Hello everyone,
The big day is here, Miss Nikki is 13 years old and still rambunctious, although she doesn't always remember why. She will stand at the back door and BARK, which used to mean she wants to go in or out. Now when I open the door, she looks at me like "What do you want?" and walks away, only to repeat herself minutes later. I give her two tries, then shove her out or push her in, and she always seems happy to go either way, even if she's a little embarrassed.
We are celebrating with ice cream and steak. Let the party begin.
Joey
Forgive me, but I must brag about my girl. A few days ago, I heard from one of my "wolf friends," who I've known for about 15 years. She was calling from a premiere regional hospital, where she was recovering from a cerebral aneurysm and many post-surgical complications (pneumonia, staff and other bacterial infections) that kept her unconscious for more than a month. Peggy started to wake up about 2 weeks ago, and was well enough to articulate her need for pets to pet. (She lives in the country and her own dog isn't UTD, so she called me to bring in mine.) She'd seen one pet therapy dog, but not for long enough to do her much good.
Nikki is UTD on everything, but not a licensed pet therapy dog, so we had to jump through a few hoops to get her in the front door. We appeased the bureaucratic gods and marched thru this very large hospital, red bandana around Nikki's neck, where she was an absolute magnet for many needy people. She was great!! Slippery floors, sliding doors, elevator rides, no problem. When we got to Peggy's nurses station (which I had contacted many times to iron out the fine points), the nurses & aides just couldn't get enough of her. I had to excuse ourselves to get into Peg's room, who was absolutely thrilled to see Nikki.
Peggy is very weak, as you can imagine after being bed-ridden for 6+ weeks, but you could see her gain energy by being w/ Miss Nikkers. It was wonderful. We visited in her room, and then accompanied her to rehabilitation appointments. Nikki was so great, so tolerant of other patients coming up to her in their wheelchairs, wanting to pet her and tell me about their own pets. The staff was very happy to see her, too, offering her treats and lots of attention. Nikki couldn't have behaved better, and seemed to really enjoy herself. We'll visit again, since Peg won't be discharged until after Labor Day.
I just had to brag.
Joey
An update from Joey!!
Hello one and all!
Nikki has been here
for 6 months, and just had the annual spring trip to the vet for shots, hw
test, etc., and she is GREAT! Her weight has stabilized at 66#, her
coat is thick & beautiful, her chronic ear infection has cleared up,
her eyes are bright and happy, and she doesn't seem to mind having only 7
teeth (2 up, 5 down, none lined up w/ the others). With a little
extra fixin's, she eats very well w/ no trouble, and can somehow work off
the leftover meat on a T-bone steak bone. For a dog who's last owner
said she wasn't interested in food (yeah right), she went from having 5
small meals a day to 2 normal ones, and jumps on my bed in the morning to
get me into the kitchen to feed her before she goes outside.
And unlike our
experience w/ poor little Ellie, Nikki & Cole the cat are best
friends. They have their own games, which both will initiate, and
play independent of me. Nikki's pretty secure in her living room
chair, but if she's on the floor, Cole will walk over her head and stick
his face in her ears, or just stand on one ear to see what happens.
He'll sometimes ambush her tail when she walks by, or climb up her back
legs, which is an invitation to play. They chase each other all over
the house, and take turns being the "chaser." It is
hilarious to see the cat backing the dog into a corner, or Cole trying to
get Nikki to chase him. They both use their front paws to bat at
each other, and they do make contact, but nothing too much.
Nikki is very
protective of her home and car, and is still a little too vocal about
expressing herself, which I attribute to her knowing she's finally found
her forever home, and wants everyone else to know. She's very
selective when choosing what toy she wants from her toy basket, and leaves
Cole's basket alone. We go on long walks, and she gets a bit huffy
if another dog or person comes too close, but we're working on it.
My sister Bobbie's darling 8 month old GSD, Halie, comes over & you
can't tell which one is the puppy, they're both so playful. Nikki
& Halie walk shoulder to shoulder when we're out walking, and Nikki
makes Halie feel more secure when she encounters something new.
This has been a
hugely successful placement, and I thank you all for your hard work &
sensitivity in making this match. Nikki is a dear, sweet dog who had
many bad breaks, and none of it was her fault. She came to foster
care a very sad & neglected dog, and you rescued her so she could find
a home where she was welcome. Today we saw the same vet tech who did
Nikki's first office call, and she couldn't believe how Nikki has changed
for the better. She said, "Your momma takes good care of you,
and you're a lucky girl." Well, I'm lucky, too. Nikki has
filled an enormous void for both Cole & me, because we were
heartbroken when we lost our Stoney. Nikki is her own self, and
that's plenty good for us.
Thank you,
Joey