Blog Challenge Day 12: Recovery

This topic was yet another one that I had difficulty determining what I wanted to write about, until it occurred to me while talking to friends about my dog Lola's current health issues.

She was recently diagnosed as having demodex mange, which I had suspected.  Of the two types of mange demodex is not contagious and is an immune system disorder.  Lola's immune system is already very poor due to multiple, severe allergies.  The demodex symptoms (hair loss, itchy and very dry patches of skin, etc.) began to manifest shortly after I had to put Fox down a month ago.  Demedex is most often caused by extreme stress; I had no idea she had been so bonded to him but she did lay around and do almost nothing the first week after he passed.  But then, so did I.  Hair loss and itchiness isn't uncommon for her when her allergies flare up, but one patch turned into two and then four.  Prednisone didn't seem to help.  So off to the vet's for a skin scrape.

Lola is already feeling better from her medicated baths (which decrease the itchiness and inflammation in addition to helping prevent infection from the open skin).  She's also receiving antibiotics and her usual allergy pills.  I'm adding more fruits, veggies, and herbal supplements to her food to help her immune system fight back.

I can say a lot about Lola, but one thing that she is through and through is a fighter.  She was on death's door when I got her from the shelter at 7 months old; emaciated, wouldn't eat, and had pneumonia.  There was a good chance she wouldn't have survived, but she did.  

Thankfully demodex is easily treated and not at all life threatening when caught at such an early stage.  Even with her poor immune system, she has the love and prayers of so many people who care about her.  I can already see how much that is helping her.  She knows and she is grateful.

Blog Challenge Day 11 - Confessions

I feel like I've already written about this, although perhaps it was prior to this writing challenge.  Short term memory isn't always my strong suit.

There isn't much that embarrasses me, which doesn't give me a whole lot to confess.  As anyone who knows me well or has read my blog for a while knows, I am very open about my life.  Personal relationships stay personal, but that's about it.  I attempt not to over-share, but am not always successful.

Hmm.  Okay.  Here goes my attempt at confessing things that don't bother me at all, but may bother others.  Does that count?  Hope so, because it's going to have to.

- Even if Fox hadn't gotten sick with cancer, I had no plans whatsoever to neuter him.  He didn't have papers and wasn't show dog material even if he was; he absolutely had field potential and that is what he was bred for.  Elhew through and through.  I am an extremely responsible dog owner and he had very, very few undesirable behaviors that seem to be expected of intact male.  I put the time and effort into training him, which included manners in the house, with my dogs, and with dogs in public.  His only negative trait is that he was very dominant toward males dogs (especially intact males, for obvious reasons) visiting our house and if he was challenged he would initiate a fight.  In public he had no interest in intact males or any other dogs.  He was all about meeting people and getting as much attention & love as possible.  Fox was a total love sponge.  Also, balls don't bother me.  Even when a dog has gigantic like his that probably made some human males feel unendowed.  Not my problem, dudes.

- One time I spilled some cold coffee on Gatsby's head and never bothered to clean it up.  Does this make me a terrible dog owner?  It's not like you could see it on his solid liver head anyway.

I can't really think of anything else, so this will have to suffice.

Onto Day 12's topic!

Blog Challenge Day 4: Pet Peeves

I had planned to write a long and snarky list of the many things that irritate me about people.  Incompetence, ignorance, bigotry, etc.

Instead I choose to take this topic literally.  Pet peeves.

This evening I read an article detailing the results of a survey conducted by the Best Friends Animal Society in Kanab, Utah.  Shockingly the study indicates that younger people (between 18 and 34) do not view pets in a shelter or rescue as acceptable companions.  As some experts have interpreted, I agree that advertisements and marking showing shelter pets as sad, cowering, and sick does not help them find loving, adoptive homes.  Shelters pets have a lot to offer and honestly some of them have a lot more to offer than a puppy or kitten.  Many adult dogs and cats are housebroken/litterbox trained.  So many animals are given up or lost and never reclaimed by owners through no fault of their own.

