Annie 11-156

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It is our pleasure to introduce Annie, the sweetest most easy going Golden ever!  Annie is 8 years old, weighs 45#, and was surrendered to RAGOM due to her family being gone 12 hours a day.

We are only temporary fosters for Annie, she'll soon be moving to her permanent foster home in Apple Valley.  However, this girl is just too good for us to keep under wraps!  She's housebroken, crate trained, respects baby gates, walks nicely with a flat collar, and has lived with children.  She jumped right into my car and rode in the back seat without a peep.  She met the resident Goldens, Bailey (10 yrs) and Josie (2 yrs), with nothing but tail wags.  She shows no interest in the resident cat.  As we were eating dinner the first evening she sprawled on the kitchen floor with the resident dogs.  My husband made the comment "WOW, it's amazing she's that relaxed considering she just got here!".  She settled right in to our routine without so much as a ripple!  Our college age son has popped in a couple of times and she just looks at him and wags her tail, no joining in with the chaotic greeting of the residents.  She's also been out on walks and is very polite about greeting the people we meet.  The resident Goldens practically knock each other over trying to be the first for pets.  Annie just stands back with her tail wagging and waits for an invitation.  As we chat with the neighbors she lays nicely at our feet.


Sweet Annie

Annie showed her true colors the first morning she was with us.  I usually hide our toy bucket the first few days we have a foster so we avoid any possible arguments about toys or bones.  But Annie's so mellow I decided to leave it out.  Josie had been following Annie around like a shadow.  Annie found the toy bucket and pulled out a big bone.  Since Josie is completely passive and Annie has been so easy going, I decided to just sit back and see what happened.  Annie laid down to chew the bone.  Josie laid down next to her.  Annie didn't even acknowledge Josie.  A few minutes later Annie stopped chewing the bone and looked away.  Resident Josie slowly leaned over and took the bone from between Annie's feet.  Annie just looked at Josie, got up, helped herself to a new bone out of the bucket, and returned to Josie's side.  She's such a good girl!


Annie and Josie

Annie does have one very unique quality.  She was born with a deformed right front leg.  Her right leg is normal to where her wrist should be.  But there is no joint at the wrist, and at the point of where her wrist should be she has a deformed paw.  Annie had a very sedentary life before coming to us.  Since we are quite active the first thing I did when we got home was make a call to her vet.  I wanted to make sure we didn't overdo anything!  The vet said she has no restrictions other than she should keep her weight down.  Yay - what good news!  Her permanent fosters will also discuss this with a RAGOM vet to make sure the RAGOM vet agrees.  Her gait is definitely "different", she limps while on the grass due to her right leg lacking a joint and being a little shorter.  And when on tar or gravel (we live in the country) she often holds her right leg out in front of her and only uses three legs.  She does this with a smile from ear to ear, ears erect and happy, and her tail going 'round and 'round a million miles per hour.  So obviously it doesn't bother her in the least!  Due to this condition she will never be anyone's running partner, or probably not even a brisk walker.

If you are looking for a new best friend and like to take life at a leisurely pace, Annie's the girl for you!  If you would like to learn more about Annie, please contact your placement advisor.

 

At a Glance #11-156

Golden Retriever Born: April 2003
Female 45 lbs

Status: Deceased

Profile

It is our pleasure to introduce Annie, the sweetest most easy going Golden ever!  Annie is 8 years old, weighs 45#, and was surrendered to RAGOM due to her family being gone 12 hours a day.

We are only temporary fosters for Annie, she'll soon be moving to her permanent foster home in Apple Valley.  However, this girl is just too good for us to keep under wraps!  She's housebroken, crate trained, respects baby gates, walks nicely with a flat collar, and has lived with children.  She jumped right into my car and rode in the back seat without a peep.  She met the resident Goldens, Bailey (10 yrs) and Josie (2 yrs), with nothing but tail wags.  She shows no interest in the resident cat.  As we were eating dinner the first evening she sprawled on the kitchen floor with the resident dogs.  My husband made the comment "WOW, it's amazing she's that relaxed considering she just got here!".  She settled right in to our routine without so much as a ripple!  Our college age son has popped in a couple of times and she just looks at him and wags her tail, no joining in with the chaotic greeting of the residents.  She's also been out on walks and is very polite about greeting the people we meet.  The resident Goldens practically knock each other over trying to be the first for pets.  Annie just stands back with her tail wagging and waits for an invitation.  As we chat with the neighbors she lays nicely at our feet.


