The furry kids who enrich our lives
Dogs don't ask for much but they sure do provide something that cannot be measured, unconditional love
When I met Al while working at the VA in Vermont I had two dogs, a wonderful Sheltie named Jazz and a "devil dog" I rescued at the age of 7 weeks while living in Albuquerque. Al told me he wasn't a dog person but he sure has put up with my love for dogs.
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 didn't even know the meaning of the word rescue 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 such as my first golden, Max, Rufus, Allie and Myah. Please look at my family album of our furry friends who have crossed the rainbow bridge to see the wonderful dogs that have touched our lives and in the case of Max, who touched so many lives.
Allie
Allie came to live with us as a result of people who no longer could take care of her. She was badly neglected and self mutilating. She came to us on October 31, 2008 at the tender age of 1 year. After loosing our last golden in Feb we were finally ready for a new addition. After searching through rescue groups and breeders for dogs that were not suitable for show we were not having much luck....until I received an email from a wonderful breeder in CO who had heard we were looking for a young Golden. She had a dog that was bought from her by a couple who could no longer keep her. Allie (formerly Molly) was a wild child but mostly because she had been crated and ignored so when she finally was allowed out on her own she was so bored she got creative which meant destroying things. By the end of the day when the breeder had contacted us I had made arrangements to drive to CO to pick her up. Two days later we were in a motel room in Colorado Springs with our new fur baby (and Myah) trying to make it through the night with this "wild animal". We made it home the following morning and within minutes of arriving "home" Allie had a new name and a new life.
When Allie first arrived I discovered that she was very anxious and had developed the bad habit of self-mutilating. She was chewing on herself and pulling her fur out from her legs, tail and chest. It took a lot of love and attention to help her through that and slowly she has learned that she's loved and that she doesn't need to do that. Her fur is slowly starting to grow back but even after 4 months her tail still looks very ratty but definitely filling in a bit. She still pulls the fur out at times but with a gentle reminder she quickly stops.
After a couple of months with us she started settling down enough that I could work with her and do some training. She responded beautifully and although she is still very "high spirited" she is slowly evolving into a wonderful dog.
Allie is definitely living happily ever after with us and her new friend Shadow.
Shadow
Shadow came into our lives on April, 17, 2010. His name was Rye. I decided to name him Shadow (named after the very wise Golden Retriever in the moving Homeward Bound) and he is living up to the name...he is my constant shadow. When he first came into the room and sat down next to me he through his head back, looked at me and his eyes told me we were meant to be together and he was coming home with me...he was right!
He was approximately 1 1/2 - 2 years old. He was picked up as a stray and donated to the Colorado Correctional Industries K9 Companion Program. He arrived there on January 19, 2010 and started his training two days later. He arrived there with lacerations from an attack but had no other injuries.
When he came home with us I got him set up to get groomed and he came home he looked gorgeous. I took my new buddy to the vet for a quick check up. She gave him a once over and declared him healthy but THIN...52.5 lbs. He needs to put some weight on but otherwise in good shape. So, we are now on a campaign to get some meat on his skinny bones. I started weaning him off the "junk" food he was eating and he's now eating all natural dry kibble mixed with some gourmet, organic canned from our local "doggie health food store". He was eating ok before but leaving some food over but now he really seems to look forward to the food and doesn't hesitate. He is definitely a connoisseur and doesn't leave any food over now.
Allie and Shadow are now healthy, happy and LOVED!