I am absolutely NOT anti-breeder and know many responsible, conscientious breeders.  Whom all support rescue in one way or another.

The most disturbing part of this survey is that one would expect (certainly I would expect) that younger people would be more progressive.  I find this hard to stomach, but I suppose I am not wholly surprised.  I think the idea of dogs and cats from shelters give many people the idea that they are difficult and require a lot of rehabilitation to be "normal."  While this is true of some shelter animals, in my experience fostering over two dozen dogs in the past three years (nearly all of them from shelters, a small amount directly surrendered from owners) most of them have been easy peasy.  I'd take an adult dog over a puppy any day.  They are easier to train because they have a longer attention span and therefore are more focused.

One of the most common misconceptions I have encountered as the director and founder of a mostly purebred dog rescue is that an older dog (basically older than one year old) will not bond to you as strongly as a puppy will.  This is absolutely false.  I grew up having dogs and cats my entire life, most of which were acquired as puppies and kittens.  I have never  had a dog more devoted and bonded to me than Gatsby, my 8 & a half year old German shorthaired pointer, whom I adopted at the age of 6.  I met three dogs the day I chose to foster him.  He was the oldest and the least interested in me & Lola.  But I had a feeling about him and he seemed nice.  Boy was I ever right!  He is my dog soulmate.

If you find the right dog (or cat) they will bond to you strongly, whatever their age.  All of my dogs were shelters dogs; some rescued by me directly (Lemons and Foxtrot) and some rescued by other rescue groups (Lola and Gatsby).  True, some were easier than others.  Honestly the only dog I got as a puppy (Lola) was the most challenging of the four.  The older boys, even Fox who was basically semi-feral when I got him, were by far easier from day one.

The bottom line, for me, is that there are an enormous amount of dogs and cats out there looking for homes.  They are not damaged.  They are worthy to be your companion and will enrich your life if you just give them the chance.

If you would like to read the article I mentioned above, you can read it here.

Me with Gatsby.

For more Day 4 Blog Challenge posts read:

Yvonne's Day 4

Danielle's Day 4

Vocabulary Lesson: Couler

You learn something new everyday; or you can if you make an effort.  Yesterday I learned what the term "couler" means when describing an action a pointing breed dog can perform in the field.  There is a link to a very informative YouTube video at the bottom of this point (because I couldn't get it to properly embed).

Makes me wonder if that is what Gatsby is actually doing (on his own, without my direction) when he points and then starts creeping toward pigeons (who are usually milling about).  I will have to watch him more closely to see if he only does this when the bird he's found is on the move.  He definitely has a more solid point on doves, which tend to be pretty stationary.  Gats does seem to enjoy menacing and chasing pigeons, which he doesn't do with other birds.  More on that in the following paragraph.

Not knowing about his past training (I got him when he was 6) and relying on the opinions of a field trainer and a couple experienced upland bird hunting friends (one w/ GSPs, the other w/ GWPs) to determine what Gats knows/doesn't know... general consensus is that he's without doubt been hunted but doesn't have the manners of a field trial dog (also he's huge and FT dogs tend to be small & quick) or competition dog.  He's also a point stealing jerk who flips out if another dog gets to retrieve the shot bird, but that's another story for another day.  Like I said: no manners.  The dudes also think that his desire to bump pigeons (causing them to fly without stopping/pointing) could be because a lot of trainers use them and he doesn't take them seriously because he knows they're not "really hunting" when he's been exposed to them.  I will absolutely admit that I don't know enough about this subject matter to agree or disagree and am very open to other interpretations of Gatsby's behaviour.

Anyhow, I've gotten completely off track (typical) and having provided a definition for the term I began to write about in the first place.

Couler is when a dog points and then begins to creep stealthily toward a located bird, usually because the bird is moving and they're trying to get it to set (sit still) to reestablish point so that the hunter can flush and shoot.  From what I understand, dogs are not supposed to do this on their own and should only do so when signaled to do so by their handler either by touch or motion/gesture (or a very quiet verbal command, so as not to startle the bird).