Sweet Annie

Annie showed her true colors the first morning she was with us.  I usually hide our toy bucket the first few days we have a foster so we avoid any possible arguments about toys or bones.  But Annie's so mellow I decided to leave it out.  Josie had been following Annie around like a shadow.  Annie found the toy bucket and pulled out a big bone.  Since Josie is completely passive and Annie has been so easy going, I decided to just sit back and see what happened.  Annie laid down to chew the bone.  Josie laid down next to her.  Annie didn't even acknowledge Josie.  A few minutes later Annie stopped chewing the bone and looked away.  Resident Josie slowly leaned over and took the bone from between Annie's feet.  Annie just looked at Josie, got up, helped herself to a new bone out of the bucket, and returned to Josie's side.  She's such a good girl!


Annie and Josie

Annie does have one very unique quality.  She was born with a deformed right front leg.  Her right leg is normal to where her wrist should be.  But there is no joint at the wrist, and at the point of where her wrist should be she has a deformed paw.  Annie had a very sedentary life before coming to us.  Since we are quite active the first thing I did when we got home was make a call to her vet.  I wanted to make sure we didn't overdo anything!  The vet said she has no restrictions other than she should keep her weight down.  Yay - what good news!  Her permanent fosters will also discuss this with a RAGOM vet to make sure the RAGOM vet agrees.  Her gait is definitely "different", she limps while on the grass due to her right leg lacking a joint and being a little shorter.  And when on tar or gravel (we live in the country) she often holds her right leg out in front of her and only uses three legs.  She does this with a smile from ear to ear, ears erect and happy, and her tail going 'round and 'round a million miles per hour.  So obviously it doesn't bother her in the least!  Due to this condition she will never be anyone's running partner, or probably not even a brisk walker.

If you are looking for a new best friend and like to take life at a leisurely pace, Annie's the girl for you!  If you would like to learn more about Annie, please contact your placement advisor.

 

Updates

Saturday, July 13, 2013

 

July 12, 2013

My Dearest Annie,

I wanted to write and let you know that I am getting better since June 10, 2013. Even though it has been a month, I still cry at times but nothing like the tears I shed before and for at least 3 weeks after your passing. It speaks volumes as to how much I loved you and how much I miss you. Every evening when I set the security system and the beeping sound it makes I expect to hear your toenails on the hardwood floor racing to the bedroom to beat me onto the bed! But the house is so quiet, my bed feels so empty, and I feel so all alone.

When I adopted you on June 10, 2011, you became my life and I willingly gave you my soul. While talking to you on that fateful morning a month ago, you may have noticed that while crying I started talking to someone else who wasn’t physically there. I doubt that you understood but I was asking God to take me in exchange for 5 more years of good health for you. However, maybe you did understand what I was doing and in your own way countered my offer to God. If that was the case then I can easily see why God chose you over me…to have someone by his side that was completely pure & innocent & loving versus a wretch like me. I do think there is a reason for “dog” being spelled one way yet backwards spells “god.”

You were loved by so many people, some that you met only once and others that you had never met, yet you and I have received numerous cards, emails, & gifts of condolences and sympathy from all of them. Your “Lucky Paw” worked its magic again in endearing you to so many people just like it did when I first met you.

I hope you understand why I did what I did on June 10th. It initially was a hasty decision based upon how sick you were during the last 3 days. However, once we arrived at your Vet’s office that Monday your Vet quickly informed us that once she knew why we were coming in that she contacted an oncologist at Iowa State University Veterinary School. The oncologist had determined, based upon the test results and other information, that with the speed of development of your cancer that you would have had at the most a week to live. Further, your quality of life would not have been pleasant for you to live that long. That is why I decided to end your suffering after being so sick for just 3 days. I knew how much the decision would hurt me, but I also knew I had to stop your suffering, so I chose hurt for me over suffering for you.

I know you are waiting at the Rainbow Bridge and I will be there sooner than you think. I may have changed by the time we meet again but you will know me from the song I will be singing…the same song I greeted you with every day when I got home from work knowing full well that you were waiting at the door…”Where’s my honey? Where’s my baby? Where’s my ragtime gal?”

I will always love you, Annie, and I will forever be “Annie’s John.”

Forever yours,

Annie’s John

 

Monday, June 24, 2013

Annie’s Farewell

It is through a broken heart and tears that I tell you that Annie “Lucky Paw” – the love of my life and my “rock” for the past 2 years – went to the Rainbow Bridge on June 10, 2013. She was with me for exactly two years from the date I adopted her on June 10, 2011.

Annie developed a very aggressive form of Leukemia. Just 3 weeks earlier her post-surgical blood tests showed perfect…but when she started developing nausea & limited eating the blood tests showed massive amounts of white cells and the subsequent pathologist’s report on June 6, 2013 showed cancer. I tried to get her into the Iowa State University (ISU) Veterinary Clinic for an evaluation on treatment but was unable to do so due to staff attending a conference. Annie declined extensively over the next 3 days so I made the decision on June 9, 2013 to end her suffering and on June 10, 2013 I made the appointment. When Annie’s veterinarian learned why I was bringing Annie into her office she became very proactive in contacting an oncologist at ISU, faxing the information and test results to her, and then conferring with her. The results were that Annie would have had at the most a week to live and would suffer extensively. When we arrived she told me what had taken place and it was a tremendous relief to know that I was doing the right thing.

