Boys wanna have fun, and naps too!

A little snug time with dad.

Need I say more?

Stylish in new collars!

Good boys always get plenty of rest!  At least 14 hours a day!  LOL!

Well, the boys insist!

LOL!  Really they do insist I keep and start posting again on this blog.  They say there are still many lessons to learn and I should do this in honor of Katie.  So I will.  Now to tell you who the boys are and introduce you too them.

Mr. Stubbs aka Stubbster is the black one and Snickers aka Snicks is the red one. We adopted them last Friday. They are both 5 years old. They were adopted as babies by their mom and dad. Then tragically their dad died. Mom remarried last year and tragedy again. Only this time tragedy for the boys. Their mom's new husband wanted them gone, so they were taken to the humane society in Pittsburgh Kansas. Sadly although only 5 years old, people consider dogs that age as "old" which is silly. And a lot of people do not want to adopt 2 dogs which is again, silly! they tried adopting Stubbster out which failed. No surprise there! After 5 years together they are closer than close.
The good people at the shelter took them for walks, let them play outside and as you can see, spoiled them with food. Stubbs was more depressed and not eating much but as you can see, Snicks, ate more than enough! They really did try to cheer their lives since they had been there so long. If you know anything at all about doxies they become very attached to their people. So, I was missing Katie extra and browsing thru petfinder looking at the babies. I came across their picture and story and since Snicks looks a lot like our Bubba did I sent Jack the picture. He fell in love and so after a few days talking he ended up calling about them.
Normally adoptions are $55 but since we shocked them by wanting them both, they lowered it to $40 each. So here we all are! They are wonderful dogs, house brokened and wonderful manners. The past is a bad memory and we look forward to however many years, God sees fit to give us with them.

 

 

Make a Smilebox ecard

No longer posting

I am not going to post on this blog anymore.  My heart just isn't in it anymore with Katie passing away and Bennie gone back to his foster mom.  For now I will leave the blog up in case something changes.

Good Bye Miss Bug

Our Miss Katie-Bug passed away early this morning. I knew yesterday that she wasn't going to make it but I didn't want to admit it. She had completely quit eating and her breathing was rapid and labored and she was weak in her hindend. She wanted lots of tummy rubs and was trying so hard to be silly. I caught her looking at all of us in a way that is like she was trying to memorize our faces. Bennie stuck closer to her than usual and gave extra kisses. Last night at bedtime I noticed she felt cool to the touch not like being cold from being outside or anything. She loved on both of us a lot and wanted tummy rubs. Before she went to the foot of the bed, she kept touching my face with her nose and she has never done that. Jack woke at a quarter til five to find she had left the bed. He discovered her on the sofa. Apparently the pneumonia was to much for her. Katie was only about 8 or 9 years old. Our hearts are broken. Bennie is a bit lost as well and missing her.

Not a fun week!

I did not plan to be so long in making a post but it has been a rough week.  Bennie developed a cough a couple days after arriving home but didn't seem a big deal as it was never really bad and he got over it in a few days.  So when Katie developed the same cough a week later, we were not overly concerned as it didn't really seem to bother her either.  Then Sunday morning she seemed worse so we knew a trip to the vet was in order.  But she was getting a lot sicker really quickly and we put in a call to the vet.  Of all weekends for him to be swamped.  He suggested things for us to do to help her through the night and she was taken in first thing Monday morning.  We honestly didn't know if she would survive the night that is how bad it was.  Turned out she has bronchial pneumonia and she is a really sick girl.  Jack came home with 4 medicines for which she hates.

 

Bennie taking a break from caring for his sister

It's hard to see Katie struggle to breathe.

Still caring for his sister

Bennie has been so attentive to his sister and so affectionate with her.  She is thoroughly kissed many times a day and most times he sticks pretty close to her.  While she is a bit better now, she is still not eating so I am taking peanut butter and thinning it down with syrup and water and giving it to her in a syringe.  So that is our week.  I leave you with a video of Katie and Bennie

Bennie's First week Home

Chillin' with Dad.

 

Watching mom in the kitchen with Katie.

 

Being cute.

 

Napping with Katie in the den.  She is the lump.  And my grand finale!  An epic battle!

Bennie is home!

Make a Smilebox photobook

And that boy is something else!

Meet Frankie and her person, Barb

How long have you and Frankie been together?

We have been together since the beginning.  Ok, not the beginning of time.  Ha!  But I bought Frankie from a breeder when she was 3-months old.  She was the last one left of the litter.   When I look back, I realize God had a purpose for bringing her and me together.  I had searched high and low for a dachshund and was having a hard time finding on.  The fact Frankie was the last one of this litter, I believe was all divinely planned.