~Click on the link below to watch an instructive and well presented video demonstrating what this looks like in an actual field setting.  Trust me, it's fascintating and worth a few minutes to watch!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LkPnhpp5tEE

Yes, I Am a Breedist Snob

Instead of precluding this post with wordy explanations and heartwarming true stories of the amazing compassion I have witnessed in the past three years I have been involved in dog rescue, I am going to make a few strong statements and give my reasons after the fact.

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#1 - The next dog I get will be from a breeder.

#2 - I will never own a mixed breed dog.

#3 - The only breed I will ever own is the German shorthaired pointer.

#4 - I will never own a German shorthaired pointer whose tail is not docked and it must be docked to the proper length per breed standard.

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Anyone outraged or at least deeply surprised yet?

The four declarations above may seem more unexpected in light of my involvement in animal welfare and dog rescue.  Onto more bullet points!

- Yes, I volunteered two or three days a week in the isolation kennels (aka "sickbay") at my local animal control shelter for over a year.  I am very familiar with the shelter system and the mind-boggling amount of animals that end up in these institutions.  I know the staggering statistics of how many animals die in shelters each year.

- I began as a foster for an all-breed rescue and fostered 8 mutts (and one cross-breed, which is my GSP/Lab, Lola).  I was actively involved with them for over a year.

- I have run a mostly purebred dog rescue for the past 19 months.  I know there are plenty of purebred dogs in shelters, on Craigslist, or dumped.

- All three of my current dogs are rescues.  Two are purebred, one is a cross-breed (which means she is the result of two purebred parents).  They are all AWESOME.

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So... why do I want a purebred docked tail German shorthaired pointer from a breeder as my next dog?

Well, firstly... my dogs are fairly young and barring a horrific accident it could be as long as ten years before I get another dog anyway.  Someday I'd love to downsize to only two dogs, but at this point it's not happening.  I love my three and they're not going anywhere.

I also want to get a bitch because I would like to participate in conformation (show) events.  Have I done this before?  Nope.  But I can learn, will learn, and even if we don't do well it will be an experience for us both.  Why a bitch?  Honestly I prefer smaller, daintier females and large, above standard moose-like, big ol' males.  The ideal combination of dogs for me would be a pretty, standard sized bitch from a breeder and a huge, masculine looking neutered male from a rescue.  I really dislike bitchy looking males.  (See?  Told you I was a snob.)

What do I have against mixed breed dogs?  Solely personal preference.  I don't care much for little dogs, fluffy dogs, scruffy dogs, smushed face dogs, dogs lacking high intelligence, or boring, couch potato dogs.  I'm glad other people do and that dogs with those attributes are able to find loving, permanent homes.  They deserve to be loved and well cared for, but it's just not going to be my home.  Sorry.

Why German shorthaired pointers?  The simplest explanation I have other than "I LOVE THEM SO MUCH" is that they possess absolutely every quality I could ever want in a dog.  They are extremely intelligent, adventurous, enthusiastic, friendly, outgoing, and very Type A.  Everything they do, they do with a bold intensity and combine that with an affectionate, sweet, cuddly nature.  Yes, they are lap dogs!  They are regal and beautiful dogs, but are also goofy and totally hilarious.  GSPs are without question high maintenance with regards to physical athleticism and mental acuity.  They are a lot of work, but if you love the breed this is a worthwhile, fun interaction with a dog who is expertly tuned into you.  GSPs are not for everyone and while most people have certain expectations from their dogs they are a breed that has high expectations of their owners as well.

You may be thinking, "well, okay... but you own an English pointer and clearly love him!"  Yes, I adore Foxtrot.  He's one interesting dog start to finish.  But he's although he is the second Elhew I've has the pleasure of owning, he is also my last English pointer, Elhew or otherwise.  (I can already hear a friend of mine bursting into tears of denial...)  Why?  To me they are a sunnier, happier, and less intense cousin of the GSP.