Annie was so loved at the office that staff members were coming in to say goodbye to her and some stayed for the procedure. Ben and Winnie were there, too, to say goodbye and for Winnie to understand why Annie would no longer be around. Everyone was crying, caressing, petting, and talking to her throughout the procedure and Annie passed peacefully at approximately 11 a.m. on June 10, 2013. She was cremated and her ashes returned to me on June 11, 2013.

Once word spread that Annie had passed away the outpouring of condolences and sympathy has been tremendous. She was truly loved by many, many people. Even the artist that I hired to produce a bouquet of origami flowers for the veterinary staff, once he learned of Annie’s story, ended up donating the money from the flowers to the Leukemia – Lymphoma Society in Annie’s name and posted it on Facebook to encourage others to do the same. Ben has spent days creating a wonderful video of Annie’s time with me with copies for FM Kris, Annie’s veterinarian, and for himself. It is a beautiful tribute to an absolutely wonderful companion who I willingly allowed to take my heart and my soul. I will love you forever, Annie, and I will see you again someday.

Annie’s John

Sunday, April 21, 2013

H.R.M. Annie’s “servant” here…or as most people refer to me, “Annie’s John.” There is only one Alpha in this house, and it isn’t me!! Annie insisted I write an update on what has been happening with us for the last 9-months or more. Between work and catering to Annie’s every whim I never seem to have the time to write an update on us…but I managed to carve out a little time here to get one done.

Obviously from the statement above, Annie still continues to be the love of my life. We celebrated her 10th birthday on April 3rd and our 2 year anniversary is coming up on June 10th. It is so hard to believe that it is just coming up on 2 years as it seems like she has been with me forever. I know other folks that have adopted pets say the same thing but I had never really experienced it until adopting Annie. She is the focus of my attention and my life. She still goes to the Vet frequently (and maybe not all of the visits are necessary) as I want to keep her healthy so when I retire in a little over 3 months we will be able to do a lot of things together that my working has limited.

However, her most recent Vet visit led to a decision for surgery. Annie’s genetic anomaly of a missing wrist joint on her front right leg & impaired use of that leg became more evident as she would walk holding it up. The visit to the Vet showed that she had 2 fatty tumors…one growing on top of the other…just under the shoulder joint plus another fatty tumor that was growing on the 4th rib on her right side that could eventually put pressure on her right lung. The surgery was scheduled for April 5th (2 days after her birthday).

On the day of the surgery there were times I had doubts about my surviving it, but Annie did a remarkable job even though the surgery ended up being far more extensive than planned. When they called me so I could sit with her in recovery, once I arrived I found she had 2 major incisions on her left side plus another on her chest just below her throat plus another on her right side in addition to the one under her front right leg. The doctor told me that they decided to remove other large tumors to prevent them from interfering with vital organs, so what was to be 3 fatty tumors turned into 8. They also removed 1 cyst on her forehead and 2 on her left ear. (NOTE: Ben asked why they couldn’t do a little lippo-suction while she was under…that is because Annie should weigh 60-65 pounds but weighs 80 pounds even though she is on a diet for a 60 pound dog)

When I finally got to see her she was elated to see me and the first thing she did was sit down and offer me her "lucky paw" to shake (even though she was shaking like a leaf). She was still coming out of the anesthesia & the confusion it causes was the reason for the shaking. I eventually got her to lie down on a blanket but she would occasionally get up and walk around the room. Her doctor told me it would be about 2 hours before she could leave, so I just laid on the floor with her, petting her, talking to her, etc. until I fell asleep!! Obviously I was exhausted (probably more so than her) from worry and finally relaxed enough seeing that she had survived and was doing so well. Her doctor was right about the 2 hours so it was time to leave...but before we could leave she had to be fitted with "the cone of shame" (from the movie "Up" if you have seen it). THAT was an experience!! She accepted it being put on but it was so foreign that she ran into everything on the way out. The staff helped me get her into my car and she rode home without any accidents.

Once home, the ramp I had gotten for her to use to get into & out of the car worked great...even with the cone of shame on!! However, once inside the house the cone of shame became a tool of destruction by knocking stuff over, off of tables, and trying to wedge it into a "safe-spot." Fortunately, Ben went to PetSmart and got an inflatable version that looks like a giant donut. It works great! She can see, it acts like a pillow, and she tolerates it far better, and it allows her to eat & drink far easier...albeit she still knocks some stuff over but nothing like the cone of shame! Plus it totally prevents her from being able to reach & lick her incisions. She has both sutures and staples (mostly staples due to the size of the incisions & sutures where the cysts were removed) and they will be removed after 10 days (April 18th) so she has to wear the donut for that long.

