The Missaroo

The Missaroo
Ready to Take on the World

Tuesday, December 13, 2011

Fight the Good Fight

Two warnings about this post: First, I am about to get on my soap box. If you don't want to read about it please skip down to other posts about how adorable my two pups are. Second, this post is NOT a comment about the news report or how the story was showcased. I use to work for KREM 2 and I have nothing but respect for the product they put out on a nightly basis. The reporter, Othello Richards happens to be the best reporter I have ever had the privilege to work with. And no, this is not an attempt to give KREM.com more clicks. Without further ado please watch this.

What happened to that poor little dog was horrible. What is equally as horrifying to me is the comment made by another PET PARENT saying since the OWNER of the pitbull was irresponsible, THE DOG should DIE! WHAT!?! Pissed does not begin to describe how I feel at this moment. How could another pet parent suggest that another animal die, ever? It is the owner who is at fault. It is the owner who should be punished. Give that person a fine, take the opportunity to teach that owner how to better secure their pet. Make that owner into a better pet parent! That is what the city of Moses Lake should do. What should NOT happen is kill the dog. If I went out and hit someone with my car tonight would those same "pet parents" suggest destroying my car since I was not responsible enough to drive it? Of course not! That would be utterly ridiculous. But killing a living, breathing animal who was protecting his or her family should? The pit was probably not socialized properly, was probably not exercised enough, and was probably not trained. Do ANY of those problems sound like they were the DOG'S problem? No. Those sound like OWNER problems to me.

But what do I know? This is just the opinion of one woman. But let me ask you this: If I were to let this face down, you're telling me you'd be OK with killing her?


It is one thing to fight against society's idea of what animals are, but to have to fight other pet parents is just beyond disappointing to me. 

Mornings with Mister

Missy is my best friend, the love of my life, and the greatest dog in the whole-wide world. There aren't enough words to describe our bond. There isn't enough time either. Some people think that I play favorites and that I don't love her and Mister equally. I just tell people the difference is Missy doesn't know she's a dog. She thinks she's a person, equal to me, and Mister is our dog. Maybe I think that way sometimes too. It doesn't help that Mister has been a real pain in the bottom lately. He pooped in the house, chewed the cap to my hand sanitizer after he dug it out of my purse, and then yesterday morning he chewed my favorite pen. What a little mmmmm.... But despite all this trouble he can cause, Mister is the dog that truly completes this family.

Mister is pretty darn adorable. He's the happiest dog I've ever come across. And he is my lap buddy until the end. We have our special moments together on mornings like these. While I update all my Missaroo social media and write for the blog he's usually on my lap trying to type alongside me. Sometimes he's content to just lay on the back half of the chair while I take the front. We sneak kisses and pets without the Missaroo seeing. He sniffs my coffee and I carry him around like he's still my surgery baby. We snuggle, and he rests his tiny little head on my chest while I give his neck a good scratch. I love slow, easy mornings with Mister because these are all the things I can't do with the Missaroo.

She's too big to jump up on my lap. She hates being carried around. She's not always happy (most of the time though) and she's more interested in licking my entire face off and getting her belly rubbed than tiny moments of happiness. Missy is a big dog compared to Mister which means she needs big gestures of affection to match her size. I love Mister for his tiny gestures of love. Sometimes I need both. By giving everything I have to them, they replenish my own soul and I get everything I need to love everyday. I need both, my mornings with Mister and my nights with the Missaroo.

Sunday, December 11, 2011

No Fun For You!

I had been looking forward to December 9th since September 23rd. It marked the last day of the school quarter and that meant the first night I didn't have to worry about getting up early and chasing after my endless to do list. I had planned to have fun that night after work, even if I couldn't spend a dime. I just wanted to not worry about being an adult for a few hours. That's it, that's all I wanted. And luckily that's what I got. I convinced my best friend to hang out, have a beer, eat sour patch kids, and watch a movie with me. By the time all the fun was said and done I fell asleep.