When and how did her injury occur?

Frankie injured herself on Easter Sunday 2006.  She was staying at a kennel while my husband and I were vacationing in Florida by my mom’s place.  From what we can gather, since the kennel owner was not in the kennel at the moment it happened, is that Frankie tried to jump up on a Rubbermaid container that was within the kennel.  In that container extra blankets, leashes, etc. are kept for any particular animal that is staying in the kennel.  So we think Frankie tried to jump onto the container to see her sister, Kylie, a yellow Labrador, that was housed next to her.

When Yvonne, the kennel owner, went out to check on the dogs again after lunch, the container was tipped over and Frankie was not moving her back end.  Her butt was on the floor and she was looking at Yvonne funny.  Yvonne sensed right away that something was very wrong.

My sister-in-law, Lori who was the emergency contact picked Frankie up and rushed her to my veterinarian.  He diagnosed Frankie with a ruptured disk and advised me that Frankie needed to be rushed to surgery, which had to be done at an animal hospital one hour away.

After surgery and months of physical therapy Frankie’s back legs did not gain back any movement, so we ordered her a doggie wheelchair.  In essence her wheelchair acts as therapy for her back legs, as well as helped her regain her mobility.  She has had her wheelchair for 3-1/2 years now.  When not in her wheels she has gained some mobility back on her own and can stand for 2-3 minutes at a time.  She also has lots of energy and motivation for food in the morning and evening so at those times you will see her hop like a bunny to her food.  So she has come a long way!

 

What inspired you to write, was it just Frankie or a combo of things?

It was a combination of things.  I had begun writing a monthly column called, “For the Love of Animals” for our local paper about two years before Frankie hurt herself.  What led me to writing was some soul searching I did before that looking to do something that would matter to me and could possibly make a difference in the lives of others.

When Frankie suffered her paralysis I didn’t understand at first why God was doing this to us.  As Frankie healed, got her wheels, and then I started taking her out in public I realized the divine blessing.  Children were so fascinated by Frankie and I realized Frankie could teach kids many valuable lessons through everything she had been through.  Never in my wildest dreams did I ever think I would write children’s books.  But the calling and knowing was so strong I could not ignore it.

How old is Frankie now?

Frankie is 10 years old.  Her birthday is August 20^th.

Frankie seems pretty happy, what is her outlook on life and what does she enjoy doing?

Frankie is very happy!  Her outlook on life is contained in her motto and from what I have learned from her in our experiences, which have played out in our two books to date:

“Always be positive, make a difference and keep on rolling!”

Frankie enjoys napping in front of my petite gas fireplace that is in my writing studio, while I work during the day.  She also loves to ride in a basket that is attached to the front of my bike.  Another favorite is going for walks in a dog stroller I purchased for her this past summer.

Frankie also loves her therapy dog work.  Three to four times a month we share our volunteer time between visiting a senior assisted living (Libby’s House), our local hospital and a community hospice.

Frankie is such a joyful dog and there isn’t too much she does not like to do.  I’d say one of her favorite things is cuddling.  She is a great snuggler, or as I call her when she snuggles, my little snuggle buggle.

Do the two of you ever do motivational speaking?

We do.  We have done many talks for our local schools, as well as various organizations. We have also done many radio programs, which we really enjoy too.  We just recently began doing presentations via Skype (http://skypeanauthor.wetpaint.com/page/Barbara+Techel) and are hoping to get the word out about this wonderful way for teachers and librarians to introduce authors to their classrooms and patrons.

Is there anything you or Frankie could tell people about living differently-abled that might encourage them?

One big thing Frankie has taught me is to look at each challenge we face in a positive way.  When we change the way we think about things and look for the positive, it is amazing how much easier your life can be.  Frankie never once felt sorry for herself through all she had been through.  In that, she taught me to be aware and look for the blessing in why this happened to us.  The blessing did not immediately reveal itself, but I kept an open mind and decided I would accept what I was given in our situation. 

Once I did that, it was amazing what transpired and how this passion in me came through.  In my soul searching years before I made a decision that whatever I did from that point on, I wanted to do from my heart.  I didn’t want to live from my head, but rather follow my heart.

I really believe that animals can teach us so much about life… Frankie adjusted to what her new situation was, without hesitation, or pity for herself.  I think that is what life is.  We are always going to have challenges in our lives, but learning to adjust, see what the lesson is, use it, and share it, that is what this thing called life is all about.

 Feel free to add anything else!