Once home she drank a ton of water but didn't eat and just laid on a rug for hours. I did manage to get her outside before going to bed and she did #1; however, once back inside she started drinking again & drinking & drinking & drinking. We went to "bed"...and I have to interject here that my idea of "roughing it" is either slow room service or no pool-side room, so sleeping on the floor in a sleeping bag was an extreme sacrifice on my part (I hurt everywhere the next morning) and the irony is that both of us kept looking longingly at the bed. At 2 a.m. she woke me as she had to go potty again...this time both #1 & #2...and once back inside she decided to eat & drink more water. I also gave her another pain pill and we both went back to the bedroom floor...again, longingly looking at the bed! She snuggled with me as best as she could while wearing the donut and I would wake up at every moan & groan.

The day after the surgery & the horrible night of sleeping, I called Annie’s Vet for a definition of “steps” since she had told me to not let Annie use them & hence the need for the ramp. It turns out that she was talking about flights of steps…not 2 or 3. Yippee!! We both went back to the regular bed and slept for several hours.

I forgot to mention that once we got home, and she was walking more securely after the anesthesia had mostly worn off, it was very apparent that the removal of the tumors affecting her front right leg had definitely helped! She is also sporting one of my T-shirts to keep her from scratching the incisions not protected by the donut collar. The one she is wearing today has the statement “Are you the people I’ll be discussing with my therapist” written on it. Seems appropriate for her.

I don’t mean to dwell on Annie’s health but there is one more story. Last October I had planned a trip to Barcelona, Spain and then a 2-week cruise back to the U.S. Roughly a little over a week before leaving Annie came down with a very nasty U.T.I. I had no clue she was so sick until one morning she stopped eating. She was put on a very potent antibiotic. I had decided that if she wasn’t better in a few days that I would cancel the trip, suffer the loss on the cost, and stay home with her. Fortunately she did improve and she ended up staying with a professional dog-sitter, for whom I had provided 3 typewritten pages of instructions on Annie’s care, likes, dislikes, meds, foibles, brushings, potty habits, etc. It is amazing what one can cram into 3 typewritten pages, although I doubt that the sitter followed all of them…like keeping her company while she is eating so that if a wayward green bean or piece of kibble should flip out of the bowl it could be picked up and put back into the bowl, or tipping the bowl so it is easier for her to lick the pumpkin off of the sides. By the way, did I mention that Annie is very spoiled?

She is still managing to teach this old dog new tricks! For instance, amongst all of her other petting and massages, we now have an evening routine of her “peanut butter treat” (for medications) at 4 p.m., her new total-allergen-free food plus pumpkin & green beans at 4:30 p.m., and then she races to the couch for her hour massage during the evening local & national news. Afterwards she has to visit the outdoors which results in getting a carrot upon her coming back inside. And probably the biggest new trick is that after buying 3 different kinds of steps to help her get up onto my bed that she refused to even try, I bought a 4 th set that once assembled & placed she immediately used them. What a surprise! Of course, each of the first three sets of steps required her to jump 4-8 inches from the top step to the bed, whereas the 4th set of steps goes all the way to the top of the bed. The really ironic part about this is that she will now run up 2-3 of the steps and then jump…unless she has been to the dog-park and then she uses all 5 of the steps to get onto the bed. It is wonderful sleeping with her and we even go to sleep holding “paws.” The downside is that she crowds and she uses me as a “leaning post” for when she sleeps on her back, plus she still doesn’t recognize weekends!! She thinks it is her “job” to wake me at 4 a.m. if the radio doesn’t come on and when I get up she takes over the whole bed.

Her second favorite place to lie is the couch. There is a large (4 sheep skins) throw over the back of the couch that she has figured out how to work it down to the seats so that she can lay on it, roll on it, and snuggle into it. It is so cute to see her peeking over the fur as she forces her nose into it. The picture below sort of shows that image. I have a feeling that the couch is where she spends her days while I am at work.

As I have written and said so many times before, Annie has changed my life in so many positive ways. I know there will come a time that we won’t be together but I am hoping that is very far in the future, but for right now she is my “rock” for stability in an unstable world. I don’t know how I managed to get along without her before June 10, 2011, but I am so thankful I have her now.

Annie’s John

Saturday, June 9, 2012

Happy Anniversary to Me! Happy Anniversary to Me! Happy Anniversary, Dear Me! Happy Anniversary to Me! Hey, everyone…Annie here…or, as I prefer to think of myself, HRM Annie, but that’s because my human makes me feel that way. Unfortunately all the humans that really know me apparently fail to recognize my stature and only refer to me as “Princess Annie.” Sigh…I just don’t get the respect I think I deserve. However, I must admit that they still do treat me like I am royalty which is fine with me.

