One year, one month, one day. When does the loss of a loved animal stop breaking your heart? It’s a little over a month since Yoshi passed away, and I still have a slight feeling of dread when I come home, worried about what I might find that day.
One year? This Tuesday is the one year anniversary of losing Jethro. Coming home, excited to be taking him to his appointment to maybe fix what was wrong with his lungs, I found him dead. His lungs had collapsed.
One day? One day it won’t hurt anymore. That will be the day I am reunited with all those I have lost, the ones I let down somehow, and all will be right again within my heart. I’ve read somewhere about how our pets take a piece of our hearts with them when they leave us, and the new pets we love put a new piece in it’s place, but it doesn’t fit exactly so our hearts grow with love. I have loved and lost many, and my heart can take it, but I’ve made….adjustments to my life to compensate. I am honest about what is important to me, and that is the dogs I continue to rescue. I will continue to suffer heartbreak, a year, a month and a day because they make my heart beat. They are my life.
I came home today to Dolly coming around the corner with her sad ears on. The same Sad Ears she wore when Rolfe had passed away. I didn’t even want to think of who it could be, and I went to the bedroom after accounting for the other dogs and letting them outside to potty. I went into my bathroom to see Yoshi, and he was dead.
There had been nothing wrong with him, nothing but a broken heart. Add mine to that pile, because mine has a new poofy shaped hole in it. I had such hopes for him to be happy here, and to get him healthy.
I’m sorry Yoshi. I’m sorry you couldn’t stay here longer. I loved you. In a short week, I adored you. I fall fast and heard, and once again, my heart is in pieces.
I rescue dachshunds. Think that’ s obvious by the dachshund clothes, tattoos, signs, bumper stickers and the list goes on and on but let’s not forget the eleventy hundred dachshunds free roaming about my home.
I love dogs, and I love to be there to help them when their people have let them down. Wish I didn’t have to, but people seldom think past their own immediate needs and failure to plan on their part often means a new dog in my home.
That’s how Yoshi came into the picture. Yoshi is a 10+ year old black and white Pomeranian. His owner (I can’t call her his ‘mom’ because that is in insult to dog moms everywhere) failed to plan. She was being deployed and couldn’t make plans for her boy to be watched. I understand being in the military. I took orders to Mississippi instead of somewhere cool like Germany because I had 5 dogs at the time and the thought of giving them up was unthinkable to me. When I was on the IKE and out to sea, I had people to watch them and was prepared to kennel them the whole time I was gone. Fortunately, I never was gone for more than a 3 week period, but I did what I had to do. Her version of this was to ask a rescue to take him with the threat of “he’s going to the pound on Friday because I have to be out of my apartment”
I saw the post on the Doxie Lovers Club, and didn’t say anything. I waited for someone else to offer up a ray of hope for him. There was no one else. There was just me. With the loss of Rolfe and Herman, I figured ‘why not’ and before I knew what condition he could possibly be in I stepped up and said I would take him.
I met him for the first time outside of a McDonald’s, and I’m sure the shock was visible on my face. I was presented with a 19 lb dog in a 10lb dog frame. His nails were 1/2 inch too long (and that doesn’t sound long until you look at your dog’s nails and it makes me cringe) Turns out, the woman had been feeding him people food, his favorite being potato chips. She’d sent along 2 boxes of dog clothes and booties, indicating that at some time in his life with her, he was loved, or, maybe just a fun accessory. He’s good natured and sweet, and doesn’t understand why he was given up so easily. He spent his whole life with this woman, didn’t pee in the house for 3 days when she left him locked in the house during hurricane Katrina. She did offer up the suggestion of leaving him with her neighbors, who she’d seen beating their dogs who were left chained outside.
I believe in signs. When I brought him and his papers to my vet, the first time I’d laid eyes on the paperwork, I caught sight of the former owner’s name: it’s the same as my ex-husband’s! That particular name is popular in LA, but the odds of me taking in a dog not knowing that are rather astronomical.
