Our Fondest Memories of the Dogs Who Have Enriched Our Lives

I didn't have a dog growing up but I remember my sister's boyfriend getting her a dog. Well, we all went to the rescue to pick him out and we ended up with a pure bred black lab. The next day he became my dog (my sister was NOT a dog person). His name was Butch (bf's nickname) and he was amazing. Slept with me, protected me from monsters (I loved SiFi) and actually saved me from being hit by a car. Great dog but unfortunately we had to find him a new home when a neighbors child tormented him with a stick until Butch snapped. Never touched the kid but we were forced to find a home for my poor dog. I was devastated and started rescuing strays and finding them good homes. My mother put up with it but they never stayed long. When I grew up and lived on my own I got my first friend. Not knowing much about dogs back then I got her at a pet shop and unfortunately at the tender age of 4 she had to be put to sleep due to non treatable medical problems. I learned a very hard lesson about puppy mills and from that moment on I swore never to support puppy mills.

These are some of the dogs that have passed through our lives. Some were rescues that came and never left, some were show rejects that breeders needed to re-home but each one gave us something very special.

Al was never a dog person but he's learned to deal with it and occasionally a dog has come into our lives that even he could not resist. Over the last 19 years together he has put up with LOTS of dogs coming and going in our lives. I've been rescuing dogs since I was a kid and I guess I always will in some form or another.

Some of the dogs who have entered our lives came to us as fosters (rescues). We helped rehabilitate and heal them and find forever homes. Some rescues came and never left.  Some we got from breeders who needed to find homes for their dogs.

The photo above pictured the 3 Goldens. Jada a rescue from Brazos Valley Golden Retriever rescue. Max, a show reject we got from his breeder and Rufus, also from the golden rescue.

The photo on the left is Max and his half sister Amber. They were both from the same breeder. The breeder asked me to take Amber who she thought had an eating behavior problem and she was unable to deal with it. She had kept Amber (6 months at the time) to show and was heartsick over not being able to keep her. I took Amber and eventually discovered that Amber's problem was not behavioral (notice the tongue). The problem was that Amber was unable to swallow because she could not control the muscles in her throat to contract her tongue and was unable to swallow. I hand made her food and spoon fed her standing up so gravity would help the food go down. The vet wanted to send her to Texas A&M for experimental (it had never been done) surgery. I refused and spent the next 1-1/2 years spoon feeding her by hand. She crossed the rainbow bridge just before her 2nd birthday. Although eating was a constant struggle for her Amber's time between meals was heaven. She had a huge (1/2 acre fenced backyard) to run and chase Max and boy did they play. She had a very wonderful life right up until the day she died.

For other photos of our furry kids, please check out our "canine" family album.

Max was a show reject...can you believe it! He had been shown as a puppy and turned out to be too small to show as an adult. He was my angel. He gave me back my life when I was at the darkest point of my life recovering from a nervous breakdown due to stress from the job. Max gave me a purpose again and helped restore my confidence.

I discovered Max was a born therapy dog. I guess you could say that he was my angel.  We started doing volunteer work with Hospice and I just knew we had to do more. I went to some training in WA state at Delta Society so I could evaluate dogs and their handles to do pet therapy. On my return trip the Angel Paws therapy program was born. Several months later I was given the go ahead to start the program at Providence Hospital in Waco.

Photos below: Max with his friend Jennie. The next one is Max with a gift Jennie gave him the day they met. He carried that with him whenever he came to visit her very proud of his wonderful treasure. Jennie was our first hospice friend and Max was the catalyst to help Jennie find peace with her failing health and to help her prepare for her passing

The photo on the right is of Max and a young girl in her hospital bed. She had asked for Max to visit her in the hospital. Page had been in and out of hospitals for months and had heard about Max. As you can see Max and Page established a bond. Many years later Page sent me this photo that was taken by her mother

The photos below are: Max aka "Doc Hollywood" as he was often called at the hospital when he strutted his stuff! The next photo is of me and Max and the last photo is Max relaxing after a hard day at work! His philosophy...work hard, play hard. He was a retrieving machine and would chase a ball until he dropped or I gave up...usually the latter.

Rufus was one of those rescues that came to visit and never left. He actually came with another rescue to meet potential adopters who changed their mind. He was 2 years old and had been abused, neglected and was heartworm positive which is very common in Texas.  

Rufus decided to adopt us. He had to return with his foster mom to start treatment for heartworm disease and a few days later returned to live with us. We continued his treatment and he did great.  

He was mellow (actually the word is lazy), loveable (that's the word for him) and a total goof ball (he could have been a comedian in the Catskills). This is the one guy I never expected to pass the Delta evaluation because he would never "stay". Boy did he fool me.  He was on his BEST behavior and passed with flying colors. He totally blew my mind and every one else who knew him. 

When we got him he hated water so much he wouldn't go outside when it was raining. He was terrified of thunder, fireworks and loud noises (another reason I could not believe he passed the test). but after moving to WA state and learning the beach was his friend he actually sought water out when we went for our beach walks. Crazy dog! 

BTW, the top right photo is Rufus with his treasure...his dental floss (a turkey neck).  This was his first and he wasn't sure what to make of it. It didn't take long to figure it out.  I thought this photo really showed Rufus at his best and so this is the photo on his urn in our living room.

