The Rhinestones in Waiting

In the fall of 2006 and into 2007, pet owners around the country were faced with their worst nightmare.  Poisoned pet food.  Cat owners and dog owners alike fed their pets their regular food only to have them become critically ill or, as was our case, they watched their beloved pet die a slow and painful death as the result of kidney failure.  Timber was our cat and Timber suffered for 14 hours before we could get him to the Vet and have his suffering ended.

Learning that the pet food had killed our Timber along with so many other dogs and cats was heartbreaking and infuriating.  We networked with other pet owners and joined the law suit against the pet food company responsible for this horrendous betrayal of consumer confidence.

During this time we were blessed to meet so many wonderful people, many suffering the same painful loss we had endured.  One person was an artist and while she had not lost a pet, she wanted to ease the pain of as many people as she could.  She saw pictures of the lost pets and used her talents to create paintings of many of them to be given for free to the families.  These works of love were so life like that they moved most to tears.

The Artist, inspired by the love of animals, worked for weeks on portrait after portrait.  She would send them to us and we would forward them to the families.  This good work in the midst of so much loss was a healing act and a silver lining in a long period of dark clouds.

The Artist surprised us in one of the last shipments of artwork with a painting of our own Timber.  We never expected it and when we saw him, we did as most did.  We wept.  She had captured the picture she had seen of Timber with such detail and clarity, as she had with all her paintings.  We understood how much what we had done for others by feeling and experiencing their same joy and appreciation.

One of the paintings she had sent was to a couple in a town not far from us.  Their dog Michou had been a victim of the pet food poisoning and had left them devastated and lost.  When Michou's painting arrived, we contacted them and arranged to meet them so that we could give the painting to them personally.  It as a good day and while the painting tugged at the pain that still filled their hearts, they appreciated the love with which Michou's image had been created.  I so wish The Artist could have been there that day.

That day, Michou's mom and dad presented us with several tokens of appreciation and love.  A beautiful silk scarf and many items that had belonged to Michou.  The beautiful rhinestone and black colored collar and several vests that had belonged to Michou were given to us to remind us of their love and loss, not that we could ever forget them or their beloved Michou.

Years passed, four to be exact and as with all reasons for grief, the pain eased and life continued on.  Michou's clothing was hung in my closet and her collar dangled from the nail on my bedroom wall.
They served as reminders to me of a time of great loss as I felt the loss of each of the more than 5,000 dogs and cats that died as a result of the tainted pet food.  I had seen so many of their pictures and emailed many of their owners with expressions of sympathy.   Anyone that lost a pet during that time felt the same way.  We lost more than our own pets, we felt the collective loss of all lost pets.

Yesterday, when Cayce arrived at our home after years of neglect and abuse at the hands of a calloused owner, we felt the same good feeling we had felt years ago.  Sometimes you just have to take the extra step and go the extra mile when its the right thing to do.

Having spent the last six years in a crate with little or no human interaction, no love, no clean environment, Cayce spent the day walking and receiving love from everyone.  We had purchased a harness and leash for her but she was too big for a small size and too small for a medium sized set.  Then Jamie spotted the collar hanging on the wall.  Michou's collar.  She said "I wonder if this will fit Cayce?". 

Carefully and with great love, she took the collar down from the wall and placed it around Cayce's neck.  It was a perfect fit.  It was as if it had been waiting for 4 years for this moment.  Once again, that beautiful collar would be worn by a dog that was loved and adored.  Once again, it would be seen every day and admired.  The collar had found a new home.  Patiently it had waited and now, finally, it could serve as that constant hug and symbol of adoration.  Michou had worn that collar and now Cayce wears it.  And it seems right and fitting.  It seems perfect. It seems just as it was meant to be.

So to Michou's mom, we thank you for the gift given with such love and sacrifice.  Please know that it is now worn with just as much love and serves as a constant reminder of your beloved baby. 

Kaleigh, Cayce and Ryan

The Unchosen is Chosen

Today is a very big day in our home.  We will be rescuing a dog and bringing her here to our home to hold until we can find a permanent home.

Now, keep in mind this is a cat home.  This is a cat's world.  But today, things will change for a time.  Normally I would not consider this, but my sense of decency has urged me to take the leap of faith that we can absorb this dog for a time.  Best case scenario, she will be a perfect fit and never leave us.  Worst case, she finds the person/family she was meant to have all along.

This decision was not made in haste.  We have waited til the children were older, the cats adjusted and life had a set routine before throwing yet another dependent into the mix.  Dogs are needy but anyone that has ever owned a dog and loved a dog can understand the great contribution they make to our worlds.  I love my cats but I do miss the love of a dog.  My cats are special but so is the companionship of a good dog and in my eyes, there are no bad dogs, just bad owners. Learning of Cayce's story was enough for us to agree, now was the time to try.

Blogworld, allow me to tell you about Cayce.

Cayce is a 6 yr old white schnauzer that has lived her entire life locked in a crate. She is only out to go to the bathroom in the evening, the rest of the time her crate has been her bathroom and her world.  She has been denied love and interaction with humans other than the observations she can make from inside the crate.  She has not been groomed or cared for. Her very existence has been ignored save for food and water.  Cayce has not yet begun to live.  That will all change today.

Cayce will be ours for as long as we can have her.  We will socialize her and love her and treat her the way she should have been treated all along.  Today begins Cayce's second life.  Today everything changes.