I was gone for a total of six hours overnight by the time I walked through the door at 4:30. Then I came crashing back down to reality. Mister was wide awake, standing in his pee filled crate. My poor baby. I had taken him and Miss out on a walk after work like always. Everybody did their biz, everything would be fine. Or so I had thought. Wrong. Very wrong. Not only did poor Mister pee all over his crate, but all over his bed inside the crate. A bed that cannot be thrown into the washing machine, but instead has to be washed by hand. So my first morning without a to do list quickly turned into me washing his crate and then heading into the tub with Mister's bed. Two days later it's still wet.

I guess this is what I get for six hours to myself. It's like they know I'm off having fun instead of off at work. When I pulled out of the garage that night, I could see Missy standing on the chair in the living room looking out the window and barking at me. It's heartbreaking every time she does that, and she only does that when I leave for fun, not for work. She's my very own soup Nazi, "No fun for you!"

Wednesday, December 7, 2011

My Girl Miss

Today when I woke up this morning I had one thought in my head: I love you shmoo with all my heart. There was the Missaroo curled up around me still sleeping soundly. Well OK, she had one eye on me as if to say "you're not going to make me move are you?" No shmoo, I'm not going to make you move.

I think the reason I woke up thinking this is from fighting with my friend the night before over the phone. I definitely think having guy friends is more difficult than girl friends. Guys are always trying to "fix" things. The only person I call to ask how to do things is my mom. Everyone else I just want to nod their heads in agreement. The more you tell me I'm wrong the more defensive I get. Thank goodness for the Missaroo then. She never argues or tells me I'm wrong. All she does is listen. You can't beat a friend like that!

Tuesday, December 6, 2011

Fatties

Another thing that came out of our vet adventures yesterday, the dogs are FAT! How this happened I'm not so sure. I'm guessing it's been the treats. They don't eat people food and their dog food situation hasn't changed. But pictures don't lie and neither did the scale:


Mister is 15 pounds! Ouch. That's four pounds more than he was in May. The worst part? His right knee is feeling a little loose. Which means another knee surgery could be in his future. I'm sure the added pounds don't help. No wonder I'm always complaining that his jacket doesn't fit very well. 


Missaroo is 30 pounds! Also up four from our last visit. It's time to start walking more and eating less.

Another Day, Another Poop Test

WARNING: Another one of those gross dog mom blogs. There's a nice little post about why you should help pets below this one. You won't hurt my feelings if you skip down to that one instead. It even has a picture!

Mister and Missy made their return to the vet yesterday to find out what the heck was going on with their icky poop. The good thing about having dogs instead of kids is that they don't ask questions you have to come up with a lie too. Those two had no idea they were headed to the vet. They were just happy to have their coats on:


((the funny thing is that as adorable as my Missaroo is it's usually Mister who steals the show, especially when the camera is on. Missaroo is a little camera shy, Mister is a ham.))

These two were both sooooo cute the vet assistants insisted on taking their pictures when we got there too. They really are celebrities being followed around by the papa-paparazzi.

Anywhoo.... Then it was time for the real show to start.

The vet examined both of them and said they felt fine everywhere. BUT that poop of theirs? Def Foul. Foul being the word the vet used. Not. Good. But not bad either. After a quick poop test, both came back negative.  Which basically just means they got into something, we just don't know what and it gave them diarrhea  More good news: Negative poop test equals shots! Missy needed her kennel cough shot for boarding as did Mister. Poor Mister Man needed two more though. He took it like a champ. Miss, not so much. My poor baby was just not OK with something sticking her in the booty. Can't blame her.

At the end of the day we walked away with a huge vet bill, pills to help harden up their poop, and this:


As long as I don't have to pick up any more icky poop eight times a day, I'll be a happy dog mom. The doggies are happy for a different kind of food, even if it is only for a few days.