The Anipals were jerks to him at first, and now just let him sit in the bathroom on his pillow, where it’s nice and cool. After being with me one week, he’s grown some hair in the bald patches where he’d attempted to be shaved, and he’s eating his diet dog food after today 
He was such a good boy and so sweet at the vet’s office, just dancing and happy to be there. He loves people, despite of the shabby care he’d had.
So that’s how I got a Pomeranian. Pomfro hairdo and morbidly obese. But he’s got a lot of years left in him, and I’m glad I got him.
It’s hard to imagine getting to see a puppy grow up into adulthood. I almost got to see it with Jethro, he made it to 11 months before he slipped away.
Now, I look at the babies and remember the puppy breath, the sharp little teeth and the fierce battles among siblings. You’d never know these babies couldn’t see or hear, except for not waking up from naps at the slightest noise.
I feel spoiled. I have puppies, and they’re puppies that needed a sanctuary, and I could provide that sanctuary.
Ivan has been such a good big brother to them! No one else seems to want anything to do with them other than stealing their puppy food, but Ivan wants to play with them. I wonder if it’s because of where he grew up. Ivan came from a home with a deaf family. He is crabby with every other dog, but the puppies, he’s a sweetie, always looking to me to make sure what he’s done is OK.
I’d gotten an email asking if I could possibly take in 2 blind and possibly deaf puppies that had been dumped at a shelter in Wynne Arkansas. Nearly tripping over my fingers typing the YES, I managed to say that I’d be happy to. Jethro, the inspiration for the Sanctuary, was first given to us as a blind puppy. He wasn’t, but of course had other problems.
Pongo and Perdita are, through a miracle of sorts, going to be picked up by my dearest friend’s brother, and the Anipal Palace will have a visitor on Wednesday. (Cue a flurry of dusting, mopping and puppy crate re-arranging)
They are just what is needed here after losing Herman and Rolfe.
I’d left the house on Friday to run an errand. When I got home, I’d found my long haired red boy Rolfe had passed away. I’d only had him for 2 years, he was almost 10 and my heart was broken by the loss.
Dolly was posted in front of his crate, making her “worried” noises and that is where I found him.
The trouble with having so many dogs, is that your heart is broken each time when one is lost. I’ll never know what caused his death. He was my little shadow, a little vapid too, but I adored him like he was the only one.
It was with a heavy heart that I had to give up fostering Kitty, the pretty little brindle doxie mix. She was the one who had been tossed from a car in a Dollar Store bag. She was never really happy here, never truly at ease.
She always was trying to assert her dominance, and that had led to some pack aggression, and that was not good. She’d rile the pack up to pick on whomever they perceived to be weak. The final act that caused her to be moved to another foster and rescue group was an attack on my long haired boy Rolfe.
She is now with another rescue, and hopefully finding a home of her very own.
I’d posted before about how some dogs fit in here. Turns out there are ones that don’t.
(someone’s dog named Timmy is ill, and the call for “healing rays” was made on the DLC (doxieloversclub) www.doxielovers.com. Big Rayz got stuck in my head and this was the result:
Oh, my, god. Becky, look at her dog.
It is so short. *scoff* He looks like,
one of those DLCer’s dachshunds.
But, you know, who understands those DLCers? *scoff*
They only like those dogs, because,
they look like a total sausage, ‘kay?
I mean, look at his legs, they’re just so short.
I can’t believe it’s just so close to the ground, it’s like,
down there, I mean – gross. Look!
She’s just so … dachshund!
Timmy gotz Big Rayz and you can’t Deny
Us doxielovers cannot lie
When a dog walks in with little bitty legs
And a long snout in your face
You get dumb, wanna pick up that pup
And snorgle him right up
Big dogs just have something missin’
I’m hooked and I can’t stop kissin’
Oh Timmy, I want ya all better
Can’t take no for an answer
My vets all tried to warn me
But those little long dogs make me so corny
Ooh, wire or smooth fur
You say you wanna get in my head?
Well, use me, use me
‘Cause you ain’t that average Snoopy
I’ve seen them dancin’
To hell with fancy prancin’
They’re barkers, snarkers
Diggin to China I bet
I’m tired of magazines
Sayin’ tall dogs are the scene
Ask the DLCers what makes them beg
They gotta have short legs
So, DLCrs! (Yeah!) DLCrs! (Yeah!)