Allie |
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10/31/08 - We drove to Colorado Springs to pick up our new baby. She's a 1 year old golden retriever who needed a new family to love her. Her name is Allie (formerly known as Mollie) and she is the most amazing little girl. She is housebroken and has had some obedience training, although she needs a refresher. Her former owners were very busy people and traveled a lot so poor Allie was very neglected and very bored. She spent a lot of time either alone in the backyard alone, crated in the house or boarded and as a result was very lonely and frustrated. She will need a lot of work to overcome some behaviors she has acquired through lack of supervision but she'll be ok! Allie comes from over 5 generations of champions and although she's never been a show dog she surely could have been (my opinion). She's settling in quite nicely and hopefully she will calm down a bit and Myah and she will become great friends. Her breeder, Michelle Orvis is a wonderful lady in Colorado who helped put me and Allie's owners together and helped coordinate everything. We are thrilled that Allie's owners were so kind and wanted to give Allie a home that could spend more time with her and give her what she needs....lots of attention and love! |
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Michelle was wonderful in providing me with all of Allie's baby photos so we could see how she grew up before being sold to the people we got her from. And her owners sent me a couple of photos of her since they got her. It is almost like having her as a puppy without having to go through potty training! The one on the left is Allie at 2 weeks with her mom. The middle photo is her at 8 weeks and the one on the right is Allie at 6 months. |
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11/1/08 - Day 1: Allie's now in her new home and settling in. These were all taken when she got home and had a bath (gosh she reeked). She still seems to have her puppy coat but it also looks as though it was trimmed but turns out that Allie self-mutilates pulling out her fur. A result of boredom and stress. Both of which should no longer be an issue. She's a gorgeous girl and obviously very happy now! Myah's not too thrilled with her right now but hopefully she'll get used to the giant bull and they'll start to play. Allie keeps trying to get Myah to play but right now she's like a bull in a china shop and poor Myah doesn't know what to make of her. She's been around all kinds of dogs but none quite as exuberant as Allie. |
11/2/08 - Day two with Allie. She's a handful but oh so sweet. She's emptied her toy box several times but hasn't learned to put things back yet. We'll work on that. She got a new toy today (cute hippo on the right) and immediately destroyed it. Guess we find some indestructible toys! She also decided she likes eating rocks so we gotta try to nip that in the bud ASAP. I guess a lot of this is due to lack of supervision and boredom with her previous owners. As you can see in the middle photos she relaxes where ever she can find a spot, even if it's on top of Al! Our for a few walks today and she got lots of attention from everyone and she just loves that attention! |
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11/3/08 - Last night was a disaster trying to trim the fur on her paws and trim her nails. She acted as though we were trying to kill her so we stopped and since we're heading to the vet in the morning we'll let them deal with it. Off to the vet this morning to get micro chipped and see what's going on with her feet and thank god I did. Poor thing had goad heads imbedded in between her toes. They were in her skin and all caught in her fur so they had to shave all fours and then clean out the skin. She also had a bad ear infection but otherwise she was in good health. When we got home she was sooooo happy and as you can see she was just beside herself (and a bit upside down)! Now that her feet are feeling better she went for a 2 mile walk with Al when she got home and got lots more hugs from the neighbors....one even stopped his car to get out and pet her. |
12/18/08 - It's been a while since I posted any photos or updates. She's still a wild child but I've been doing clicker training and she's doing remarkably well. She's learned hand signals for sit, down and come. We're working on walking on a loose leash and then stay. She's doing great and really responds well to the clicker. Actually even Myah has done great. She's actually learning to be quiet which is a remarkable trick for a sheltie. The photo on the left I call "Whaaaat!". She's a very "mouthy" little girl and she was caught chewing her bedding....again! Photo in the middle as you can see Allie thinks the world is her bed...including Al! Photo 3 is of course a close-up of the gorgeous girl! |
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January, 2009 - Yuma, AZ excursion This was Allie's first trip in the motorhome and she loved it! So much so that now we can't get her out of it. Allie has a new BFF named Harley. And, Allie's all grown up. No more crate, no more chewing and the best part was that Allie loved riding in the motorhome so much that now we can't get her out of it. YEAH! Harley is a girl and they were like kids in love. They met daily while in Yuma for play dates in the small fenced dog run at the RV Resort we stayed at. They had so much fun that Allie was crusty when she got home and had a bath. She loved that too but needed a nap afterwards It's hard work being beautiful! We've had 4 other goldens and I have to say that Allie has the best personality of all of them. She's cute, funny and loves to entertain. She also knows everyone in our community and they know her by name. Everyone has been watching her as she matures and they all are amazed at how she's changed in such a short time. It's amazing what a little love, attention, training and time will do. |