He developed cancer but thank god he did not suffer long. 

He crossed the rainbow bridge in Jan, 2009.

Toby came into my life on my birthday in 2005.  He was 8 weeks old and full of piss and vinegar. My friend owned his dad, Tyler, who was a champion. Maggie was socializing Toby for her friend who owned Toby's mom. Toby was one of the smartest sheltie's I've ever met. He learned to do things the very 1st time he tried and often made me wonder if he was real. No dog could be that smart.  

Toby suffered several traumas starting with his neutering. The surgery was difficult and his blood pressure was low. He was not quite the same after the surgery but he was still my Toby. 

When Toby was 2 years old we were in Spokane, WA at a woodcarvers show. Al, Rufus, Toby and Harley (a visiting sheltie) were out walking when another woodcarver started leaving his motorhome with his 2 German Shepard, one of which was aggressive. The dog pulled loose and attacked Al and the dogs.  Everyone was shaken up but Al checked everyone and they all seemed ok. 

When I returned to the motorhome after the show Toby jumped in my lap to say hi.  When I tried to get him to lie down he did but would not stay there. I knew something was wrong so I put him on my lap and laid him on his back and started checking. I discovered 2 puncture marks in his neck and chest that had started bleeding. God was looking out for him because I had found a friends business card that I had kept.  She was a dog owner and I knew she could help. She told me about an ER that was less than a mile away and gave me their number. I called and they told me to come right over. 

We got him to an ER and they found no major damage but they cleaned him and stitched him up. By the time we got him home he had developed a small mass. I took him to our vet who thought it was a fatty tumor. Within 24 hours it had grown double in size and required major surgery (photo on the bottom right). 

He did well and in his own inevitable "happy" self you'd never know he had all those stitches. Unfortunately he healed on physically but not emotionally. He suffered from PTSD (yes dogs get it too) and was never able to be near any dog outside his "den".   

It made life for Toby a daily challenge living in a community with dogs everywhere.  Hope Hemperly, executive Director of the Pueblo Collie Sheltie Rescue came to Toby's rescue and found him a home in CO on 3 acres where he could live in peace. Although he is now happy and safe, I was devastated and still think of this little dynamo. He is and always will be in my heart. 

In 2007 Myah came into my life. Although the woman we were getting her from was a breeder, Myah came to us neglected and very stressed. The woman was supposed to be reputable was no better than a puppy mill breeder as far as I am concerned. 

The first order of business was to get her mouth fixed. She had a mouth full of badly abscessed teeth. She needed antibiotics immediately before they could operate and if we waited any longer the infection would go into her heart. We immediately got her infection cleared and then they were able to perform the surgery to remove all the damaged teeth. She was left with enough to eat but the poor thing had lots of holes in her mouth and she had to learn how to eat and drink water so it was a challenge. 

2009 update....When Myah developed some other health issues recently I searched the web trying to find her breeder and the owner of her dad. I found both and discovered there were no health issues. After much testing we discovered that Myah was actually suffering from doggie dementia and was started on meds that helped for a short while. I am convinced that the time spent with this "breeder", the stress of being a show dog, living in crates, mother hood and the stress of having lived with abscessed teeth for so long led to her fast decline in health. My vet agrees. 

With all that we've been through with Myah one of the nicest things that has come out of it was finding her breeder. Karen was kind enough to send me baby photos of Myah, formerly Moonbeam and her sister Stardust. Not only is she a gorgeous adult but she was the cutest baby!

Life with Myah (aka "Me and Myah Shadow")

Although Myah has not been with me very long, it seems like we have spent a lifetime together.  From the moment she entered my life there was a bond like no other. She was attached at my hip and never let go. Part of this was due to the miserable life she had prior to living with us and such insecurities due to lack of socialization and love.  Perhaps she understood that I would watch over her and take care of her and she knew that she could trust me. No matter how loved she was with us, it could not give back what was taken away from her before she came to us. 

We gave her something she never had but she was always haunted by her past. For that I have been angry but I could do nothing to change it so I set out to try to make her life as good as it could be. 

Her life on this earth will soon be over and she will finally be at peace. I'm not sure I will be, but I know she will be. She will always be with me as the special flower, fragile and gentle, that came into my life, brought me unconditional love for taking her away from a loveless life of misery and providing her with the medical care she needed and the love she deserved. I hope that I gave her something back in return for her devotion and faith in me. 

These photos are some special moments we spent together on our last night together. Myah was not one for showing affection, perhaps because she didn't know how but she did manage to cuddle with me from time to time. I always let it be on her terms. This time she let it happen on my terms...perhaps she knew that it would be our last night together. 

4/7/10 update: Dr. Mack came this morning. Myah was in her spot on the bed (where my feet always are) and I held her close as Dr. Mack gave her the injection. She passed quietly and I was able to maintain my strength until she was gone. She looked so peaceful as I held her. She slept there for a while until I was able to drive and I carried her to the car. I drove her to the crematorium and she returned home later this afternoon. 

We live in a small community and most people know Myah and everyone is mourning her passing. She was a sweet, gentle flower that has touched everyone she came in contact with. She will dearly be missed by everyone but no one more than me.

Myah is now sitting in our living room next to Rufus.