him to the rescue out east.  He will be too much for many people to handle and I am more comfortable knowing that if he doesn't work out somewhere, I will get him back.  I am committed to him and fully aware that he may be here for a long time.  I just love him so much.

We have had several short term house guests lately too.  Little Pearl, the deaf puppy, stayed with us before her trip out to Atlanta.  Her new family is also deaf.  Mom, dad, dog sister and cat sister all deaf.  How cool is that for her?  It took a village to get that little girl to such a wonderful new home! 

I'm a spoiled brat...wink. wink.

 

 

We got Phoenix the boxer from the shelter, bathed and de-fleaed him, and gave him a place to rest his head before he went on his transport to NH.   He was an awesome dog.  Fit in perfectly here.

 



 

Because one Winston just isn't enough!

 

 

We currently have Patch. He was kicked out of his home by his "family" just in time for Christmas.   He wouldn't have done well in a shelter. Poor guy is only four years old and about 20lbs overweight. His breathing suffers and it's hard for him to get around. He can't even scratch his own ears. It will take a long time to get him back to a normal weight, but once he gets there, he'll be a whole new dog! He will go into a foster home next week.

 

Our fat boy!

 



 

 

We have also been on a few hikes, despite the warm weather.

 

Buffalo National River

Winston and me in Indian Rock House cave.

We hiked through Rush Mountain, a ghost town that was a mining town over 100 years ago.  It was really neat.   I'm sitting in an old mine cart.

 

 



We will be loading up the dogs and the camper and heading to the Ouachita Mountains over Christmas this year to attempt a 28 mile hike!  Not sure how many days it will take us, but it's going to be a challenge I'm sure.  If I don't get around to another post before we leave, Merry Christmas to all of you from me and my pack! 

To Santa, From Winston

Dear Santa,

For Christmas, could you please bring me a family of my own?  If it isn't too much to ask for, I would like a child to play with, maybe two.  Kids are my very favorite!  Could I also have a big yard to run around in with my kids and some tennis balls for them to throw for me?  I have been a good boy Santa.  My foster mommy tells me that all the time.  She kisses me and tells me that I am sweet and beautiful.  I love her.  Even though she wishes that I could stay with her forever, there are other dogs in shelters that need her.  I remember that. I was sad and scared when I was in the shelter.  I want to help those other dogs, just like somebody helped me.  Santa, if you bring me a family, I will love them forever.  I will make them happy when they are sad.  I will do my best to always do the right thing.  I have been trying hard to learn that.  With my family, Santa, please bring patience and commitment.  I don't know what those things are, but Mommy says that nobody has given them to me before.  She says that I need them most of all.

That's all I want for myself Santa, but I have another favor.  Could you also please bring some blankets for the dogs that will spend Christmas alone in the shelters?  It's cold there and sleeping on the cement is the worst.  It's also boring and lonely so please bring them some toys too.  If you could, send some volunteers to pet them and hug them and take them outside.  That would be the best.  The days that the volunteers took me out of my cage, even for a few minutes, were the only good ones I had there. 

And Santa, there is just one more thing.  You must know a lot of people.  Could you please spread the word to everyone on your list about all the homeless dogs that will be forgotten this year.  Let them know that even if they can't give one a new home, there are other things that can make a difference.  Maybe they have some old blankets or toys that they could give. Tell them that a couple hours of their time this year could make the holiday a whole lot brighter for a dog who isn't as lucky as I am.  

Thanks Santa!

Your friend,

Winston

Puppy Up!

On Saturday Jonathon and I represented our rescue at Arkanas' second annual Puppy Up! cancer walk.  A rescue friend of mine hosted this event and I am so glad that she invited us to participate.     2 Million Dogs Foundation is the organization. (2milliondogs.org)  It's mission is discovering the common links between canine and human cancers through comparative oncology research.  This entire program was founded by one man, Luke Robinson, who walked with his two dogs, 2000 miles, from Austin to Boston.  There are now Puppy Up! walks hosted all over the country. 