Jan, 2009 Allie has discovered Turkey necks. We love raw turkey and chicken necks and apparently Allie thinks they are pretty kewl too. They are great for their teeth and act like dental floss. Well, it was time to let Allie check them out. She wasn't quite sure what to make of it at first but once she started chewing there was no going back. She had a great time with it! We have also discovered that Allie loves to watch television and in fact is quite attentive...sometimes more than others. In the above photo we were watching a "doggie" detective show and there was a search and rescue dog sniffing around. It caught Allie's interest so much she was trying to catch the dog. Even Myah seemed interested. |
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February, 2009 - Home Allie is finally learning to relax :) I think she likes it here! This was her after a day at the dog park. We took her to one of the dog parks in Albuquerque for the first time and it didn't take her long to find new friends, both 2 and 4 legged. She was a big hit and totally on her best behavior. Not sure who this dog was but surely not my dog! She found one good buddy and they had a great time wrestling with each other. Both left totally exhausted with tongues hanging. It is a great dog park...large, fenced with toys, water and a separate park for small dogs. Guess we're coming back soon! |
Feb, 2009 - Mesa, AZ area We spent 10 days in Mesa before the woodcarving show. While there we took Allie and Myah to one of the local dog parks. Even Myah enjoyed a dip in the water but Allie had a blast. She came home so exhausted every day but one day she crashed and burned on her toy box....now that's tired! She had such a good tome there we decided to come back next year for 2 months. |
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Allie's Family ReunionWe finally got to meet Michelle & John Orvis. They own Maggie, Allie's mom and Elliott, Allie's brother. What a family reunion we had. Nobody's sure if they remembered that Allie is family but in true golden way they all had a blast. It was definitely obvious that Elliott and Allie were siblings. Their every movement was identical. I guess being #9 & #10 in the litter gave them a lot of time to get to know what moves to make and they sure mastered being wild children. Glad to know Allie's not the only wild child! I think Maggie was happy that Elliott had someone else to torture for a while. |
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These are all photos of Allie and Elliott. Top photos is Elliott on the left and Allie on the right. Top right is John on left and the headless one is Al...sorry Al! |
Mom (Maggie) with Allie and Elliott Top left and right is Michelle with Mom and Allie Middle photo is Mom, Elliott and Allie Bottom left, Allie on her back with mom and Elliott. The puppies in the window I can't quite figure out which is which but they are begging to come inside. |
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Our happy girl resting up for another blitz attack on Elliott. John trying to calm Elliott from all this excitement. Michelle with Elliott and Allie. |
It was a great weekend in Colorado but I have to admit that the reunion was the best part of it. It was wonderful finally getting to meet Michelle but watching Allie with her mom and Elliott was just priceless. Elliott was loosing his puppy coat and Allie almost has her adult coat but their body language was like a carbon copy. It seemed as though their bodies moved in synch with each other and just wonderful watching them play. Myah's not in any of these because she was smart enough to stay where it was calm and peaceful! |
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Back in Arizona 2010 We're spending 2 months in Arizona and Allie is loving it. She's just mad that she can't go to the dog park EVERY DAY! |
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Allie has finally learned that she can swim and now we can't get her out of the water!!!! What a fish :) |
Our Colorado Prison DogThe Colorado State prisons have a dog program. They train service dogs, working dogs and companion dogs for adoption. We are exploring adopting a companion for Allie and it didn't take long for me to find just the right guy. He actually adopted me, but I won't get into that. Let's just say he wasn't letting us leave without him...he insisted and he wasn't too subtle about it either. |
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Our trip to CO was amazing. We stayed with our friends in Pueblo West and on Saturday morning Bob went with us to the old Women's Prison in Canyon City. This is where they have the training facility where people come to meet their potential dogs and then go through the "Go Home Class" with their new friend. It is also where people pick up their dogs after their month long training and then the owner goes through the training class.