Sunday, December 4, 2011

We Shall Overcome

In case you haven't noticed, the No More Homeless Pets 2011 conference pretty much changed my life. I already knew that I liked writing about animal welfare policy for grad school. I already knew I loved my two dogs with all of my heart. But what I didn't know is how much I would truly feel moved by the cause. My passion at first started with trying to get dogs out of the shelters and help them get adopted. It breaks my heart to think what would have happened to Missy if she had been put in a shelter environment. She was a rescue, but she was fostered in a home. That woman saved Missy's life, she really did. Missy was way too hyper, anxious, and barky to get adopted from behind a gate. I have a hard time believing she would have made it out alive. What Missy is great at is interaction with people, especially one on one. That's when you can see her for the beautiful, confident Missaroo she really is.


The conference was full of amazing people doing amazing things for animals of all kinds. It also made me realize why there needed to be so many of us and why we had much to learn in the fight against euthanasia. I've been lucky to have found my dogs and volunteered in shelters here in Washington State. We do a lot better here than in most states. Ohio, for example, makes a habit of killing pit bulls. While North Carolina leads the country in dog fighting cases. That's awful. There is still so much work to be done. 

I believe it all starts with a change in 'tude. It starts in your neighborhood, in your community, in your own heart. It starts with a willingness to recognize God made us all. He gave us this earth to protect. Everything is just on loan. If animals are anybody's "property" ((and I hate that word)) they are God's property, not ours to abandon and kill. We can do this. It starts with us. 

Saturday, December 3, 2011

The Return of the Sicky

WARNING: This is one of those gross-out dog mom blogs most non pet or kid parents can't appreciate.



Missaroo is sick again. For those who are new to the blog, this is nothing new. Missy has come down with something, I'd say every six months are so since I got her. She's had kennel cough twice ((she gets vaccinated twice a year for it)), worms, and the latest was an intestinal bacteria of some sort. Oh and the first bout of kennel cough and the worms were at the same time. On top of all this Missy is an emotional puker. Any noticeable changes to her routine ((mainly noticeable changes to my routine)) and she heaves. And now she is sick again with a vet appointment scheduled for Monday.

So how do I know? Well she had a poop accident inside the apartment. Her third one ever, first time she had worms, second time she had the intestinal bacteria, so you can see my cause for concern. Then when I came home from work today ((poop was yesterday)) she had thrown up. All signs point to a return of the sicky mcsickerson.

Of course, Monday seems like forever from now. Especially when I called at 8am today trying to get her in as soon as possible. I ran the whole gamete with them. Her history, what had happened, that I already had poop samples from her and Mister sitting outside our front door. I was ready to bring them right that very second. The vet receptionists, although very nice, seem to think I'm crazy. I recognized the gal's voice as the one who questioned me sitting there through Mister's surgery. I'm sure she is an animal lover in her own right, but I have her pegged as a cat person. So we wait while I check Missy's nose every two seconds and stare a little too long at their poop for anything that red flags me. As always you can follow us on Twitter @bdollymargaret and @themissaroo for the most updated info. Or you can wait it out too until we update the blog.

Creep-O!

I love my neighbors. I know most of them by name, and those that I don't know by name know my dogs by name or I know their dogs' names. For example the gal across the parking lot from me is about my age and is dating the former head coach of Spokane's AFL team. Her dog's name is Winston. He and Mister are buds. I have no idea what her name is. We say hi to each other's dogs. More than neighbors, I love my neighborhood. I live on Spokane's South Hill which is the nicest area of town. I also live in the nicest apartment complex ((at least that's what I hoping considering my astronomical rent)). Of course, by nice I mean safe. I don't take nearly the same precautions I did when living at home. Mostly because I think home is the ghetto, especially when compared to the South Hill.