Has your doggie got shorter legs? (Hell yeah!)
Tell ‘em to shake it! (Shake it!) Shake it! (Shake it!)
Shake those shorty legs!
Doxies want snacks!
(Doberman bark with a sausage body)
Doxies want snacks!
We like ‘em short, and lean
And when they’re making a scene
I just can’t help myself, I’m actin’ like a ninny
Now here’s the skinny:
I wanna take them home
And ugh, cuddle-up, ugh, ugh
I ain’t talkin’ bout Dog Fancy
‘Cause breeding those pups is pretty chancy
I want ‘em real short and healthy
Won’t make me wealthy
Doxie Lovers in trouble
Beggin’ for a piece of that kibble
So I’m lookin’ at Cruft’s dog shows
Afghan hounds walkin’ like hoes
You can have them bimbos
I’ll keep my pups closer to the flo’
A word to the short squirrel chaser, I wanna get with ya
I won’t fuss or stop ya
But I gotta be straight when I say I wanna sleep
Past the break of dawn
Doxies got it goin’ on
A lot of simps won’t like this song
‘Cause them punks don’t get dogs that are long
I’d rather stay and play
‘Cause they’re long, and they’re strong
And I’m down to get the bellyrubs on
So, doxies! {WOOF!} Doxies! {WOOF!}
If you wanna roll in something stinky {WOOF WOOF!}
Then turn around! Roll it over!
Even white dogs got to bark
Doxies get snacks!
Doxies get snacks!
Yeah, baby … when it comes to doxies, Westminster ain’t got nothin’
to do with my selection. 13-9-13? Ha ha, only if they’re 1′ and under.
So your doggie rolls in poops, playin’ round and jumpin through hoops
But hoops ain’t gotta be high, those doxies so agile they can fly
My doxie lovers don’t want none
Unless you’ve got doxie buns, hun
You can be pure bred or mixed up,
But please don’t grow those legs
Some owners wanna play that “hard” role
And tell you that the dog ain’t gold
So they toss it and leave it
And I pull up quick to retrieve it
So Petsmart says you’re banned
Just because you punched that man!
‘Cause you saw him leavin and his doxie was grievin’
And you’re thinkin’ bout flattening him’
To the asshats who abuse and harm:
You gonna be buyin’ the farm!
Give me a doxie, I can’t hide my moxie
Those black and tan dogs are just too foxy!
Some knucklehead tried to dis
‘Cause my dogs aren’t on his list
He had game but I chose to quit ‘em
And I scoot off quick to get rid’em
So doxies, if the butt is low to the ground,
And you want a triple Sonic throw down,
Dial 1-900-DLC
And kick them cheese sticks down
Doxies get snacks!
Little in the legs but they get the snacks.
Step 1: Order the Parmesan Garlic Chicken Nugget basket from the local pizza and wing joint.
Step 2: DO NOT SHARE this step is important. You must whet their appetites and let them work themselves into a frenzy before suppertime.
Step 3: Prepare their suppers as you normally would, but take the delicious garlicky butter drippings left over from the chicken nuggets and remelt it in the microwave.
Step 4: Pour the drippings into 2 bowls.
Step 5: Pour dog food into original container.
Step 6: Feed to dogs who are by now drunk with the aroma of garlic.
End result: VERY HAPPY Buddy, Otto and Daisy May
Oh, I forgot about Rue and Scooter who got to eat the ranch dip. I figured that since Scooter was eating vegetarian soft food (grabbed one of those cans when I bought his food) he deserved some dressing on it. Rue got it because he went in the crate first. Just how it works out sometimes.
That is all for today’s installment of….HOW TO BE A HERO TO YOUR DOGS
Roofus has had his second round of heartworm treatment, and is doing well so far. It’s hard to believe that the little round ball of nearly dead dog has come this far. His coat is soft, and he’s learned that he loves to be scratched on his throat. His life on the streets is done, and the life where he sleeps above my pillow in the ‘bookcase’ portion of my headboard on the bed is thriving.