What I’d like to add is to let everyone know that Frankie’s injury was not the fault of the kennel owner.  Frankie’s injury is actually a disease in the breed that is quite common.  It is called Intervertebral Disc Disease, or for short, IVDD.  For anyone every faced with this situation a great resource is Dodgerslist, http://www.dodgerslist.com.  Another wonderful resource is http://www.handicappedpets.com.  Frankie’s wheelchair came from http://www.edddieswheels.com

I also make myself available to those going through the beginning stages of an IVDD diagnoses.  I was very uneducated when this all happened to Frankie.  So to give back and give others hope I am always happy to help someone via email or phone.  For more resources I also encourage others to check out the resource page on my website, http://www.joyfulpaws.com

Thank you so much, Michelle for the opportunity for Frankie and I to be featured on your blog!

I am so thankful that Frankie and Barb took the time to do this for all of us!  See there is hope no matter your situation so don't count yourself out ever!  Make the most of what you have and you will find your place in life!

Meet Bubba Joe

I decided to write about Bubba Joe even though he is no longer with us. It's hard to write about him because he was that special, died young and we still really miss him. The picture below was done by Larry Merrill.  We called Bubba bat dog because of the way he could hold his ears.

Bubba was born June 26th, 1997 in Anderson, MO.  We adopted him that fall from a breeder who was not real reputable to save his life.  He had never been outside or seen grass and most of his tail was missing.  He also had a heart murmur and digestive issues.  But let me tell you that boy never met a stranger be it two legged or four legged (unless you were a squirrel).  He loved everyone!  And he loved to go visiting in the nursing home where I worked and later the small assisted living where I worked.  Here he is with Anna who had always owned dachshunds and missed them terribly.

 

Bubba started having back issues at a young age and even had to use a custom made cart for awhile to get around but he was still so very happy and soon got to walking again.  But he had to be on medicine to control the pain that should never be used long term.  In early 2004, Bubba became very ill, bleeding from the nose and unwilling to eat.  We fought for 3 weeks to save his life but in the end we learned his liver was failing and decided to send him on to a better place to wait for us.  So on March 26th 2004 just a few months shy of his 7th birthday we said good bye.  It hurts and still does sometimes.  Bubba and Jack were best buddies and I hated to see the pain it caused Jack.  I would not trade one minute of any of those days we had with Bubba.  His ailments may have slowed him down but it could not quench his zest for life.

Meet Bennie

This is our baby boy. Or will be come the 20th.

He was given up by the breeder when it was realized he had micro-opthalmia, a condition meaning the eyes are unusually small. He is mostly blind but that doesn't mean a thing to him! His foster mom reports he is quite the boy. He loves to run in the yard and annoy the other fosters. When one "grumps" at him, he runs crying to foster mom and needs a little lap time.  Most likely Bennie is the result of breeding two dapples in hopes of getting unusually colored puppies.  A very bad idea that can cause vision and hearing issues.  In the worst cases the puppy can be born without eyes at all.  Is it worth it?  I think not.  And I think that if the public were not willing to spend a fortune for unusual colors, it would cut down on this kind of breeding.
We really are looking forward to having Bennie in our homes and giving him a good life.  He has so much to experience and learn as he is only 5 months old.  And he will be sharing that with you.  i will add a great link to the list at the left for more on this disorder.

Meet Miss Katie Bug

 

This is Katie or the Bugger as we call her. Sleeping is her hobby as is eating. She also loves to try and dig up moles and has managed to catch and kill one. She likes to pretend she is a tough girl but she has a very loving heart and even takes care of you when you are sick.
We adopted Katie in June of 2006 from SW MO K9's. She had been found wandering the streets of Springfield MO and was pregnant. She had a litter of six and I am happy to say that all of them found wonderful homes. When we did a sleepover with her, she was so well behaved and we fell in love so quickly with her it was hard to let her go back so the rescue group could have her fixed.
Katie is queen of the house and our hearts. She enjoys being in her yard, walks and lots of rides please! I do sometimes tell her I am gonna pinch her pointies (ears) if she doesn't behave, but mostly she is a very good girl. You can visit SW MO K9's by clicking on their name in the link.

Meet Rainbow Diamond!

This is Rainbow Diamond. A darling little girl!

And this is her story:Rainbow
She has been through so much and was seized from an irresponsible breeder. Please take time to read her story. You will be so blessed!
Rainbow's lesson is that you can have a full life and be happy even if you need a lot of help. As long as you don't give up you can do it!  There is a wonderful video of Rainbow at the bottom of the page!

Beginnings

This new blog is the start to a fun journey of our rescue puppies. Katie has been with us since June of 2006 and Bennie will be joining us the 20th of January. In the next few days I will be doing short bios on them to introduce you to them. I want to bring awareness to all animals out there needing homes, as well as things we can learn from pets. As always there will be plenty to laugh and smile about and maybe a few tears!