It was these nice neighbors of mine ((whose names I actually know and their dog's too)) who alerted me that even the safest neighborhood in town can have a creep-o in it. I was taking the doggies for their afternoon walk when Ryan came out and told me the last two mornings at around 6:40 two different people had seen a guy dressed in all black hanging around outside our buildings. I have to be at work at 7:00 and I live 10 minutes away. One time the guy was hiding in the trees and sacred the crap out of another dog mom. The first time it was Ryan who saw him and said the guy took off when he saw Ryan and his dog Harley. WHAT!?! There went my sense of security.

I of course told my mom who was even more freaked out than I was. Then she freaked out to my aunt. Between the three of us I think we've covered the list of what to do in case of an attack. My mom suggests I carry a stick around with me and that my brother fly out here to walk me everywhere. I told my aunt I want a tazer like Pheadra from the Real Housewives of Atlanta. I'm pretty sure she's pricing them for me.

The good news is I haven't seen him, and with the neighborhood banning together and alerting everyone I think we won't have to worry about this particular creep-o too much longer. But it is a good reminder that there are creep-o's everywhere. The even better news is doggie hell really isn't the place for a creep-o to hid out. Missy barks whenever a new decoration appears in a yard. She knows her neighborhood so well. And Mister already has a fear of dudes in general. Every new guy is cause for concern to him and he barks his mean little chihuahua bark to prove it. No one is sneaking up on me with those two. I'm so thankful they are a couple of crazy barkers. Not only that, but I have no doubt that Missaroo would kill for me. And Mister, being the follower that he is, would go along with her plan of attack. I'm not leaving my security all up to them of course ((although I doubt I'm going to start carrying a tazer)) but it's nice to think dogs 1 creep-o 0.

Saturday, November 26, 2011

What a Great Idea!

I love when people find a way to help homeless pets get adopted. I mean like LOVE. The other day I was wondering through Petco foot loose and doggie free when I noticed something on the shelves that Missy would also L-O-V-E. Cats! SpokAnimal  has added cat shelving to the wall where cats are now up for adoption at the pet store. This is a GREAT idea. I know several other shelters have already done this and it's nothing really new but still great. I was happy to see it. Missy loves to say hello to the kitties at Petsmart every time she gets groomed. Now we can just walk down the street to say hello. I wish I had thought to take a picture of the display. I will get back on track with the pictures soon, I promise.

The reason I am so in love with this idea is because people don't want to go to the shelter. Period. End of story. They have this horrible impression of all shelters. There is a stigma against shelters and the idea of pound puppies. But take those same animals and adopt them out at the pet store and people just feel better about the idea. Same animal, same adoption, just different place. And it works! There is a group in LA doing this too the umth degree. They actually have a store in a strip mall where they sell adopted animals from the shelters. They average length for a stay there is 2 weeks! 2 weeks! That is amazing. Most animals average 30 days at a shelter. And I want to make it clear these are shelter animals. The shelters transport them and get paid. It's just another way to showcase these wonderful animals. This is so amazing I can hardly stand it. Anyone with a great idea like this is a great friend of mine and Missy's and Mister's.

Friday, November 25, 2011

We Are Thankful

There is sooo much the doggies and I are thankful for this Thanksgiving. First, we are thankful for each other. Those two drive me nuts and I'm not always a good dog mom to them but we love each other.

Second, we are thankful to all of you. I can't tell you how much it means to me to check the blog stats and see how many of you came here and read our thoughts each and every day. I've always thought of this as our little dog blog that could. Well it can. YOU are making it possible. Thank you, thank you, thank you from the bottom of my heart.

Finally we are thankful for everything we have. My dogs have never gone a day hungry since their adoption dates. They have an entire ASPCA tote bag full of treats. Their dog food bins are also full. And every night they snuggle up to each other in their nice warm beds. We have it made.

I hope that you found something to be thankful for this weekend too! I hope you have a pet in your life that makes all the difference too. And if you don't I hope reading this makes you wish you had. Now take our Black Friday challenge and add one more: think adoption first. There are plenty of deals on shelter pets too this weekend. Give the gift of unconditional love.