What's so bad about that?  Nothing.  Okay... not "nothing."  This brings us to point #4.  Two words:  full tails.  I could easily write a lengthy post on this topic alone.  Suffice it to say that once you get whacked with one fifty times a day they tend lose their charm.  I still consider them to be one of the best and most amazing breeds out there, but they just aren't the perfect fit for me.

Which brings us to my final point: while I do not approve of docking dogs' tails for cosmetic purposes such as merely meeting breed standard even though the dog is no longer used for it's original purpose or job, I absolutely support docking the tails of breeds who are still regularly used to hunt, herd, and otherwise fulfill the job they were bred to do.  I fully admit that finding full tails annoying is a totally arbitrary position on my part; however, while I do not and will probably never hunt, I do plan on participating in AKC Hunt Tests and possibly Field Trials with my future dogs.  Even with my current dogs, I would love to (and plan to) do this with Foxtrot and Gatsby once I am able to put a lot more work into training them.  Although I do not have their papers, I can still get a Purebred Alternate Listing (PAL#) from the AKC which allows them to compete in companion and performance events such as obedience, hunt tests, rally, tracking, agility, etc.

In a nutshell I started out immersed in all-breed dog rescue with only rescue dogs and along the way became a enthusiastic purebred aficionado whose next dog will be a puppy from a reputable breeder.

So there you have it!

Meet My Dogs!

I've had a few new readers express interest in my dogs' backgrounds, how I got them, etc.

Ask and you shall receive!  (At least in this instance; clearly this does not always apply.)

Because my dogs are such a integral part of my life and are basically my surrogate children, I have given them their own biographical page here on the blog.

You can check out their page here: http://www.garnetscarabin.com/p/about-my-dogs.html

Don't forget to stay tuned for future updates detailing their nutty escapades!

Gatsby, enjoying a green smoothie from Whole Foods.

A Beer Reference

If I got married and had two children, my family would be a six-pack.

Yes, dogs count as family members even if they refuse to go to the bathroom inside like civilized humans would.  Actually, I strongly encourage that course of action.

Gatsby, Foxtrot, & Lola Lulu

Quiet Possibly the World's Worst Update

While I should be cleaning my glorified dog kennel (aka, my house), here I sit attempting to write something substantial enough to be worthy of my friend Cheryl's plug on Facebook.  "Read Garnet's blog!  She hardly ever writes a post because she's too busy rescuing dogs, eating organic sprouts, having vegan tea parties or watching Foyle's War on Netflix!"

Crap.

To same time and words, here is a photo:  (I am now going to look through recently uploaded iPhone photos to select something suitably attention garnerning.)

Okay, here we go.  This was an AWESOME dinner created by the contents of our Sunizona FarmBox (organic CSA from Willcox, AZ which is about an hour & a half from where I live in Tucson) and the contents of our (me, my friend S. & her mom) pantries.  Brown rice with ginger peanut sauce and mushrooms, carrots, red peppers, green onions, cilantro, crushed cashews, and sriracha.  Possibly a few other things.  It was tasty!  Not only is sharing a CSA box easy on our pocketbooks, but it is so nice to cook a family dinner together and have a real family meal.  Makes my heart happy and is just as good for my depression as my meds, if not more so.

Obligatory dog photo.  My beloved German shorthaired pointer, Gatsby, on the left and my supposed-to-be-foster-dog-but-probably-my-dog Foxtrot the Elhew English pointer on the right.

I will be undertaking a unique adventure this evening, that has ties to Lola Lulu's puppyhood.  The best part is that my friend is one his way and I haven't swept the floors, washed (or hidden) any dirty dishes OR taken a shower.  Yay!

Stay tuned for a poignant post (with photos) later tonight.

The Tale of Four Testicles, Part One (and Recap)

This should probably be the third installment of the saga of how having two intact male dogs in a small house isn't much fun, but I had hoped the situation wouldn't develop into a several days long epic.

Lola Lulu (black dog) meeting Valentine (red dog).

