Members Pets

[MEM]

I just got my Annie dog certified for therapy work. We should be able to start doing visits at nursing homes next month. :yahoo: After we do visits for about year we can start going to a program called "Reading to Rover". Kids with learning disabilities read out loud to the dogs. It's proven that kids with learning disabilities learn better and faster with the dogs being there. Dogs are non judgemental unlike adults so there is no fear with embarrassment reading in front of a dog. Also kids and dogs have a specal connection. Dogs really do have a special connection with us, sometimes much more than drugs and doctors I think.

Matt

GOOD for you! My golden girl, Gaby (died of aspiration pneumonia post-op 1999), and I did nursing home visits for years. They're wonderfully rewarding programs - for all concerned. Staff would let Gaby on patients' beds! I remember one evening we visited a senior who was lying in her bed and hadn't responded to anyone in days. Gaby was eye-to-eye with her and did her face light up when Gaby greeted her! Tears in everyone's eyes that night. One of my favorite nursing home gals was 101 years old

I love the idea of "Reading to Rover" . I don't think we have any such program here.

Annie's a beauty. Enjoy !

 

[Joe2Lmaker]

I took this photo last night:

Snickers and Henry (a.k.a. Seven)

These two have decided they are mine, or I am theirs ... Don't ask me why.

By the time I get home from work, I have completely forgotten there are animals in the house. These two remind me and carry on as if I had been brought back from the dead. My wife feeds them. My wife cleans up after them/changes the litter box. If it wasn't for my wife, these two would surely be dead, but they love me and are constantly hanging around.

 

[MEM]

I took this photo last night:

Snickers and Henry (a.k.a. Seven)

These two have decided they are mine, or I am theirs ... Don't ask me why.

By the time I get home from work, I have completely forgotten there are animals in the house. These two remind me and carry on as if I had been brought back from the dead. My wife feeds them. My wife cleans up after them/changes the litter box. If it wasn't for my wife, these two would surely be dead, but they love me and are constantly hanging around.

I have a cat called Snickers

 

[bigtallguy]

We have a yellow lab

She loves us to death and we return the favor :yahoo:

 

[Bounce]

After having dogs my whole life, my wife and daughters have had their turn with a few cats. We currently have a 10-year old orange-and-white american shorthair tabby and just last week we added Kiku a 13 week-old Bombay.

 

[Patriot]

gratudious bump

 

[FJRay]

Along with my dogs and cats We are babysitting two Jack Russells and three horses for the neighbor. I almost would rather have the horses in the house and the Jack Russells in the barn. To much energy and no brains.

 

[MEM]

Post up here, Rangemaster!! No need to crop the labs

 

[Checkswrecks]

It's amazing what you'll do for an old lady. My Mom found Happy in a pound when she was guessed to be a bit less than 2 and the pooch became the love of the retirement community where Mom had to move to. Happy's daily diet of chocolate chip cookies that had been snuck out of the cafeteria came to an end (mostly) when she moved in with us after Mom had to be hospitalized with terminal cancer in the end of 2002. It was funny that when we'd visit Mom, if we didn't have Happy, all the other old folks would get seriously upset. The companion dogs really add color to people's lives and those are great programs.

Happy's 14 now. My wife and I went to Cancun last week for a 3-day class that my wife's work was sending her to, intending to have some get-away time over the weekend. The second evening there, my daughter (22) was crying when she called, and the only legible word over & over was "Happy," so I thought she died. It turns out that just after walking away, the old lady fell to her side, twitching in a seizure, and "stuff" was coming out of both ends. The daughter is a horse person and used to work at a couple of vets, so had the presence to get the dog into the car and was calling on the way to the vet. We couldn't get home till the next afternoon & the next day Happy could just lay on her side and pick up her head. I was sure we were coming home to put her to sleep. Talk about a long night and flight!

It took a couple of days for her to get up and long story short, we're now a week later and she's back (mostly) to her old mooching self. Our daughter had gotten Haps to the vet within the first half-hour. The vet couldn't tell the first night but shot her up with his best guesses, one of which was to stop swelling of the brain, where timeliness is paramount. He now thinks it was "vestibular syndrome" in which a clot hits the inner ear or brain. The dog's brain can't tell which way is up with the eyes and ears providing conflicting information to the brain, knocking her down, creating panic, and making her lose control.

Happy's still a bit "off" as the brain re-wires but we're all just really thankful not to lose her. :yahoo: The vet said that while the first time is the worst & it may happen again, but she's still in good shape otherwise.