Wednesday, November 23, 2011

Everyday We're Strugglin'

One of the songs I get stuck in my head randomly is Party Rock Anthem The only part I really know is "everyday we're shuffling." The worst part is I think I can dance to the song as well. Thank goodness the dogs can't work the video record button on my blackberry. Anywho... That's why I think the title to this post is funny.

The dogs have been having a hard time lately ((it's almost hard to write about with party rock anthem still playing in the background)) Missy peed on my bed a few nights ago, like really peed on it. I went to go to bed and yep there it was. I had to sleep on the couch. She's also been throwing up all the time. She's upset. Not enough attention and not enough mom. Mister has also been having a hard time but it's forced him to come out of his shell a bit too. Mister has actually started growling at Missy when she dives in to steal the show and ultimately mom time. It's probably one of the few things he does that makes him actually look like a chihuahua. Those little teeth show and his ears go back. Yikes! Watch out Missaroo. I laugh, although I guess I shouldn't think it's funny.

Then the other day between the pee, throw up, barking, growling, and overall attention seeking, crazy dogs I was about ready to throw in the towel. It gets really difficult to keep it all together sometimes. I wish I had a safe place for them to go even for a night just so I can get a break. Instead, I gave them the apartment and I took a nap in the backseat of my car. I finally gave up when I woke up from the back pain. But it was still worth it, I needed a break!

It happens you know. Everyone gets frustrated when they feel likes the walls are caving in and there's no one there to help. Everyone deserves a break, even stressed out dog moms. It's amazing what a nap in the car and a long talk with my ex Bill did to pull me out of my over the edge frustration. He's really a great guy and my only friend here. I don't know what I would do without him ((oh yeah pull out my hair)) I hope other dog moms have a support system too. If nothing else you can read all about my screw ups and dogmom fails. It should at least make you feel like you're not that bad and at best that you are not alone. We can do this one poop scoop at a time.

Sunday, November 20, 2011

Life on the Internet

I'm not really sure why, but every time I get really down in the dumps I seem to create something for the Missaroo on the Internet. It's as though I'm trying to convince myself how cool we are, at least on the Internet. There are some great intentions behind it all including helping homeless pets who aren't as lucky as her and Mister Man. But even though there are great intentions there is also a definite pattern developing.

Another Sunday night, another night online. I've spent most of my free time sleeping since the one time thought of a dog dad left us. After the sleepiness turns into aches all over, I usually have a moment or two where I've decided we are better off alone in this world anyway and we can fend for ourselves. I then create something for the Missaroo. First it was the blog. Then a fans group on Facebook, which turned into a page on Facebook to go along with her Twitter account. Then I adopted Mister so she would have a little brother. Now Missy has taken over Google with her very own Google+ page. I'm still not even sure how to use Google+.

I guess there are worse things I could turn to for therapy: drugs, alcohol, shopping. None of which I have the money for. But it's essentially free to click, type, and upload every night. Plus maybe we're convincing a few peeps here and there that they need a Missy and Mister of their own. Adopted is the best kind of dog. At least now, several social media outlets in, I see the pattern and maybe at least I can do something about it. In the meantime enjoy following Missy as she takes over the world one Internet encounter at a time.

Answering the Critics

When I first started the Master's of Public Administration program at Eastern Washington University I wasn't exactly sure what I wanted to do with the rest of my life. I was still loving everything about KREM and thought this would just be a nice backup plan. My first few papers for the program I wrote about DUI laws and drunk driving policies. I've been a supporter of MADD all my life ((see the other blog)). But my professors kept telling me to find something I was passionate about and write about that for my two years there. Then Spokane County Commissioner Todd Mielke came to one of my classes to talk about switching over to regional animal control ((something that still hasn't happened in Spokane County)). I decided to write a case study based on his plan and from there on out I knew I wanted to go into animal welfare policy.

