May 2010
1 post
April 2010
3 posts
Greensboro residents have no doubt heard about the recent acquisition of 97 dogs from a local kennel. Many of these dogs were malnourished and disease-ridden when they were seized. They now reside at the Guilford County Animal Shelter and will likely be candidates for adoption, but the shelter is strapped for resources and not equipped for this sudden increase in numbers. This is a sad situation...
Kadee (Arty) got adopted from the local shelter. Rebecca had been visiting her regularly as a shelter volunteer, and was relieved to find out yesterday that she went home with a nice family. We hope that this will be beginning of a new, happier part of this gentle dog’s life.
Hope caused a bit of drama over the weekend by getting into some birdseed. Because birdseed can be poisonous and/or cause intestinal obstruction, we had to take her to the vet and induce vomiting. She defecated birdseed for the next 48 hours. She’s doing fine now, I’m glad we caught her in the act.
March 2010
3 posts
A fictionalized account of Hope’s saga is included in Patricia Stanley’s “Shelter Stories From the Dog Adoption Ward,” a colorful collection of short stories on sale at the Tallahassee Animal Shelter. Hope’s story is called “On an Ordinary Day,” and though many liberties are taken, the fundamental pieces of her story are intact and sensitively retold. More...
Domino and Hope are having a fun vacation at the beach.
February 2010
9 posts
I enjoyed reading about Treo, the black lab who won the Dickin Medal for military heroics. Sometimes our canine friends are truly inspiring: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/8533382.stm
On my computer, I have “firefox”… on my bed is “silverfox.”
Domino and Hope had a splendid Valentine’s Day. They rampaged around in the backyard and went on a hike in the afternoon. Domino is the classic over-active border collie, so we decided to get her a backpack to give her a “job”. She wears it around with great self-importance. An update on Arty - she came to the adopting floor this week, her name is now “Kadee”. Rebecca...
We were running errands by the shelter today, so we decided to drop in. Arty was not there. There are so many beautiful and well-behaved dogs though - it seems that there are many more great dogs than when we adopted Domino. It’s a shame that so many of these dogs will get put down. Sad. Sorry for the recent downer posts - more pictures of Hope and Domino coming next week.
Still no word about Arty. I know that they go through quarantine for about a week, so we hope to have information by next week. I have a colleague who may be interested in adopting her. I hope it’s not too late.
I just learned that Arty is now at the shelter. Rebecca and I hope that she will find a good family who will give her the attention that she needs and deserves. We will check on her this week and post updates.
January 2010
6 posts
Stupid Chow Story
There’s a chow mix that has been roaming the neighborhood for months. No one can go near it, it’s too skittish. Last Monday around 9 am I get this call from Rebecca, she is out walking the dogs and the chow has apparently taken an interest in Hope. So I bring her jeep, some leftover fish, a leash and a crate. The thing gets all nervous as soon as I arrive, so I walk Domino home...
I never intended to turn this into an animal advocacy site, but I can’t help it, this is too important. Here’s one more from our city newspaper.
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Domino and Hope are back from Christmas travels. They had a lot of fun opening presents and visiting family. Hope is still doing great, she runs effortlessly and has made significant social adjustments. She is a joy.
Being involved with Hope’s rescue and recovery has made me a lot more aware of issues affecting the pet industry. I commute around 500 miles a week, and I see dogs...
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December 2009
2 posts
November 2009
5 posts
12 weeks have gone by since Hope’s surgery. She is fully mobile with no complications. Therefore the Broken Puppy Fund is now officially closed and all remaining funds were donated out this morning. We had a surplus due to Hope’s remarkable recovery, gracious discounts from some of our medical providers, and of course the generous donations collected through this blog. Here’s...
Hope stays.
Two and a half months ago, Rebecca and I adopted a dog. We just didn’t know it at the time. I would say that she suddenly walked into our lives, but the reality is that she was on the verge of limping out of this world. Two and a half months ago, a scared, hurt, and tired puppy began her metamorphosis into a healthy, happy, and vibrant being. An incredible, compassionate community of...