Summary of events, thus far:

- Two days ago I rescued an elderly purebred Hungarian Vizsla from the Pima county shelter.  Yes, I forgot to ask if he was neutered (entirely my fault)... I was distracted by his severely atrophied right rear hip and leg.  He was old, very sweet, and could only walk on three legs, so of course I took him home and named him Valentine.

- Initial introductions in the yard with all four dogs went smoothly.  Foxtrot (my foster English pointer, a 7 year old intact male) got kinda stiff & stared at him, but I intervened and he let it go... until we got into the house and he jumped Valentine.  Thankfully he was just being nasty/threatening (read: loud and snarly, but didn't bite down or break skin), but the dogs were separated which meant Foxtrot went into his crate in the bedroom.

Foxtrot meeting Valentine; notice the fully upright, tense tail and stiff posture. 

- To set the stage for these events, I live in a small one bedroom cottage style house.  In Arizona we call them "casitas."  There are no doors to separate the rooms, with the exception of the bathroom.  The only other doors belonging to the closet, the kitchen (leads to the backyard), and the living room (leads to the outside world).  Other than using crates/kennels there isn't any way to keep the dogs separated except outside in the yard (which is separated into two yards if you shut the gate).  Valentine FREAKS OUT in a crate: panting, drooling, trying to "dig" out of it, and he actually got his lower jaw stuck between the bars and I had to help him get un-stuck before he hurt himself.

- I tried reintroducing them in the yard twice yesterday (without my two dogs) and the first went very poorly, while the second was not too bad.

- Overnight Valentine has free reign of the living room and kitchen.  I use the sofa to block off my bedroom doorway (my dogs can easily jump over, but Valentine can't) and I'll let Foxtrot get up on the bed (with a slip lead on, so he doesn't bolt over the sofa and pounce on Valentine) to cuddle before bed.  He is still sleeping in his crate overnight.

- The daily routine involves rotating the dogs in and out of the house (which does mean either putting Valentine in the back yard by himself and giving Foxtrot house/front yard freedom or putting Valentine temporarily in a crate so that I can let Foxtrot out into the yard.

Just typing this all up is exhausting...

Fast forward to this morning:  Valentine is in the backyard, Lola & Gatsby are in the front yard and I brought Foxtrot out on a slip lead.  He didn't posture or behave nastily toward Valentine at the fence, so I opened the gate.  Foxtrot mostly ignored him and paid complete attention to me (being somewhat of a nuisance, but I'm letting that slide for now).  Only the smallest incident occurred when Valentine sniffed Foxtrot's rear and Foxtrot stiffened up & whipped his head around... I said his name and he swung his head back around toward me, relaxed instantly, and I praised him.  He then happily followed me into the house and I shut the door behind us, wanting to end this "exercise" on a good note.  We also had some cuddle time on the couch and he got to hang out with me in the kitchen while I got breakfast started, before he went back into his crate and I let the other dogs into the house.

Babysteps!

We'll try again this afternoon and see how that goes.  Foxtrot's intense bond with me is working toward a positive end.  His choice is basically between getting love & attention from me or fighting with Valentine and this morning he chose positive attention from me instead of the latter.

Progress!

Meet the Newest Stars!

Curious about the first four dogs we've saved in 2013?  I mentioned Sherlock in the last post, but here is a little bit about each of them.

Victor is a lemon & white purebred English pointer between around 7 years old that we rescued the day before he was going to be euthanized at a rural shelter in Georgia.  Victor is heartworm positive and even though he exhibits no outward symptoms (which means it is probably a low level infection) no one was interested in adopting or rescuing him.  He sat at the shelter since the end of November, waiting, and now he is en route to Tucson.  We will be driving out to meet a Pilots N Paws pilot in Las Cruces, NM to pick him & Sherlock up from the airport tomorrow afternoon.  I am fostering Victor in my home while he goes through several months of treatment.

 Sherlock is the dog I mentioned in my last post.  He escaped euthanasia at the shelter in Ft. Worth, TX for two days before we were able to coordinate his release.  Sherlock is also a heartworm positive English pointer (his colouring is orange & white) and he's around 6 years old.  He's spent the last week getting some R&R at Paige's home in Dallas and will be flying with Victor tomorrow.  Sherlock will spend the weekend at my house so we can get him & Victor to the vet for their heartworm antigen tests and chest x-rays before Sherlock goes to his foster home.