The critics tell me I should be more worried about homeless people than homeless pets. Or, that I should help  people in need instead of animals in need. I'm not sure why it is we can only love one or the other, people or animals, but I've been told that's the case. What I think a lot of people don't get is that animals help people. Even though we abuse them, neglect them, lock them up, and kill them, animals still love the company of humans. I can't say my heart is that big. I can't continue to love people through the horribleness they inflict ((believe me I wish I could)) but animals can.

When I was volunteering at the Tri-City Union Gospel Mission as a  clothes sorter I really felt like I was making a difference. I loved the women who came every Monday morning to go through old clothes in order to help the homeless make a better life for themselves. At the Mission, it is very common for those who come in as homeless to end up getting a job there. This was the case with the man in charge of the men's clothing. About three months into my volunteering, we found out he had been stealing the clothes for himself and selling them for drug money. He was fired and told to leave the Mission. My heart broke.

Also while living in Kennewick I volunteered as a greeter in the ER on Saturday nights into Sunday mornings. I can't tell you how many times I was yelled at over the wait, tried to calmly explain to drunk idiots who had gotten into bar fights why they couldn't see their friend in the back, or even watched as grieving family members came in to find out their loved one didn't make it out of the car wreck alive. Again. Heartbreaking.

There are amazing people out there who have the heart for this kind of work, I am not one of them. I have a heart for those who are grateful and give their love back and so far I've only found that in those locked behind doors at animal shelters. My goal is to make people's lives better indirectly by helping them discover their very own Missaroo and Mister too. I would not be the person I am today without the help and unconditional love of the Missaroo and it is that love that I want to spread to others. And I don't think that's a bad way to spend the rest of my life or something that should be frown upon either.

Friday, November 18, 2011

Snazy!

Just before the snow started to fall in Spokane, I made a trip to Petco for food and a new jacket for Mister. His old coat was a little too small for my wiener-dog length Chihuahua. The Velcro in the front no longer Velcro-ed and it was pretty much a disaster every time I took him outside. I ended up carrying it until I finally gave up. Then, I went back to his sweater. When I first adopted Mister he was wearing it and his foster mom let us keep it. I thought that was pretty cool, even though I wasn't too keen on the sweater itself. I'm still not, for this reason: When it rains or snows he's now a wet dog in a wet sweater. I don't really see the benefit in that. So it was off in search of a water-proof jacket instead. And tada!


Pretty snazy huh? He thinks he's looking pretty good too.


Now they are both ready for the cold and the snow!

Thursday, November 17, 2011

We Had High Hopes

Missy and Mister have yet to know and love a dog dad. I know, I know, this is a subject I have blogged about several times before but this time they were really, really close to getting one; or so I thought. For the first time in their lives they had a man who helped take care of them. I mean REALLY take care of them. Like take them out for walks and runs, he picked up poop, and snuggled with them at night. He was also a positive influence on the Missaroo. His overall calmness helped Miss become calm as well. Calm for her anyway. No one has ever taken those two on a walk other than my mom and me.

But as usu, when the dogs are not the only factor and I am involved, it didn't work out. I wasn't good enough, again. The dogs are the ones who will suffer the most. I should have been much more careful. They are my children after all. I have strict rules about who enters their lives and I'm truly sorry I was WAY wrong again. Now they just stare out the window, Missy throws up pretty regularly, and even Mister seems a lot more needy than he has ever been. He's even started growling at the Missaroo when she tries to butt into his time with mommy. They have been left too many times already, they didn't deserve this. They never do.

We'll move on like we always do, together. I'll take another year or so to get my heart right again, but never again will I let someone into Missy and Mister's lives like that. Not when we had such high hopes for a complete family.

Wednesday, November 16, 2011

Black Friday Challenge

I'm just about ready to send out my Christmas list for this year's family gift exchange. This is the first time I will be home to participate since I moved out to Washington four years ago so I'm SUPER pumped for it. This year, I'd like to make a difference and have a rockin' good time this season, because after all doesn't that sound like what Christmas is all about?? ((And don't get me wrong, I'm big into Jesus is the reason for the season too, in case there was any doubt)) So I have a suggestion on how I'm going to attempt to do just that and I'm challenging each one of you to do the same.