I've thought about this day.  I thought about Cayce thinking that today, the world will once again only be the crate.  Hopefully, her current owner will have the good sense to clean her up and get her ready for a departure.  That may be too much to ask from someone who has failed to demonstrate anything even remotely close to that in the past 6 yrs.

The countdown to Cayce's arrival is now 2 hours.  The house is busy making last minute adjustments for this new addition. We are all excited and the cats have no clue what is about to happen.

Sasha is sleeping on my bed as usual, the other cats have found quiet places to rest as well. Miss Liz is sleeping outside oblivious to the intrusion that is about to befall her and the others.  They have no idea and there is no way to properly prepare them.  Most have absolutely no history with an animal of the canine persuasion   Won't this be interesting?

Jamie just made a trip to the pet store to secure a harness and leash, food and other items our new pooch will need.  Its all coming together.  Next stop at noon to free Cayce.  The clock is ticking and the anticipation growing.


Update

Cayce is here!  The sweetest dog you could ever know.  Her appearance leaves much to be desired and her neglect is more than apparent.  Her beautiful white hair is stained from too long in a dirty crate.  She has sores on her from too much time in a filthy crate.  She needs time to heal both inside and out.  She has only barked once.

She spent time getting to know all of us and one cat so far.  Her legs are weak from inactivity but she is alert and eager to be part of our family.  She looks so incredibly happy.  So incredibly free!

Welcome Cayce!

A Gathering of Angels

My daughter Jamie came home today from work with a story I just had to share. This is a true story.  It happened today.

After her 30 minute commute to her place of business, she got out of her car in the parking lot.  She noticed a dog.  A big dog at that.  It was wondering around the parking lot, obviously either lost or dumped by someone who no longer loved it.  Jamie saw how thin and fragile this large dog was from days in the hot Texas sun.  Jamie kept walking and entered the building and headed to her desk to start working.

Her coworkers, Alice and Veronica came into the office looking for water.  Jamie went outside and found Wanda with the dog which turned out to be a Husky, a very thin, very thirsty Husky.

The office is located on an extremely busy highway, traveled mostly by large trucks. Wanda had seen the dog head towards the highway and ran after it, keeping it from entering what would have been a certain death. Alice brought one bowl of water after another.  The dog drank and drank and drank. So thirsty for so long, so lost for so long.

Weak and unsteady on its feet, the dog was calm, responding to the ladies talking to her and petting her.  She drank the water and collapsed under their gentle, loving hands. 

"This is the same dog I saw walking up the highway yesterday about five miles from here" Wanda said.  The dog had been enduring temperatures of over 100 degrees every day with virtually no food or water to be found.  This poor dog had endured so much.  The ladies agreed that another day without food and water in the heat would have killed this gentle soul.

Carly came outside to see why everyone had left the office. Carly lived alone since her husband had passed.  Her sons were grown and living on their own.  She said "That's a pretty dog".  The ladies were discussing what to do with her.  They didn't want to call the City as they knew, from the looks of her, she would be put down that very day.  She was so weak and so frail.  Jamie's mind was already moving in the "I'll take her home" direction, even though we already have four cats and no one is at home during the day.  A temporary home we could do, but nothing permanent.  It would be just too much time alone for a dog in such need.  She kept her thoughts silent and waited with the ladies.

It was as if the dog knew Wanda had saved her as she would not leave her side.  Her collapse found her at Wanda's feet.  The ladies waited with the dog while Wanda called her husband and asked him to come and get the dog and take it to the Vet.  It was apparent the dog was in desperate need of medical attention. 

Wanda's husband arrived and determined that in his work vehicle, a trip to Vet would be difficult and require several transfers, alot for a dog in such condition.

 The ladies continued talking about who could possibly take the dog, even for a temporary home.  They grew more determined to save the dog.

Carly said "I can take the dog, I've got 60 acres for that dog to run and play in".  "What should I name her?" Carly asked.

Veronica said "Why don't you call her White Fang?". "Ugh, wasn't White Fang a rabid dog or something?" Jamie asked.  "No, White Fang was a Husky" Veronica replied.  "Well, that's not a good name for this dog." Jamie said.  The sad appearance of this gentle giant did not blend with the strong name suggested.


Carly told the ladies to let the supervisor know she was taking the dog to the Vet and she was taking her right now.  With that, she loaded up the dog into her car and off they went.

The trip to the Vet's office was a good trip and the dog listened while Carly talked to her and kept her calm.  The Vet, upon hearing the story,  agreed to treat her for free.  No expenses incurred for this good deed in progress.  The Vet determined that this Husky was about 7 yrs old, tests indicated she was heart worm free.  But she did have cataracts in both eyes.  They began filling her dehydrated body with fluids and fed her with a tube, pushing life sustaining liquids and nutrients into her emaciated body.

Carly returned to work and told the ladies that she had called her son.  He had just recently lost his own pet, which was a Husky.  He told his mom "Mom, I don't care whats wrong with her, I'll take her.  She will have a home with me."

So, the lost gentle giant that was this wandering dog, stumbled into the right parking lot, on the right day and was surrounded by Angels.  The Vet office continued the day's miracle by providing free treatment and care.  In the end, the man who needed a dog, found a dog.  And the dog who needed a home found all the love she will ever need.  No more hunger, no more thirst.  Just love.

Who ever said Angels don't run in packs never met these ladies, that Vet or this dog.

And that's what makes this day and this story worth sharing.