Artemis was found scavenging for food at a dump outside of Mammoth, AZ.  Skinny and very scared, she was rescued by two good samaritans who took her to the vet to get checked out, vaccinated, and spayed.  At only about 3 years old the vet determined she was very over-bred and had probably had a litter every time she'd gone into heat since she reached maturity (between 7-8 litters).  She is very gentle, but is still very timid and we're looking for a foster home to give her the one-on-one attention that she needs.  Artemis is a purebred liver & white German shorthaired pointer.

  "Shy Girl" doesn't yet have a name, but at least she has a safe, loving foster home to go to.  Rescued at the 11th hour the night before she was going to be euthanized at 5am for being shy.  Yes, that was actually the shelter's reason for putting her down.  Thankfully we got her taken off the e-list and are picking her up this afternoon.  We're not sure if she's a solid black German shorthaired pointer, maybe mixed with Weimaraner... it remains to be seen, but there is no question there is a lot of pointing breed(s) going on in her DNA.

You can check out our website at www.arizonabirddogrescue.org or "Like" us on Facebook by clicking here.

Daily Gratitude - 7 November, 2012

#1 - Today, I am happy to be an American.  We're an imperfect country, but we're moving in the right direction!

#2 - An apple empanada is a thing of beauty.  (Even if it isn't pumpkin as I'd hoped...)

#3 - I rode my bike to work in only 18 minutes!  (My fastest time ever!)

#4 - Porter and Gatsby are now playing!  He is the 3rd dog Gatsby has ever played with in the year or so I've had him.  He greets dogs politely, then ignores them & displays no interest in interacting.  Normally he only plays with Lola and if Lola is inside with me, Gatsby is outside digging holes in the yard.  He hasn't dug holes for a few days now!  (I can tell, because I recently filled them all in with a shovel.)

#5 - Also in Porter-related news, he slept in bed with Gatsby and me last night (his first night not sleeping in his crate) and was very good!  No "accidents" in the house and he slept through most of the night except for a few coughing fits (he still has kennel cough).

Gatsby & Porter

Four Things I Love

#1 - My dogs

#2 - Beer

#3 - Mysteries

#4 - Politics

I swore that I was not going to watch the election coverage.  I was going to run with R. after work, then go home and relax with my dogs and perhaps have a beer or two.  All of these things are true and did happen.

Yet somehow, I found myself on Huffington Post's result page and hitting refresh about every 30 seconds.  The suspense is too delicious!  I remember the first time Obama was elected.  I lived in Chicago (on Broadway, in Uptown) and spent the night chain-smoking decadent rose infused cigarettes from Marshall & McGearty's.  Drinking to much wine, pacing around my loft, and kicking myself that I'd declined to go down to Grant Park (my friend has an extra ticket!) because the wait for the El or cabs afterward would be extreme.  (I'm kicking myself now, just thinking about the opportunity I passed up for such a silly reason!)  I remember the wave of joy that electrified a city that has stayed up late to await the results when the final announcement was made.

People, myself included, ran into the streets.  Crying, clapping our hands, yelling in joy, hugging neighbours we'd never met... I've never experienced anything like it.  Even the next day, taking the El downtown... the city felt different and surreal, like I'd woken up in a parallel city.

I wonder what tonight's results with have on my current city and on my country itself...

I Think I May Be In Love...

Just look at that face!

He is the newest rescue dog in the Arizona Bird Dog Rescue family.  For anyone who may be a new reader (hello and thank you!), I am the president and founder of Arizona Bird Dog Rescue which is a non-profit dog rescue whose dedicated volunteers, fosters, and transporters rescue homeless, sick, and needy German shorthaired pointers, English pointers, and English setters across Arizona and the Southwest.  As of tomorrow we've rescued 39 dogs since the rescue was founded on November 5th of 2011.