Dogs get cancer the same as humans do.  They get breast, bone, lung, skin and other cancers.  It makes sense since they live along side us, exposed to all of the same environmental factors that we are.  The difference is that it develops much more quickly in dogs than it does in humans.  Think how much more quickly a dog ages...years vs. decades.  Therefore, treatment research results are known much more quickly.  Obviously, all research is done on pets with pre-existing cancers and this is by no means animal testing.  In fact, many dogs who would not otherwise have access to any kind of treatments, like shelter dogs or dogs with families unable to take on the expense, are part of the studies.  This foundation is partnered with medical research teams from Harvard, MIT, and other big time medical facilities.  They have recently funded a large study on breast cancer.  It will be done on mammary tumors removed from shelter dogs during their spay surgeries.  Those dogs will be free of their tumors and the medical research team will have unlimited cancer specimens to work with.   It's a win, win. 

Ironically, I received the email from our director asking if I would run the booth for our rescue the day after Jax was diagnosed with his cancer.  But cancer had touched my life long before that.  Several people in my life have battled cancer, some a long time ago, and some are still fighting today.  I don't think a person exists that has not been affected in some way or another by this terrible disease.  Unfortunately, it doesn't discriminate, not even by species.  I think it's amazing that Mr. Robinson has created this awesome foundation out of his two passions in life, his dogs, and finding a cure.

The reason for the event was serious, but it was really a great and uplifting time!  My only complaint was that it could have been 20 degrees cooler.  85 in November...no thank you.  There were many cancer survivors, both human and canine, participating in the walk.  Some walked in teams and some walked in memory of loved ones passed.  There was a silent auction (a weakness of mine) and lots of vendors and other rescue organizations.  We got some good exposure for a couple of our rescue dogs and got our name out there in the community.  Most importantly, the event raised almost $8000 for cancer research!  It was a good day. 

I assumed that Winston would have fun at the event, but I also assumed that he would be a little crazy and overly excited.  I was wrong.  I didn't even pull out the thunder shirt.  He was perfect.  He was very friendly, yet polite, and a total ham.  He wanted to meet every person and play with every dog, big or small.  I was extremely proud of him.  He was also the only one of us that actually walked in the walk.  Two little girls that were there with their mom asked me if they could walk him.  It was so sweet and they had a great time.  They took a million pictures of him.  Sadly they were not in the market to adopt! 

This is baby Pearl, a foster in our rescue who spent the day with us.  She is 12 weeks old and Deaf. Could she be any cuter?

The crew!

This is how Winston and Pearl spent most of the day!  He was SO good with her.

Must have been toward the end of the day.  They look tired!

 

"Earl" from the Pug rescue next to us. 

Jax, chillin as usual. 

 

Winston with his biggest fans before they started the walk.

 

 

Jax and I with 2 Million Dogs founder, Luke Robinson and his dog, Murphy. 

Conflicted.

That is how I am feeling about what to do with Winston.  We have a rescue in New Hampshire that is willing to take Winston.  It's a great rescue, absolutely.  It's the one that took Buster, the dog that nobody would foster so he remained in boarding here for two months.  They had a foster-to-adopt family already waiting for him at transport pick up!  Transferring to a rescue out east was definitely best for Buster, but he was living in a cage.  I'm not sure that is the best thing for Winnie.  We are his fifth home in seven months!  I understand that the rescue's mission is to save as many dogs as we can and seven months is a long time.  However, as his foster mom, I feel that my personal priority is my obligation is to Winnie.  He has improved dramatically in the month that he has been in our home. I really want him to know stability.  I would certainly be open to him going to an approved forever home out there, pending me spending plenty of time talking with them first, but moving to yet another temporary home just doesn't seem fair to him.  At the same time, I think about the three dogs of mine that went to homes in DC and they are some of my best adoptions.  His chance of adoption would very likely be better out there.  And then I think maybe I am making the wrong decision keeping him here.  Am I being unintentionally selfish because I don't want to give up control of where Winston ends up?  Or arrogant, like we are the only home that could possibly meet Winston's needs?  Because although that has proven true thus far in his life, I know there are plenty of people out there as good as I, or even better, for him.  But how will I know if he finds them if I let him go? 

Any words of advice would surely be appreciated. 