Anyway, I am coming up on the 1st Year Anniversary with my human (I prefer to refer to him as my servant) and what a year it has been. If I had known that life could be this good I would have been looking for this human much earlier! Except for those first 2 grueling days of training him he now totally caters to my every whim. I am still getting almost continuous massages and petting. It has even been expanded to where right after my supper I get on the couch and he sits down and massages me for an hour while he watches these programs he calls “the news.” Now understand that this is in addition to my extensive “welcome home” massage and petting, and my putting myself in the flow of foot traffic to get a massage/ear & chin scratching/petting every time he walks by or over me (mostly over me since I position myself so well). I had written earlier about our bedtime ritual of my human massaging me until I close my eyes…well, after 2 months he finally caught on that I was forcing my eyes to stay open so that he would massage longer…so now that massage is briefer than I would prefer but satisfactory.

We are still going to the dog-park and enjoying it…most of the humans there know my name so I get lots of attention from them as well as from my brothers & sisters. There was one day though that a brother by the name of Buddy kept pestering me…he was a young whipper-snapper…so I finally had enough and had to show him what a “mature” lady like me can do…I pinned him and snarled in his face! He definitely learned not to mess with me and to cut a wide swath around me. Buddy’s human was right there and she liked what she saw as Buddy needed to learn a lesson. I also got to show that I can swim one day at the dog-park. My human couldn’t go so I went with another human and his dog, Winnie. They have changed the way to get into the dog-park and now there is a bridge over a stream that I have to walk across. Well, this day I decided to take a different route and just went into the stream and swam across…quite a shock to the other human….and then, because of my “Lucky Paw,” he had to help me up the bank on the other side. All of my humans were shocked…even FM Kris…but I thought it refreshing! Unfortunately, the stream was more like a swamp and now I have a nasty ear infection which has been going on ever since. My human just shakes his head as he walks out of the Vet’s office every week staring at the long piece of paper…he then tells me that I am worth it…whatever that means.

Oh, and speaking of water, I had also mentioned before that I DON’T like baths and had repeatedly shown my human that I didn’t. I thought I was finally in the clear as he hadn’t given me one for a while, but early one morning he took me for a ride in the car to meet this very nice human named Laura. He said I was going to have a “spa day”….whatever that meant. Well, I quickly found out what it meant! To my surprise this nice human starts giving me a bath, drying my coat with this wind-thing, doing my nails, and clipping hair in places I can’t reach! Spa day my Lucky Paw!! I call it torture! If I could have gotten to a phone I would have called the ASPCA! I have gone every month since. I also got a bath at Winnie’s house as my human asked Winnie’s human to do it to help with my itching. What is with humans and bathes? I do have to admit that for all of the torture I go through at Laura’s boutique I do come out looking even prettier than when I went in…my human says I smell a lot better, too, but I don’t agree with that one.

As I mentioned above, we visit the Vet almost every week but it definitely has made a difference. I now have my voice back, I can run on grass, I can leap tall structures (those thing s that drain water off of the roof), I can get in & out of the car, and I am maintaining my “mature” girlish figure. My human takes me in the car when he can, we go to the dog-park when we can, and we go on walks when we can. All things considered I must admit that I hit the jackpot with this human. He even went to a class the other evening to find out how to “speak” dog language…hahahahahahaha…oh, excuse me, I lost control there for a moment…he already talks to me ALL of the time and he fully understands what I am wanting….everything….so I don’t know why he bothered with the class! I have to go with him to next week’s meeting but at least it is at the dog-park so I can still run and play…and I will tell him that is what I want.

I forgot to mention that for Christmas my human and Winnie’s human did a movie of me and my human to send to FM Kris. We have watched it several times and I must admit that it is pretty good…although I have made even more progress since then. FM Kris doesn’t get to visit and I don’t get to go there to visit due to the distance so I hope the movie of me made her day. We also sent a paw print of my Lucky Paw and a pin of a dog with angel wings as FM Kris had just recently had a foster go over the Rainbow Bridge. It is something we will all have to face someday but it will be so nice when we are all back together again.

It has been quite the year! I don’t know what next year holds for us but even if it stays like the first year it will be great! I know that I am loved, safe, and cared for and in return I give my human all of my love. He tells me every night, just before bedtime, how much he loves me and how glad he is that we found each other and promises to be the best Dad for me. How could it get any better than that?

Happy Anniversary to Me! Happy Anniversary to my Human! Happy Anniversary to Us!

