Pets
Playing with the bunnies
01/02/10 12:23
Our 4-H club had a guest speaker in January from Magic Happens Rabbit Rescue. We decided to do a service project for them, going out to their adoption home and cleaning cages and playing with the bunnies. It didn't take long to clean all the cages and give the bunnies a fresh place to hang out. They're cages were kinda smelly, though. Rabbits make a lot of poo! But they are just soooooo cute! How can you resist? Once the work was over, there was plenty of time to play and pet the sweet bunnies.
Volunteering at a rescue group is a great idea for a 4-H group! The littler ones can play with the animals while the older ones help with the more difficult jobs. It works out well for everyone. Something you may not even consider is the encouragement you give to the workers at the facility. Seeing young people involved and willing to help out is a wonderful boost to those who work at rescuing animals. It is a hard job and thankless to boot, and the children enjoying the animals is a welcome sight. Give it a go!
Volunteering at a rescue group is a great idea for a 4-H group! The littler ones can play with the animals while the older ones help with the more difficult jobs. It works out well for everyone. Something you may not even consider is the encouragement you give to the workers at the facility. Seeing young people involved and willing to help out is a wonderful boost to those who work at rescuing animals. It is a hard job and thankless to boot, and the children enjoying the animals is a welcome sight. Give it a go!
Another family member
17/11/09 07:07
This is the newest member of our crazy family! His name is Colonel Shepherd. We have been looking for a companion for our insane German Shepherd female for a while. She is very energetic. We say she either in trouble or about to be in trouble. Sunai, which is Hindi for “to listen,” is about 1.5 years old. She loves to wrestle and play tag, so we looked for a pal for her. And here he is! A rescue group in Mississippi found him at the animal shelter and took him in. They called him “Scooby,” which I think is not very appropriate for a Shepherd.
Anyway, we met at a dog park and they liked each other, and we brought him home... on Halloween. We decided to name him Colonel Shepherd. We watch a TV show called Stargate Atlantis and the main character on it is an Air Force pilot named Colonel John Shepherd. We figure since our new pup, who is probably about 3 years old, is a German Shepherd, the name fits well.
What kind of personality does he have? SO SWEET! He is about 90 pounds and he has these monsterous paws and a huge block head, but he just leans on you and wants to be petted and loved on. He will put his head in your lap and let you pet him forever, he’ll lean on you and then melt on the floor to be petted some more. Very obedient and wanting to make his master happy. Not much prey drive for balls and tug of war, but he likes to wrestle with Sunai. They play forever in the back yard wrestling and then chasing each other around the yard. He is great!
Colonel had heartworm and he just got over his treatment. Otherwise he is in great shape. I can’t imagine why someone would give up such a sweet dog. I will try to get some video of him and post it as soon as I can. Oh, and a picture of my female:
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Coping with the loss of a pet
26/01/09 18:36
3 days ago, I lost a dear friend. She was my friend from the moment I met her nearly 6 years ago. I didn’t realize until I stood in the vet’s office on her final day how very much I loved her and how much of a friend she was. Furry, sweet, a little attitude, smart. She was my diva dog and I am so very thankful that she came through my life. Through ups and downs, she was always there. When my husband was away, she slept between me and the door. When I cried, she sat beside me until I could re-group. When I came home, she greeted me with howls and dancing. When I went for a walk, she was ready, tail wagging and howling like a wolf.
I suppose I didn’t know how sick she really was until the day we decided to put her down. She had stopped wanting to go for walks long ago. When I would ask her if she wanted to walk, she would bow her head and walk away, as if embarrassed. If I pressed, she would go, but only out of duty or loyalty, or maybe just the promise of a treat afterwards. Every second of the day she died, I wanted to stop and say no, to hang on another day, to figure out some way to make her better or to “live with her sickness.” As we stood in the vets office, husband, children, dog and me, we all wanted to shout for it to stop. But I knew deep down that I only wanted her to live so I wouldn’t have to choose her death. My DH and I both commented frequently that the only reason not to let her go is because we didn’t want to do it. That was when we knew it was time.
I know some people will go to any length to keep their pet alive, and I didn’t understand it, but when you have to make an appointment to put your dog down, then wait all day for that horrible moment, you become very aware of why people don’t want to make that choice. It was awful. And the day after was awful, and so was the next day. Today, tears have come to my eyes many times, and I have thought of her often, but I am coping. My DD went from crying and asking her to come back, to telling me that she thought of Emma very little today. The grieving process is happening. And tomorrow will be easier, and the next.
Emma, you took a part of my heart, you comforted me in dark times, you made me laugh, you got on my nerves at times, you walked with me rain or shine, you were a true friend to me. I may not cry tomorrow, but I will not forget you, your sweet soft fur and your sad brown eyes will stay with me forever.
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