Archive for the ‘dogs’ Category

Happy New Year

Wednesday, January 1st, 2020

We are beginning the new year with a new dog. We lost Juliet in October and waited until we will be home for a few months to adopt a new basset hound. We went to Daphneyland shelter again where I adopted Juliet and Charlie.

Charlie was a handicapped little guy whose hind legs were in a cart at the shelter. We got him home and he was able to walk woithoput thecvart as soon as he was home.

Charley and Sunny

Those were his first moments at home.

Charlie 1

Then he explored the yard.

Juliet came after we lost Winston.

Juliette3

She was with us for almost four years and came to Arizona with us. Last October, she got sick, first with a Horner’s Syndrome in her right eye, then a rectal tumor. We had to let her go.

Now, we have Sophie who we adopted last Saturday at the shelter. She has explored the yard, falling in the pool the first night. She won;t go near it now.

yard1

Now, she is making herself at home.

Sophie couch

She slept in this morning.

New Years morning.

Winston.

Tuesday, January 5th, 2016

My basset hound is ill and it may be cancer. We will find out tomorrow and, as he has spine problems, if it is cancer it is incurable and he is in pain. He has been my loyal guy for nine years. My life has gone through several stages and he has been with me through it all.

Baby Winston

He came as a Christmas puppy when Annie was 15.

AnnieWinston

He and I have been a pair for nearly ten years.

winston snow 2
He went to Arrowhead with me.

Sleepy

He wasn’t always happy about it.

Winston

He explored the mountains.

Winston and Bradley

He met my friends.

Bigger Winston

We’ll know tomorrow but if it is bad, he won’t die alone.

WinstonEnd

Well, the biopsy was bad and Winston has crossed the Rainbow Bridge. His passing was easy. They had him heavily sedated as he was in pain with increasing neurological deficit. We were with him in the end and I rubbed his ears and scratched his chest, which he loved. When the folks at the vet hospital wheeled him into the room, as sick as he was, he wagged his tail when he saw me. It just breaks my heart.

WinstonSick

It went quickly and we are home. So sad. He was sick only two weeks. About six weeks ago he had the first sign, which was that he could not jump onto the bed. I ordered pet steps thinking he was just getting old. Then a few days later, he was jumping on the bed again until a week ago Tuesday. Then he looked sick and we took him to the vet where we found the first sign of any neurological problem in his right hind leg. By Saturday he was worse and we made an appointment with the vet neurologist for Tuesday, still thinking it was probably a disc.

And here we are.

WinstonLast

Goodbye big guy.

Ed says when we get to Heaven all the dogs that loved us will be there. I don’t know if I’ll get there or even if there is a Heaven but I’ll settle for a hallucination as I am dying that all my dogs have come to see me. I miss them all.

Today, we drove up to the Basset Rescue Ranch in Acton, near Palmdale north of Los Angeles. I adopted Charlie there about 12 years ago.

Today, we found Juliette and brought her home.

Juliette1

Juliette is a demure female about 6 or 7 years old whose owner had broken her hip and had to surrender Juliette to the shelter. She had only been there a week or so and is used to a nice home. She is not Winston and will never totally replace him in my heart.

Still broken hearts heal.

Juliette2

She is making a good start.

Juliette3

I miss Winston but he is gone and nothing will bring him back. I don’t know if she will have his personality but we are hopeful.

Charlie

Monday, December 15th, 2014

waiting for Santa

Charlie was a handicapped basset hound I adopted from a basset rescue shelter. He was old, how old we weren’t sure. His hind legs were in a little cart when we brought him home but he was able to do without the cart in a day or so. He always walked with an odd gait but he did walk and even went on long walks with us. He was an angel.

dog door

His first day, he had to check things out.

Charley and Sunny

Sunny was our golden retriever and she helped make Charlie feel at home.

Charlie 1

Soon, he was walking around without his cart and never needed it again.

hugs

He was very affectionate and his favorite place was under my chair. He lived with us for three years but at that point his handicaps had gotten too much and we put him to sleep. I still miss him.