If you pick up a starving dog and make him prosperous,
he will not bite you. This is the principal difference between a dog and
a man.
Mark Twain
As a child I could only have "small" pets. You know the kind,
gerbils or hamsters. Pets that fit in a box. I didn't know any better. Just
knew I wanted something furry to hold and to love.
I didn't get owned by a dog until much later. This is a picture
of "Misha" my first dog, a Chinese Shar Pei. I found her at a breeder who had
a poor reputation. It happened to be about an hour from where I lived and I
just wanted to see what the Shar Pei were all about after having seen a picture
of one on a card. I went to a few other breeders in the area that day. Misha
never left my mind. She was an energetic little bundle at 7 weeks old, and when
we met it was love at first sight. I was on my way home, finally after a kind
of long day. Halfway home I turned my car around and went back for her. I arrived
at the breeder's place only several minutes before they would close for the
day.
Misha was actually a "pick" puppy. In essence she was received
back from breeding and was the pick of the litter. She was a beautiful puppy
except for one thing. The breeder of ill repute had decided to practice his
eye surgery techniques on her. Her eyes had become infected. You would have
to know she wrenched my heart out. I didn't care, I wasn't going to show her,
I just loved her. I was afraid no one would want her and she'd be put down so
I plunked down my Visa and took her home.
The happy ending is that with the help of my Veterinarian her
eyes healed beautifully and it never affected her sight. She grew into a beautiful
adult animal.
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This was what the breeder did to her. This pic is the worst. Awful
isn't it?She was just a little over 7 weeks old here
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But she healed just fine....seeeee? This was taken when she was
13 weeks old What a difference! I just knew she'd be gorgeous
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She grew into a big beautiful girl. This one is she at
about 2 years.
Misha died of cancer in 1996 at 9 years of age.
I will miss her forever.
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About 4 months before Misha died Buddy came into my life.
On the way to work one day I noticed a dog lying on the sidewalk in the
town I work in. It's a depressed area and it's not unusual to see
strays lying around but something just didn't look right to me. I was late
for work and went ahead but it haunted me all day and I promised myself
that if the dog were still there on my way home I would check it out.
While driving home I didn't see him in the same spot. I thought
that it was probably a positive thing that he was able to get up and go
wherever those stray dogs go. Down the road a little there was a huge pile
of black garbage bags and I don't know why I sort of scrutinized them, but
I am glad I did. There lying amidst the bags was the dog I'd seen earlier
in the day. I'll never know if someone left him there or he had dragged
himself there but in the middle of the traffic I turned my car around, promising
God that if he was still breathing I'd do whatever I could to help him.
He could barely lift his head when I got to him, and three
local women stopped and told me they would hang with me till I was safely
out of there. I spotted two men coming down the street and they were more
than happy to take my ten bucks and hoist the dog on a blanket and put him
in my car.
Well, my vet said he wouldn't have survived much longer. The
least was that he was full of worms and fleas but also he needed surgery
(twice) for other problems he had.
Three weeks later, I took Buddy home. When I found him he
weighed barely 35 lbs. He now weighs 60. He still has a sad, or maybe it's
a haunted look in his eyes. Like he's seen a lot of trouble and is not certain
of his future. I think he has a bit of wanderlust left in him too...just
sometimes the way he gazes through the door however, I think he really likes
having his own sofa. : )
Isn't he a cutie. He has the most soulful eyes
I've ever seen. My vet wasn't sure of his age. He (Buddy)is missing a lot
of teeth but he (the vet) thought he (Buddy) was about 6 years old. He has
a gray muzzle and a bum leg, probably from getting hit by a car and having
it broken. He has a few nicks and a couple of scars. He has a lot of character.
: )
I
love Buddy. In fact God does work in mysterious ways. I had not planned on
getting another dog. I also did not know Misha was ill. Had it not been for
Buddy, Misha's death would have been much harder to deal with. Still after
she died , I had a Shar Pei craving. None of the dogs I looked at could quite
satisfy me. I guess I was looking for another Misha but after a few months
a breeder friend of mine had a friend who had a puppy. She thought he would
be perfect. We took the 3-hour ride into the depths of PA. And when it was
time to come home I had "Bogey" with me.
What a cutie he was and is, and not a bit like Misha. Maybe
that is why it worked. Or maybe it was the moon or the stars that day but
I fell for him the minute I saw him. He's a bit hyper, like the breed and
like me...lol...and he still acts like a silly puppy at three. When he's really
frenetic he runs through the house with his ears back and his tail out..just
around and around..he really makes me laugh. He can leap tall buildings with
a single bound, but he usually lands on a piece of furniture and breaks it.
My house is dog weary and I haven't been on vacation in many years as I won't
leave them in a kennel, but they are so worth it. I'd not trade them for all
the islands in the world.
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Oh by the way..Bogey is named for Humphrey Bogart..my all-time
favorite actor. He looks a bit like him don't you think?
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He was 4 months old in this one |
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I just couldn't resist. It was one of those visors that you wear
to play tennis. Personally I think he looks very dapper
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Buddy and Bogey just chillin'
These were the first pets that owned me. Pippin was a great
cat. A 22 lb male who was the sweetest cat I've ever known. He loved to
snuggle and was very affectionate. Shaina on the other hand was a bit "catty".
She liked to nuzzle Pippin till he was happy and relaxed ..then she'd bite
him. I should have named her Jezebel. They are both gone now. I miss them
lots too. Especially Pippin, he was the first and I had just moved into
my first apartment and was so thrilled to find him. I have a craving for
cats now. : )
Pippin & Shaina
Bless the beasts and the children
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I'd like to thank Dr. Cameron of Montclair, NJ for his unending
patience, infinite knowledge and undying devotion to the animals and the
individuals kept by them. To all his staff also, Monica, Patty, Anne and
everyone who was so supportive of me~who work so hard to make it all work
~Thank You!
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This is "Boo" (at least that is what he told me) You can adopt
a Boo Bunny too, or another Woobie in need of a home at WoobieWorld.
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Visit Woobie World Today!
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