This year as  I head out to the stores, buy online, and shop for my most near and dear, I'm going to make sure that none of my purchases were tested on animals. I was naive once to think that just doesn't happen anymore, but the truth it does and it's sad. There is no reason for it. It is not difficult to avoid. And I was thrilled to find out my fav MAC Makeup made the list of those companies signing PETA's pledge to never test on animals. I actually had the opportunity to pet one of the Beagles rescued from a testing lab at last month's No More Homeless Pets Conference, I just sat there and told Juno, "how could anyone do that to you?" Luckily, I was able to walk away from that experience with a free shopping guide of companies that have already committed to the cause. You can sign up for one here. Now there are all other companies out there ((like Aveda)) that also marks their products "people tested" that didn't make the list so it's not complete. But at least it's a start. For the rest, find out on your own. Call those 1-800 numbers on the back of the products and ask. You can do it. Go animal testing free this Black Friday. I dare you.

Tuesday, November 15, 2011

Inactive

I have been inactive for more than 90 days and it's down right heartbreaking. I'm not just talking about my lacking of blogging, I'm referring to my lack of volunteering. I felt horrible when I received my email telling me my volunteer status was being changed to inactive unless I volunteered by the end of the week. Guess what? I couldn't volunteer by the end of the week. I am officially hitting my winter time blues that I seem to get every year I'm alone around the holidays and as per usu I am bogged down with homework. I am counting down the days until December 9th when I am officially free for a month! I hope to find time to volunteer my butt off until classes resume for Winter quarter.

Now here's the thing, everyone is busy. I have time to write this blog don't I? It's not a good enough excuse and I need to figure out my life, sleep less, live more, and just deal. Right? Right. Until I can get it together and get to the Humane Society I'm going to ask a HUGE favor from all of our dog blog followers. GET ACTIVE! Since I have to take the quarter off to finish up school I'm hoping someone else will fill my void and volunteer, donate, and help a homeless pet in need. THEN I want to hear all about it! What did you do? How did you help today? I'm going to be more committed to the Missaroo twitter account, website, and this blog until I can become a reinstated active volunteer. That's what I can do right where I am right now. What can you do?

Saturday, October 22, 2011

Be A Leader

It's the end of day 2 at the No More Homeless Pets Conference and my battery is about to die ((forgot my charger in Spokane)) so there's a good chance this post won't be done until Sunday night but I'm going to get as many thoughts down as I can before it dies......

Today was full of AMAZING connections. It started right away in the general session. I noticed the man sitting right behind me ((out of 1400 people)) was from Pet Over Population Prevention in Richland, Washington. For those of you who don't know, that's where I got Missy and Mister. I had to speak up and just thank this complete stranger for everything he does because he ultimately gave me the loves of my life. A gift I can never repay him for. It was so so so great to say thanks again and tell him all about our story. He walked away with a smile and my business card. I told him the dogs and I would be happy to share our story for their org in order to create more happy endings like the Missaroo's.

Then, for the first time possibly ever, there was something more exciting than food at lunch for me. I had the chance to sit and eat and talk to Bill Bruce. He is the man who turned Calgary, a city of 1.1 million people, into a No Kill community. The best part? He's a public administrator working in the name of the government and he did it in a way that fits with my overall message of pet parents over animal owners. We talked government and policy over lunch. AMAZING! I also grabbed his card and warned him I'd be bothering him soon for info for my Master's thesis. This man has become my hero and is now someone I say "hello again" to every couple of hours. This weekend is great!