We've named him Porter, after the dark beer (which is one of my favourites).  He is beyond sweet and has a lovely temperament.  Tomorrow morning he will be meeting his potential foster family (who may adopt him if he gets along well with their female GSP) tomorrow morning.  Fingers crossed that the dogs get along and he heads down to Sonoita to fatten up so we can get him neutered, micro-chipped, and then find the family he belongs with.  

If so, I'll be heading to the pound to rescue another skinny, sweet GSP boy who I had tried to take into the rescue last February when the current owner stopped cooperating with us.  Today he showed up at our local animal control and the owner said he was "aggressive" which means immediate euthanization.  I volunteered at the Pima county shelter for over a year and everyone there knows me.  A good friend and employee called me at work, let me know the situation, and I was able to put a temporary hold on his euthanization until Monday morning.  Tomorrow afternoon I'll be heading down to the shelter to evaluate his temperament and most likely will be taking him home right then & there.

On Being Astounded

A sentiment that I often hear in my work in dog rescue is that it is so shocking what people can do to an animal:  starving them, physically abusing them, dumping them in the middle of nowhere to die, etc.

But what I find so inspiring is how so many people are willing to extend their hearts, homes, time, and efforts to a suffering animal.  I have to believe the good people outnumber the cruel and careless; every day I see that truth illustrated.  For every one animal that needs help, there are dozens of people willing to do whatever is in their capacity to do, to help.  Help them find a home, a save haven, someone willing to take them into their homes and care for them until they can find a home of their own.  It's a big deal to welcome a strange animal into your home and family.

So often I feel overwhelmed and consider giving up; not on life, but on continuing my work in rescuing dogs.  It's endless, it's so emotionally draining, and it feels thankless so much of the time.  No one gives you accolades for cleaning up other people's "messes."  But at the end of the day, the week, and the month... I am so glad to be doing what I do.  I see compassion working firsthand.  I see dogs that others thought were hopeless or doomed grow into amazing and well balanced companions.  I see other people's trash become treasured family members.

It's hard, it's unrelenting, but I could not imagine my life apart from these dogs.

Catching Up

So many things have happened during the past week or so, that I haven't had the time or the energy to put my experiences into writing.  Some things I am not completely ready to talk about, yet.

Last Wednesday, October 17th, I lost my beloved 10 year old English pointer Jack Lemon (fondly referred to as simply "Lemons").  I chose to adopt him last June knowing that he had terminal hemangiosarcoma and there was no way of knowing how much or how little time he had left.

 Two weeks ago I began the Couch to 5K training program with my friend R.  The first time I ran, I had an extremely difficult time breathing afterward.  For several hours.  I chalked it up to being woefully out of shape.  I had two other severe reactions post-run, where I could not take a full breath without wheezing for hours and usually woke up coughing still the next morning.  I made a doctor's appointment to be checked out for asthma on the 31st, but last Friday after three days of shortness of breath and feeling like my chest was being internally crushed (and bruised) I missed work to go to an urgent care center. 

I was diagnosed with exercise induced asthma that was further complicated by my allergies.  Basically when I ran, my lungs opened up more fully, taking in more pollen and causing a severe histamine reaction on top of the asthmatic inflammation and bronchial spasms.  I'm on three more medications now (for a grand total of four, more about that later...).  So far, so good on this regimen.  I finished Day Three of Week Two after a six day lay off.  Between losing Lemons and the doctor's two days mandatory rest from physical exertion, I felt pretty rusty last night, but I did it anyway which felt great.

Today I biked the three miles to work and will bike home stopping about halfway to go to the bank.  I used my inhaler before and after the morning's ride, but I feel okay and only have coughed a little bit.  I made a point of giving myself ample time to get to work so I wouldn't have to rush.  It took a little longer than usual, but to me it's not a race.  As long as I get to work on time and physically feel good, that's what is most important.