He came home with us and it didn't take long for him to settle in. His first night was at Bob and Virginia's home and he slept in his crate next to the bed on my side. In the morning he walked to the door to go out but when I turned my back he disappeared. I looked all around and then discovered him curled up on the bed on my side of the bed next to my pillow. He was soooo cute but when I called him to come he did and went right outside. We all (less dogs) went out to breakfast and then headed home to NM. He did great in the back of the car with Allie and when he got home he seemed to settle in like he has been here forever. We all went for a walk to get the kinks out and he did great. We did some work together on leash and then got home and did some off leash work before we played ball. He LOVES chasing the ball. The photo above is Shadow (aka Rye) before we got him. He sure was a scruffy looking guy but oh what a sweet dog he is. Shadow's Going Home |
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Saturday, April 17, 2010: This is me with Shadow at our "Go Home Class". Shadow was perfect and definitely the best one in class. Having done training with dogs for many years I knew most of the commands so it was easy working with him. They did one thing I had not done before but the instructor showed me how to do it and with a perfect dog like Shadow it was easy for me to learn. He was the best one there and we ended up passing all the others by! He left happy as a clam! |
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DAY 1: Let's just say that Shadow is neither camera shy or nervous about leaving the "big house". He spent the first night with us at Bob and Virginia's home and got to know their back yard and the pond intimately. He even played with Allie for a few minutes. Not bad for his first day with us. I was totally amazed when Shadow actually engaged Allie to play. It didn't last long, but they have a wonderful few minutes...and on the first day! |
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DAY 2: The Long ride home! ARE WE THERE YET! For most of the trip home from Colorado Allie and Shadow rode in the back of the wagon in silence. Every now and then they would pop up with tongues hanging out and a big grin on each of their faces trying to remind us they were there. Of course how could we forget! There were no squabbles or anything, they just acted like they have known each other forever. |
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DAY 3: Allie and Shadow are fast becoming best friends. They are playing more every day and at He plays very well but Allie is a bit rough so we are working with her to exercise some restraint. Her training next month will help with that....hopefully! Shadow also seems to have settled in quite well. He lies under my desk when I am working and He's a little quiet and shy but he seems to have adopted me and trusts that I will take care of him and I do! |
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On April 17, 2010, we met 2 dogs but Rye definitely won my heart. He is sweet, affectionate, smart and definitely a looker, even though he needs some cleaning up. 
Shadow after a day at the spaNo Longer a scruffy cell dog, just a gorgeous boy who is now a happy camper and spoiled rotten! |
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April, 2010...Shadow after a day at the Spa and happy to be in his new home. Larissa called me to tell me it would take a bit longer because Shadow did NOT like the blow dryer so she was putting him Shadow was so excited to see me he couldn't stop wiggling. The first photo I took of him (with my new smart phone) he was a BIG blur. The one on the left is the best shot we could get. Several views of him after grooming. It is hard getting good shots of a black dog! The photos don't do him justice. His ears and neck are neatly trimmed so he doesn't look scruffy anymore, he is just gorgeous. He sure looks like a different dog!!! After Photos. This is one handsome boy! |
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May, 2010...Shadow is a bit lonely without Allie who is at Camp Arrowhead (CO Prison) getting trained. Shadow is hoping they whip her into shape and she comes back as smart as he is instead of the obnoxious little brat that went there this month. We're not expecting miracles but we are praying! He's learning to enjoy his toys without Allie destroying them. This seems to be something new for him. He wasn't sure what to do with them but it hasn't taken him long to figure it out. He is a true retriever, he carries them around where ever he goes and often can't figure out which one to carry. At bedtime we have to move all his stuffed toys from the bed into the toy bin. Now if he was REALLY smart he'd learn to put them back!    |
Travels with Allie and Shadow - 2010Frick and Frack are getting along great and having a good time learning from each other. |
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Allie and Shadow seem to be getting along great. Allie is definitely showing Shadow the lay of the land and he's certainly learning how to relax after a hard day playing. Life after "the big house" is certainly agreeing with Shadow. |
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Our trip to AZ, UT & Colorado in May, 2010.We (They) were very fortunate because we were able to take them on all of our excursions so they got Shadow tried on several occasions to drive but his paws couldn't reach the gas pedal...thank god!