Thursday, December 29, 2011

It has now been a little over 6 months since I adopted Annie and as most people that adopt say, “I can’t believe that it has only been 6 months….it seems like she has been here forever!” This is so true of Annie. She has worked her “Lucky Paw” magic on me to where my life almost totally revolves around her. Further, I can’t believe how I have “loosened up” about my home and car. It used to be that everything had to be in its place, that everything had to coordinate/compliment something else, and God forbid if someone spilled red wine on the beautiful and expensive wool area rug. As for the car it had to be somewhat clean inside and out and not cluttered. Now, with Annie, I don’t worry about the shards of a rawhide bone sticking to the wool rug or the drool on the hardwood floors, I don’t worry about toenail marks on the leather couch, I don’t worry that part of her “safe spot” is a bright pink pillow or that her heated bed slightly blocks the subwoofer for the surround sound system or the tons of hair and some accidental mud in the car and the array of blankets and Tempu-Pedic cushions in the back seat for her…as all of these things can either be replaced or moved. What can’t be replaced or moved is the wonderful joy, the unconditional love, the excitement of seeing me, her demands for massages and belly rubs, and her little quirky ways that make her so different and unique.

As an example, Annie initially never barked after I adopted her. However, once I found out that her thyroid level was very low and she started on thyroid medication she “discovered” her voice. And what a voice it is!! When we go to the dog-park and are pulling into the parking lot she will start barking inside the car….it is deafening!! Once inside the park she has to “announce” her arrival by barking as we walk up the hill. Then, after an exhausting time at the dog-park and we finally get home she makes these moaning & groaning sounds that remind me of the “monster” in “Young Frankenstein.” At those times I lovingly call her “Frankie.” Of course, it is also a clue from her to me that she wants an extensive massage of her sore muscles and joints….to which, of course, I can’t resist providing…sigh…she has me so well trained.

I mentioned earlier that my life almost totally revolves around her. It is to the point that so many things have Annie’s name associated with them: Annie’s bowl, Annie’s spoon, Annie’s tray of meds, Annie’s rug, Annie’s beds, Annie’s coat, Annie’s leashes, Annie’s food, Annie’s treats, Annie’s bath sheets, shampoo, vitamins, peanut butter, safe spot, couch (unless she allows me to join her), and on and on. I totally cater to her every whim and I love it….of course, I also feel the guilt of coming home too tired to take her for a walk and have to put up with “the look” that just makes the guilt even worse…but she is very forgiving/understanding and accepts my need to lie down for a while. The guilt is still there and it doesn’t go away until I make it up to her by taking her for a walk or to the dog-park or for a car ride. Her patience with me is remarkable, whether waiting all day at home for me to get off of work to waiting in the car while I shop to waiting for me to “get myself together” to take her out to potty.

We humans have tried to define “love” in words…all of the feelings and emotions of love…and have failed. Yet with Annie all she has to do is wrap her paw and leg around my arm and with that action and that touch I know instantly what love is for both of us…something totally pure and unconditional and absolutely known without saying a word.

I know there will come a time that one of us will no longer be able to be with the other, but in the meantime we are enjoying each other as much as we can. I am so thrilled that we found each other and have accepted each other for our limitations. Thank you, Kris (FM), for allowing me to adopt Annie. You can rest assured that she wants for nothing (well, except for that car with no top…but maybe next year), has excellent care, and probably goes to the Vet far too often but being a “new daddy” I want to make sure she is getting the best care and all of the love she deserves. She is truly remarkable and I can’t imagine my life without her. If all dogs and humans could have this kind of experience maybe there would be a chance for world peace.

To everyone, Annie and I want to wish you a HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Annie’s John

Wednesday, October 19, 2011

Hey, everyone – Annie here! I am sending out a “woof” to all of my brothers and sisters and their humans. I finally have a chance to tell my side of the story. Wow! Did I ever luck out! In all of my years I have never, EVER, met a human that I could so easily train. I knew it from the moment that I offered my “lucky paw” to shake his hand… This guy will do anything for me. For instance, I have trained him that if I give a little combination whine/low growl he comes running to give me a massage or a belly rub or take me outside or give me a treat. Cool, eh? I think he would peel a grape for me….oh, wait, I did make him do that…tee hee…it was just a little test to see how far I can push things. And the massages…good grief…I probably get a 100 a day plus my coat brushed twice a day. Oh, and if I position myself in a doorway that he uses frequently the ratio of massages dramatically increases. If you didn’t already know that, give it a try…it works like a charm! Plus, when we go to bed, I have him trained to get down on the floor with me and massage me until I close my eyes and then he can go to bed. Now there are times he wants to rush through this ritual but all I have to do is give him “the look”….you know one…”the look” that we’ve all had since birth? I call it my Princess Di look… Anyway, I just give him “the look” and he keeps on massaging me. Have I trained him or what? Now if I could just train him not to give me a bath…I don’t like them and try to show him that I don’t, but he still insists on giving them to me. Have any of you had success training your human not to give you a bath? Please let me know how you did it. Oh, and he talks to me almost constantly and even tells me that he is going to this room or that room like I would lose him or something. Hello??!! I don’t have 400,000 sensors in my nose for nothing! I could find him in a pile of rotting meat…once I finished rolling in it…but I digress. Also he keeps saying something to me that I don’t quite understand…he says he has old vegetables and meat that are less spoiled than me…can one of you tell me what that means?