Last Saturday was the first big event for my non-profit dog rescue, Arizona Bird Dog Rescue.  You can read more about it here.  There are quite a few more photos on our Facebook page, which you can find by clicking the big chocolate coloured dog logo on the right-hand sidebar of this blog.

Next Saturday is another big dog-related event here in Tucson: the special test screening of the unreleased documentary "Guilty 'Til Proven Innocent" which we will be attending to show our support of the film and both my own & my rescue's opposition to breed specific legislation (aka, BSL).  You can read more about the invitation only event and my stance on BSL on my rescue blog here.

Weekend Roundup - October 6th & 7th, 2012

"Weekend Roundup"  ...I like that!  It reminds me of the Wild West, which is where I live.  Although perhaps "wild" doesn't need to be capitalized anymore.  People don't rob banks, steal horses, and pin stars on their chests then shoot people in the streets in broad daylight anymore... or at least not most of the time.

"Roundup" also makes me think of Monsanto, but we won't even go there...  it's too impolite a topic and this is a happy post!

Last weekend was one of the best I have had since moving to Tucson after flipping a coin.  (I think I won that toss!)

Saturday morning my dear friend S. brought over my niece-dog Laney Lou and we (me and Lola Lulu) went for a nice walk around the U of A campus and mall.  Lola even walked past a marching band (playing a slow tune or warming up or something) and didn't completely freak out.  We stopped a couple of times to take photos and give Lola a chance to relax.  All the strangers, bicycles, and especially skateboards frighten her, but by the end of the walk she was doing pretty well and once we got home she got to run around in the yard with Laney and the boys (Gatsby & Lemons).

Laney Lou & Lola Lulu!

Later that morning my friend A. and I headed up into the Santa Catalina Mountains to take Jack Lemon (aka, "Lemons") hiking on Mt. Lemmon.  We ended up doing about 2 miles on the Marshall Gulch trail and the weather was sunny, brisk, and utterly perfect.  Lemons had a blast playing in the creek, smelling and pointing things, and he napped hard on the hour-long trip back home.  I may or may not have bought half a pound of fudge... but if I did, it would have been half traditional chocolate and half maple nut.  (It was delicious and reminded me of childhood vacations in northern Michigan where a lot of historic, touristy towns have confectionery shops.)  For those who may not know Jack Lemon's story, he is an almost 10 year old English pointer that I adopted last June knowing that he has terminal cancer (hemangiosarcoma) with an unknown expiration date.  He is just about the sweetest creature on four legs and everyone who meets him falls instantly in love with his gentle nature.  I make a point to take him places and make sure he has fun for however long he has left.

LOVING the creek that ran alongside the trail!

Me & Lemons (toward the end of the hike; he was getting tired). <3

Daily Gratitude - 21 September 2012

#1 - It's Friday (and only half an hour until I'm done with my work week!)!

#2 - Going to Barrio Brewery after work with my co-workers.  I work with awesome people!  :)

#3 - This weekend is Painting Weekend!  (I'm serious, this time......)

#4 - I ate only healthy meals and snacks today!  No junk (even though there is a lot of temptation at work...).

#5 - The jewelry I wore today was absolutely hilarious... but only one person "got it."  :(

Here it is (please excuse and/or enjoy my cleavage):

BIRD!

Signor Smiles

Gatsby is one happy dog.

Welcome Back!

What have I been doing for the past four months?  Or is it five?  I don't feel like fact-checking that.  Where do I even begin...?  How about with dogs!  The rescue has rapidly grown since it was founded at a local coffee shop last Guy Fawkes Day (true story).  To date, we (Arizona Bird Dog Rescue) have rescued 31 dogs from shelters, "free dog" ads on Craigslist, and owners who come to us for help rehoming their dog.  In the process, I have adopted my third (and final!) dog, Jack Lemon who is a noble, sweet, & utterly charming 9 year old lemonhead English pointer.

I also got a full-time job, in addition to the full-time job of running a dog rescue.  I have fives times as many bosses as most folks and I love both my job AND my co-workers.  Most of them anyway.  How often does that happen?

Goodnight!

Gatsby & Lola Lulu