October 2009
9 posts
The Broken Puppy is now, so to speak, fixed. I confess, I felt guilty about dropping her off for yet another surgery today, and she wasn’t very enthusiastic about the experience either, but she needed to have this procedure. She is groggy and will have limited activity for the next few days as she heals. We’re all counting on this being the last hurdle for this gentle pup, at least for...
Hope will get spayed on Thursday. I hate putting her through another surgery, but this is routine and of course necessary. This should be her last vet visit for a while.
Running
I went running with Hope again today. Let me repeat that sentence: I went RUNNING with Hope. Not limping, not walking - running. And she’s fast! She loves to go for walks, and we have a great park right nearby that is perfect for a quick jaunt. This past Friday, we received a gift pack of some matching collars and leads from the folks at Lupine collars. They loved Hope’s story and...
1 tag
WatchFinally, some video! This is the dog who wouldn’t be able to walk again, who would probably lose a leg, who could never have a decent life. Try telling her that.
On Thursday afternoon, Hope went to the surgeon for her six-week check-up. Even though Hope has been walking without a limp and not showing any signs of pain for the last few weeks, we were concerned that she would have some underlying problems. Though we’ve tried to keep her contained, she IS a puppy, and she has been playing with Domino, walking up and down stairs, and running around the...
Sorry for the lack of updates - it was another quiet weekend, and Hope is doing great. I will post a few more pictures this week, and the next important news will come after Hope’s check-up on Thursday, where she will get x-rays and a thorough report on her progress.
The most difficult decision in this whole affair is what to do with Hope after she gets the all-clear from her surgeon in a few weeks. I always operated under the assumption that we would rehabilitate her and put her into a good home. I have a wonderful colleague who has experience with dog rehabilitation, and we also got several offers from friends and strangers alike. But Rebecca and Domino are...
Hope wants to do everything that Domino does. Rebecca calls it “monkey see, monkey do.” If Domino’s upstairs, she wants to be upstairs. If Domino goes out, she wants to go out. Domino wants to sniff something on a walk, Hope needs to sniff it too. Even though there’s a crate full of toys, Hope only wants what Domino is playing with. Hope will have her check-up x-rays on...
September 2009
22 posts
Hope’s cast is off! She is testing out her new mobility, and seems to have a fair amount of flexibility and strength. She got some more immunizations and tests (all negative). Due to the stress of surgery and rehabilitation, she won’t get spayed for another month. Check back for pictures in a few days.
We found some fleas on Hope last night, but I think we have it under control. Poor girl, we were wondering why she was so itchy. Must have been some leftovers from when I first found her.
Tomorrow’s a big day - Hope gets her splint removed, and we’ll get a better idea of what the next three weeks have in store. She is basically walking without a limp now, and the only reason she...
Hope had another good weekend. She is walking and playing like a normal puppy. She is very well-behaved, her only downfall being an odd appetite for napkins and dryer sheets. She has never had an accident in the house.
Hope has a big week coming up. Tomorrow marks three weeks since her surgery, and on Tuesday she will have her splint removed. She also may get some standard blood tests and...
Hope got her staples out today, so no more e-collar! Her incisions are healing very well. Her new splint was personalized by the vet techs (thanks Jessica!). I’ll put up a picture tomorrow. We now have a new challenge. Hope is feeling great, which means that she wants to be fully active again. We need to make sure she doesn’t aggravate her injuries, or else she could compromise...
Domino and Hope during one of their famous (and carefully supervised) toy battles, below. Hope doesn’t make any noise, she just rolls around and provokes Domino. Domino’s tail wags furiously and she makes noises that sound something like “narf…NARF…. hhhrrrrnnnnn… gggrrrrraaaaww…”
Today I took Hope in to remove her staples, but it looks as though her wounds need a few more days to heal. Sorry Hope, a few more nights with the e-collar. I’ll try to get some more photos up this weekend.
Domino and Hope are becoming great friends. Domino brings her toys over to Hope and drops them on her, then barks at her and demands that she play along. Hope then sticks her nose out and they have a wiggly snout duel, replete with playful growls and pawing at the air. Hilarious!.