I have studied him while he is doing these things he calls “back exercises” that he does every morning on the floor (I don’t understand why he just doesn’t do doggie-yoga like I do instead). I now know when there will be a free hand that I can poke my nose under for an ear and chin scratching. The other morning I was watching him and decided “Why settle for one hand when 2 are better?” So I crawled across his belly so that he had to use both hands to massage me; however, I don’t think I want to do that too frequently as initially he laughed but then had to move me.

And he has never used the “N” word with me…you know the word that all of us dogs hate to hear? The “N” followed by the letter “O?” (I can’t even bring myself to write it…) He didn’t use it even during that little incident with the pizza crust in the garbage while he was at work (by the way, what is “work?” Is it anything like going to the dog-park?). I had to spread all of the stuff out on the kitchen floor to find the pizza crust and when he came home all he could say was that it was HIS fault for not thinking about putting it someplace else! Can you believe it? He blamed himself instead of me! I know that he knows the “N” word, though. Atticus, one of my peeps, was hangin’ with us for a few days. I guess I shouldn’t have told him how easy this human is as Atticus wanted to go for a walk like every 15 minutes…which, of course, my human did…until that time he was watching the moving pictures on that box and Atticus was constantly bugging him to go out. He finally shouted the “N” word at Atticus while I just laid there all sweet, perfect and innocent. I think Atticus was stunned but I have also heard his human use the “N” word with him a lot so I think Atticus just pushes the limit with everyone.

And speaking of peeps, I have met all of the other dogs in the neighborhood and all of the humans know my name. I even met this one human that everyone said was difficult to get along with. Of course she melted when she met me and even let her poodle named Darby and I play together. My human said it was because of my “lucky paw” that she melted over me but I think it was my overall charm. How could anyone resist me?

My human had to be out of town for several days so I stayed with another human and his dog named Winnie. Winnie is cool…we get along. However, my human said that he feared when he got back he would find me swilling beers, smoking cigars, and watching continuous sports on TV…whatever that meant. While my human was gone I had to go back to the Vet to have some blood taken out as they are running tests to see if my weight gain is from something other than food. Food? What food?? My human practically starves me! He says I am on a diet to help my weight… I must admit that the pumpkin and green beans and occasionally some cottage cheese along with the food does seem to fill me up. And then there are my peanut butter treats with the green & white sprinkle on it 3 times a day…that sort of makes up for the lack of food. My human said we got good news from the Vet…something about pyroid or byroid or thyroid…not sure what the word was but I do have another sprinkle on my peanut butter treats. I definitely want my girlish figure back and my human says this will help.

By the way, being treated like royalty can be exhausting as you can see from the picture below. I couldn’t even keep my Tiffany Tiara on…I was just too tired after typing this. And even though I wanted Lipton for my after dinner tea my human insisted I have my favorite, Earl Grey, instead. Whoever said “…finding good help is difficult” was wrong…sometimes the really good help finds and rescues you!

That’s it for now. No doubt I will write more later if I can ever get the human away from the computer. Oh, I forgot to mention, my human bought me some “doggles” as he is looking at a car with no top on it. He says the doggles are bright red but they still look black to me. If he gets the car with no top I will send everyone a picture of us in it.

ANNIE

Wednesday, August 17, 2011

From Annie's forever family...

Not being a great writer it is hard to put into words the emotions I felt in meeting and adopting Annie. In some ways I have to consider it was fate. I rarely have business meetings in St. Paul, MN, but I had one scheduled for June 9th and 10th. I had been checking the RAGOM website for possible adoptions when I saw that Annie had recently been added. I read her bio and then checked where she was being fostered. Her FM was located just south of St. Paul, MN. Hummm, could this be the one? I contacted my coordinator, spoke with Annie’s FM on the phone, and made arrangements to meet on June 8th. Kris, Annie’s FM, was wonderful about talking me through the directions to her home as I am a terribly “directionally challenged” individual. As we arrived there was Annie sitting in the driveway with Kris along with her foster sister, Belle, and foster brother, Bear.