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We picked Allie up from her time at "boot camp" and out for our vacation. Our first stop was at a great RV park in UT. This RV park had a wonderful dog park and Allie and Shadow got reacquainted and a good time was had by all!    |
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Oregon Coast June, 2010Allie and Shadow have discovered the pacific ocean and all they had to say was kawabunga! Allie has been in the water but has never seen a wave. It took all of 30 seconds and she was out there chasing them and body surfing. Shadow was a bit more cautious. To our knowledge he's never been in water but he watched Allie and took things slow. He stuck close by my side but as I entered the FRIGID water he was right by my side. I kept telling him how wonderful he was and he slowly gathered more confidence. After day 1 he was in the water up to his tummy but would not go near the waves. Day 2 he was chasing Allie through the water and cautiously approached the waves. He was cool as long as there were no white waves. He still wasn't thrilled with those but we have lots of time to get used to those. Al reluctantly let Allie off lead but she did great. She returned when called and never went to far. First day we arrived too late to hit the beach but we made it the next day. Top and 2nd row are at the beach in Coos Bay, OR. We discovered a small beach about 5 miles south of the RV park. It was actually quite nice because it was in a cove and not very large waves...good way to introduce them to waves. Allie and Shadow have discovered the pacific ocean and all they had to say was kawabunga! Neither got totally in the water but it was their first experience with the ocean so there were a bit cautious which suited me just fine but as you can see they had a blast. I had forgotten just how cold the pacific ocean was but it sure didn't stop our hounds! Third row is the beach across the street from the Thousand Trails RV Resort in South Beach. It is an awesome beach...clear and lots of room to run around. The waves were not fierce but enough to give Allie a run for her money. She was good and learned to stay fairly close to shore which made me very happy as the under toe can be quite strong out here. Shadow had no desire to go far from my side but he was completely soaked by the end of our first outing and he didn't even make it past the tidal pools which were quite deep. They both ran until they were exhausted and slept most of the afternoon. They have 3 more days here and then we head to the Washington coast. I'm not sure they will want to come back home after this trip. It's obvious that Shadow likes water as much as Allie so I think he will have fun next year when we go back to AZ. |
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Although Shadow has not learned how to swim on this trip he learned a lot....water is his friend and even the great white wave don't scare him....well maybe the great big ones do, but those little ones are NO PROBLEM! Based on his sheer joy at discovering the ocean and all the fun he can have I suspect when we go to Arizona next winter that Allie will show her little brother the fine art of the doggie paddle, chasing balls in the water and just learning how to have a great time meeting all the other canine kids at Cosmo park! |
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Allie & Shadow's first experience at the Pacific Ocean |
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These are some of the photos of the fur balls on one of our trips It was Shadow's first trip with us but you'd never know it. It was like he's been traveling all his life! He is a real ham and just loves attention...and getting his photo taken. We (They) were very fortunate because we were able to take them on all of our excursions so they got to see some sights and they got lots of attention although they did their best to look like they were neglected and unloved so people would pay attention to them. Shadow tried on several occasions to drive but his paws couldn't reach the gas pedal...thank god!
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Oregon: First stop is Coos Bay for 3 days, then off to South Beach, just south of Newport. Coos Bay is a small coastal town but has something for everyone, including Allie and Shadow. I've been to as far south as Newport but this is "virgin" territory for both of us. First order of business was to find a beach for Allie and Shadow. Fortunately our neighbor (and the manager of the RV park) has a black lab mix who loves the beach as well so he's given me the hottest beach sites for the dogs. First day we arrived too late to hit the beach but we made it the next day. Top and middle row are at the beach in Coos Bay. We discovered a small beach about 5 miles south of the RV park. It was actually quite nice because it was in a cove and not very large waves...good way to introduce them to waves. Allie and Shadow have discovered the pacific ocean and all they had to say was kawabunga! Neither got totally in the water but it was their first experience with the ocean so there were a bit cautious which suited me just fine but as you can see they had a blast. I had forgotten just how cold the pacific ocean was but it sure didn't stop our hounds! Bottom row is the beach across the street from the Thousand Trails RV Resort in South Beach (Newport), Oregon. It is an awesome beach...clear and lots of room to run around. The waves were not fierce but enough to give Allie a run for her money. She was good and learned to stay fairly close to shore which made me very happy as the under toe can be quite strong out here. Shadow had no desire to go far from my side but he was completely soaked by the end of our first outing and he didn't even make it past the tidal pools which were quite deep. They both ran until they were exhausted and slept most of the afternoon. They have 3 more days here and then we head to the Washington coast. I'm not sure they will want to come back home after this trip. It's obvious that Shadow likes water as much as Allie so I think he will have fun next year when we go back to AZ. Washington: Alas I did not take any photos while we were at the Washington shore....just not nearly as nice as Oregon but then we knew that. Next trip we'll just stick to Oregon. So much more fun for everyone. |