I guess the point of the whole deal for others is to get to the vet fast and also to not give up! When I was a kid growing up on Atwood Lake in Ohio, we would've put her down that first night.

Checks

 

[MEM]

It's amazing what you'll do for an old lady. My Mom found Happy in a pound when she was guessed to be a bit less than 2 and the pooch became the love of the retirement community where Mom had to move to. Happy's daily diet of chocolate chip cookies that had been snuck out of the cafeteria came to an end (mostly) when she moved in with us after Mom had to be hospitalized with terminal cancer in the end of 2002. It was funny that when we'd visit Mom, if we didn't have Happy, all the other old folks would get seriously upset. The companion dogs really add color to people's lives and those are great programs.
Happy's 14 now. My wife and I went to Cancun last week for a 3-day class that my wife's work was sending her to, intending to have some get-away time over the weekend. The second evening there, my daughter (22) was crying when she called, and the only legible word over & over was "Happy," so I thought she died. It turns out that just after walking away, the old lady fell to her side, twitching in a seizure, and "stuff" was coming out of both ends. The daughter is a horse person and used to work at a couple of vets, so had the presence to get the dog into the car and was calling on the way to the vet. We couldn't get home till the next afternoon & the next day Happy could just lay on her side and pick up her head. I was sure we were coming home to put her to sleep. Talk about a long night and flight!

It took a couple of days for her to get up and long story short, we're now a week later and she's back (mostly) to her old mooching self. Our daughter had gotten Haps to the vet within the first half-hour. The vet couldn't tell the first night but shot her up with his best guesses, one of which was to stop swelling of the brain, where timeliness is paramount. He now thinks it was "vestibular syndrome" in which a clot hits the inner ear or brain. The dog's brain can't tell which way is up with the eyes and ears providing conflicting information to the brain, knocking her down, creating panic, and making her lose control.

Happy's still a bit "off" as the brain re-wires but we're all just really thankful not to lose her. :yahoo: The vet said that while the first time is the worst & it may happen again, but she's still in good shape otherwise.

I guess the point of the whole deal for others is to get to the vet fast and also to not give up! When I was a kid growing up on Atwood Lake in Ohio, we would've put her down that first night.

Checks

Checks - what a GREAT, great story. Thank you so much for taking the time to share it. It gave me my first smile of the day and warmed my heart. Happy is a very lucky gal to have found love in so many places and lifetimes. My girls just went out for a pee. It's 12 degrees (F; windchill) so I must let them in

 

[beemerdons]

Checks, thank you so very much for your heartwarming story! I love dogs and cats, Bear and Gary bring richness to my life!

 

[Patriot]

sweet story, thanx for sharing

make her middle name "lucky"

 

[Old Michael]

Checks, thanks for that.

Made this a much better morning.

 

[Mizz Bustanut]

Thanks for sharing. We, all too often, only here the abuse stories. It warms my heart to know there

are people out there that are so compassionate. I feel the same with our pets (aside from Busts sheep).

I've always said, when I die, I want to re reincarnated as a spoiled pet.

I pray that you will have many, many more happy years with her.

:happysmiley:

 

[CAJW]

I've got a few extra of these that are available for adoption.

 

[Patriot]

Christmas Eve Eve bump...

 

[MEM]

OM - you posted the piggies. Why don't you post up your Springers?

 

[happyPuppy]

How I became happypuppy. Whenever someone dropped by they said "happypuppy" due to these to Beagles, and it sort of stuck.

 

[ionbeam]

[Redundant picture removed]...I've got a few extra of these that are available for adoption.

Gee CAJW, I've got some of the same pets as you. This picture was taken on my kitchen counter. Youse just gotta love a good jumping spider. We named ours Fang.

 

[exskibum]

All right, I'll post my favorite pet. Have one cat and two rats at present. Love 'em all, but Checkers (MY rat) is a Very Special Rodent. The blond had many growing up and got me hooked on them; the movie "Ratatouille" apparently softened me up enough that they began "infesting" the condo. Never would have imagined them to be like they are -- one of the very sweetest, cleanest, most gentle and affectionate creatures I've ever been around. Judy gave me Checkers last spring, and he is a kick. Playful, always very happy to see me, always good for a laugh at his antics, and when I pet him, he grooms me back. Anyway, here's three pics of Checkers:

As of last night's early Christmas present, I also have a long sleeved cotton riding shirt with his picture (below) on the back and the acronym "V.S.R." beneath it.

So now you all know.