Winston Progress Report

Winston is making steady progress with his excitement issues and his anxiety is much less present.  He has learned that we don't always have to be doing something and is willing to relax on the couch most nights.  I make sure that he either comes to work with me, goes on a long walk, or plays ball at the dog park every day.  If ever a day of adequate exercise is missed, it's very evident in his energy level that evening. We have cut way back on the Composure (natural calming supplement) and some days he doesn't take any at all.  He had a milestone this weekend.  After a very active Saturday, we decided that it would be the perfect time to give him the chance to sleep out of his crate.  He never made a peep all night long.  He has since earned his night time freedom! 

I have come to the realization that Winston, although spastic, probably isn't actually as bad as we think he is. As our dogs mature, we are starting to forget how rotten they used to be when they were closer to his age. I guess we have been spoiled with very well behaved fosters lately too. Sweet Bella was a dream (behaviorally) and the temps have also been pretty easy.

Dixie is surprisingly more tolerant of Winston's exuberance than Jax, who has been more subdued lately and just isn't quite himself yet.  Both of them will discipline Winnie when needed.  I try not to interfere when Dixie is involved.  She knows better than I do when enough is enough yet she never loses her temper. Firm but kind.  Sometimes I step in with Jax.  He tends to let himself get picked on and picked on until he gets upset.  Jonathon says he is a wuss.  I prefer "over sensitive."  What I would do without my two canine helpers, I can't imagine.  They have really made a difference in this dog's life.

Besides the issues we are working on, Winston is an awesome dog.  He has one of the best temperaments of any dog we have ever had.  He is just joyful all of the time.  He has no fears (now that we have cleared things up with the food processor) and he is incredibly outgoing and friendly with all strangers.  He knows "sit," "down," and "leave it."  He will play fetch forever.  We are working on walking nicely on a leash.  Our biggest challenge there is the abundance of squirrels that share our neighborhood.  He is perfectly behaved in the car and at the office.  He almost never barks and hasn't had a single accident in the house since he got here. 

He loves kids, so he will fit well into an active family that will spend plenty of time with him, take him places, and fulfill his exercise needs.  They will need patience and the ability to understand his energy level and that it is not "misbehaving."  I would feel awful if anyone tried to "punish" him for simply being his happy-go-lucky self. 

Overall, Winnie just needed some stability in his life.  Now that he is getting into the routine that dogs count on, he has really come around.  His whole life people have given up on him.  That was his biggest problem. 

Winston Pictures!

With everything going on with Jax, I never got around to posting any pictures of Winston! 

Isn't he lovely?

 

 

ATTENTION!

 

Dixie always likes to one up the boxers.

 

Winston helping me at work.

 

 

 

 

This is Jax's surgery site for those of you that were asking how big and where it is.  Not too bad.  The scar will surely be visible, but we couldn't care less!

 

Oncology Report

Jax's surgery went well on Monday but the poor guy was very sick that night.  The anesthesia combined with the treatment medications (high dose antihistamines along with steroids) really got to him.  He was dizzy and nauseated and throwing up all night.  He looked incredibly pathetic.  I felt awful for him and stayed up trying to comfort him and cleaning up vomit all night.  By morning, he was perking up a bit and by the next day, if not for the suture site in the middle of his back, you'd have never known he'd had the surgery at all. 

We got the oncology report back and for a cancer diagnosis, the results are as good as we could hope for!  The tumor was a grade 1 mast cell tumor.  Grade 1 means that it is well differentiated and is the least likely to spread into other organs.  Even better, the margins on the tumor were completely clean which means there should be no cancer cells left behind.  My awesome vet got every bit out!  That means no chemo or other follow up treatment needed!  It also makes it much less likely for a new tumor to develop there (Statistically, 50% of mast cell tumors that are surgically removed come back in the same area.).

He does have to go back in a couple of weeks, once all treatment drugs are out of his system, and get his blood work rechecked.  There was an abnormality in his liver function test.  We are hoping it was due to the medications or even technical error (like not getting a clean stick when drawing blood) but we have to make sure there is nothing more serious going on.   

We will have to monitor Jaxy closely for the rest of his life for lumps and bumps and have anything that shows up removed immediately.  It does scare me that the disease struck so early in his life.  Mast cell cancer usually presents in dogs at least eight years old.  He will be just four in November.  I understand the nature of the disease and that it may likely return.  But we won this battle!  So, like the dogs do, I am going to live in the present.  And presently, we are Cancer free!