Coos Bay, Oregon 2010 |
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South Beach (Newport), OR |
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Allie is no stranger to water but she has never seen the great big ocean but she didn't let those waves stop her. By the 2nd day she was swimming like she was at the beach in Cosmo Park in Gilbert, AZ Judging by Shadow's reaction to water since we got him it's apparent he's never seen water except for a bath. It did not take him long to discover he is a water dog. While he did not learn to swim this trip he did learn to overcome the fear of the great white wave! I'm really looking forward to returning to AZ next year to see Allie teach Shadow the fine art of the dog paddle! So far he has proven to be a very quick learner |
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Shadow showing off his new vest |
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Less than a year after coming into my life I am proud to say that Shadow is now a certified therapy |
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Trip to the Oregon Coast July 2011Well, Shadow has been with us just over a year now and his confidence is building. He has overcome any fears of water and waves and actually chased them this year. He still is terrified of thunder and lightening but he's getting stronger everyday. Fireworks, well, that really sends a chill up his spine and I thank god we brought tranquilizers on this trip but he survived and I kept telling him "what doesn't kill you makes you stronger". I'm not sure he believed me but he did survive. Allie, well she's not afraid of anything. |
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February 13, 2011: The events of that day and how Shadow helped me cope with the trauma and the after effects! |
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The last day of our stay in Arizona for the winter started off with a bang....literally! At 7 am we were heading out of our motorhome to walk the dogs before heading off to the woodcarving show. Al took the dogs out first as usual and then I followed. Just as I put my foot on the steps of the motorhome one side of the steps broke and I landed on the concrete. My hands (right, dominant hand first) went down first bracing me and next thing I know I see a bone protruding from my right wrist. My left ankle twisted and I landed on the ground with my legs in a circle. Next thing I know Shadow broke free from Al and sat on my lap pushing into my chest with his body and nesting his head between my chest and neck. I couldn't get him to leave and I wasn't sure what was going on but I was in severe pain, my heart was racing and I wasn't aware of my surroundings other than Shadow and I had no clue what Shadow was doing and why. I was in shock. Shadow stayed there for quite a while (no actual idea of time at this point). Next thing I know Shadow finally got up walked to my side next to Al. I felt calm and told Al we need to go to the ER. Al was able to help me up and back into the motorhome. I was able to dress and we left for the ER. Thank god it was a Sunday and we were the only ones there and I got in immediately. I had fractured the radial bone and it was protruding just far enough without breaking the skin. My left ankle was sprained but not broken. I was given something for pain and then they set my wrist and in a pressure cast with instructions to see an orthopedic doctor within 4 days to put it in a regular cast. To make a long story short we shut down at the show with the help of friends (Alice and John from Nibsburner) and drove back to New Mexico. I went to my orthopedic surgeon who had done my elective surgery on my thumb for arthritis 2 years earlier. He x-rayed it to be sure the ER had set it properly and they hadn't and in order to get 100% recovery it needed to be re-set surgically and a plate inserted. I was in surgery the next morning. The weeks that followed we ate out a lot because I couldn't cook...not good but better than Al's cooking. On my birthday (shortly after the cast came off) I felt my heart racing and I felt "weird". I So, I spent my birthday in the ER and the tests showed I did not have a heart attack or stroke and my BP had started to come down. They were blaming the circumstances of the last 2 months and said I probably would be fine. I was released and told to see my doctor who put me on BP meds. The first few days were up and down but Shadow never left my side. Every time I took my BP he was right there on the bed with his head on my arm. As I started feeling better he would still come in and stand by my side as I took it until I touched him and then he would walk away. He knew before the monitor finished my BP was ok and he wasn't needed. Once it was under control Shadow went back to business as usual but whenever there is a problem or my BP spikes again he's right there trying to work his magic to make things ok. My doctors think he is amazing with his uncanny ability to know when I am having problems and I need him to comfort me. He really is amazing!!!! I've heard of dogs doing things like this but never in my life had I personally experienced it. I know now that Shadow is my "heart" dog and he has been sent to me for a reason. I knew the moment I saw him he was special but I just had no idea how special he was. I grew up with Lassie and Shadow has become my hero! |
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