We went inside and spent the next several hours talking about dogs in general and also specifically about Annie. At one point, while petting Annie, she offered her deformed paw to shake. I suddenly thought of Nemo and his “lucky fin” and mentioned to everyone that I was shaking Annie’s “lucky paw.” It was sort of a turning point in the conversation and a realization that Annie might be the one. That is when the emotions set in and all of the self-questioning about whether I would be a good daddy to Annie. What about my work schedule? Who would take care of her when I had to be on the road? Would my work allow me to take her with me? Would I be over protective or under protective? It had been 3 years, 11 months, and 30 days since losing Abby…how would this affect my memories of her? I spent that evening and all of the next day asking myself these questions as well as bouncing them off of Ben, my “ex” who had gone with me to meet Annie and with whom we shared a common bond with Abby.

On Friday, June 20th, the decision was made…I would adopt Annie and give her the best life she could have for whatever number of years would be left for either of us. Kris was happy, but tearful, as Annie, Ben, and I drove away.

It has now been 2 months since Annie has become part of my home and I couldn’t have found or asked for a better dog. She has met everyone in the townhome complex, they all know her name (even though I don’t know their names), she has met and played with all of the other dogs in the complex, and she has become the focus of my life. I no longer work late, or bring work home, or go to the office on weekends. She has become my “free time” and it is wonderful. I write Kris almost daily with the latest news on Annie and what she did or experienced that day.

Annie may have the “lucky paw” but I am the one that gained all of the luck in the world for having adopted her.

ANNIE and John (she insists on being put first and in all caps…sigh…no, she isn’t spoiled…just ask her…gotta go, she wants me to peel a grape for her!)

 

Friday, June 10, 2011

My dear, sweet, little Annie truly hit the jackpot and went home today with the most wonderful, loving Dad in the whole world.  There truly is a match for every one of our dogs, and I knew in my heart that Annie had met hers when he lovingly called her hurt little paw her “lucky paw.”  She will be loved, cherished, and pampered (or is that spoiled rotten??) for the rest of her days, and there simply is nothing else I could wish for her.  I’ll miss you with my whole heart, little Annie, but I honestly couldn’t be happier for all of you! Congratulations and lots of hugs to John, Ben, Winnie, and of course, Annie!!

Monday, May 16, 2011

Lovely, little Annie is now settled into her permanent foster home in Apple Valley!  Many thanks to temp foster, Rhonda, and her gang for taking such good care of Annie until she could come and live with us!

Annie is perfect in cars, and had no trouble making the trip to Apple Valley, or to the RAGOM vet! She came to us spayed, and is also now UTD on all shots and preventatives, is heartworm and fecal negative, and has been microchipped. In terms of her misshapen paw, the vet has given her no restrictions, other than keeping her weight at a healthy level.  She was absolutely perfect at the vet’s office, and received plenty of hugs, kisses, and treats in return!

Annie is truly something special, and we have all fallen completely in love with this little angel. She has the sweetest, most gentle personality, and loves to quietly sit close by, keeping an eye on her people at all times.  It’s hard to put into words, but it’s as if she doesn’t expect anything to come her way, but is eternally grateful when it does.  I’ve honestly never had a dog that needs so little, but gives back so much!

We have a very busy neighborhood, and Annie gets along great with everyone she has met!  She loves my 16 year old son and his friends, and due to her gentle nature, has been great with younger kids as well. One of the sweetest stories from her surrendering owner was that Annie loved being read to by her young daughter, and also loved watching cartoons with her – how incredibly sweet is that?  Annie has also done well with dogs of all shapes and sizes in our neighborhood, and has settled in great with the resident dogs, Belle and Bear. She has slowly emptied our toy basket one by one, and happily surrounds herself toys of all kinds!  My Belle can often be stand-offish with other dogs, but she and Annie have completely taken to each other, and engage in plenty of tugging, rolling, and gentle wrestling matches.  It’s a joy to watch!!

Annie is truly enjoying her walks, and carries on the way the resident dogs do when it’s time to get ready and go! We have been giving her several shorter walks per day, and she is absolutely thriving.  She clips along at a really good pace when on grass (we luckily have a big park right by us), and though she walks with a slower, halting gait when on pavement, it doesn’t appear to bother her in the least. She always has a big smile on her face, and her tail wags constantly!  As said in her initial bio, she won’t be anyone’s running partner or a marathon walker, but daily shorter walks will continue to be a necessary part of her daily regime!

She is 100% housetrained, and pretty much does her business on command when let outside! She has free roam in our house at all times, and happily settles in on the numerous dog beds scattered around our main floor.  She hasn’t hopped on the furniture yet, though she is certainly free to do so here at any time!  She sleeps on a dog bed in our bedroom, and has never even made a peep during the night. Truly, she is the easiest dog we’ve ever had the pleasure to host!

Annie is one special girl, and I know there is a perfect home and family out there just for her.  If you think you’re that family, please contact your Placement Advisor and let them know you want to meet Annie!