The last session of the day was a round table discussion on cross-posting on Facebook. I know some ((but all of you should really like the Missaroo)) of you follow my pet page in Missy's name on Facebook and you know I'm not really an annoying cross-poster. At least that's what I hoped I would discover from the workshop. Indeed, at the end of the session I addressed one of the cross-posters and asked her "why don't you just create your own content? That's what I do". I stood up and gave people what was for them a new idea. You can help homeless pets in 10 minutes on Facebook without annoying your local shelter and all of your friends. My comment plugging the Missaroo page happened to be the last one of the talk to which the monitors agreed was a good way to go. Then the most amazing thing happened, people stopped me afterward and asked me questions. How do I do it? How easy was it? Where can they go to add links? Wow! I think of myself as a pretty average Facebooker, but if you don't know anything I guess I know more than you. I had the opportunity to be a leader. Right then and there.

That's the key to this No More Homeless Pets movement isn't it? Be a leader. Right now. However you can. Where ever you are. Right. Now. It starts small, you get inspired, and then together we move mountains.

Friday, October 21, 2011

Imagine It, Achieve It

I just wrapped up day one at the No More Homeless Pets Conference put on by Best Friends Humane Society. I can't even describe in words what a thrill it has been for me! I met some really amazing people who are out there doing what all I seem to do is write about: saving lives. Today I had breakfast with a woman who saved 34 pit bulls in one year with the help of two friends in New York City! Three people saved 34 pit bulls  Amazing! I met another couple of women who started their very own cat sanctuary in Hawaii! Wow! All I do is post links, tweet, and blog. It's really time for me to step up my game.

I don't want anyone to think I'm walking away from day one feeling down though. I FEEL GREAT. Like LOVE times a gagillion right now. This place is nothing short of inspiring. We CAN do it, No more homeless pets IS possible. Today I learned it's already being done in Calgary. A city of 1.1 million people is practically no kill. Today I also learned how they are doing it. Wonderful research for my Master's thesis. I also learned how to help people WANT to give to your cause, also very important in the fight to save lives. Then, I got to sit in on a session I knew a little ((very little, but still)) something about: Marketing! The last session for me ended with what felt like a personal counseling session with how to deal with the stress of it all, even if right now I am only a dogmom out to save the world from my laptop.

By the end, there were a few tears in my eyes ((how on earth did I think I was going to get through a pet conference without crying)) and I missed and loved my own two crazy pups even more. Who knew that was even possible? Lucky for them, the next stop included checking out the 80 vendors in the Exhibit Hall. Vendors + Exhibit Hall = a whole lotta free stuff for Missy and Mister. They will be thrilled when I get home and it won't have anything to do with seeing me.

All in all, best first day of a conference ever. This is what I want to do and where I want to be. It has renewed my call to one day work in animal welfare and get out from behind my laptop. Until then, enjoy the updates. And remember if you can imagine it, you can achieve it. No more homeless pets.

Thursday, October 20, 2011

No More Homeless Pets 2011

This weekend I'm in Las Vegas for the Best Friends Society's "No More Homeless Pets" national conference. I'm about 45 minutes away from checking in and I just can't wait to get started. From the time I adopted Missy Mae three and a half years ago to this moment, homeless pets really have become my passion. I'm excited for the opportunity to learn how I can save lives for the rest of mine.

I'm not sure what to expect tonight or over the next few days. I'm hoping to meet new people, learn a ton, and have fun. No matter what, I'll keep thoughts of the Missaroo and Mister too very close to the front of my mind. I wish I had enough money to rescue and care for every homeless pet in the world, but right now I can't even afford to donate a dollar every time I go to the pet store. So this is how I help: I give my time and talent instead. I give with my heart, instead of my wallet and the goal is one day to be able to do with both.

On a personal note, I was offered a news producer position in Tucson yesterday. I have until tomorrow to decide. And right now as I sit here writing this latest dog mom blog, all I can think about is this is what I should be doing with my life, not producing news. I want to help and give with my heart. I want to stretch that muscle to its limit, instead of my brain.

For some, the change of heart and career might seem strange, but only for those who do not understand my love for the Missaroo. I love her with my whole heart and the thought of her being passed up in a shelter because she barks just breaks my whole heart. I love my little buddy Mister as well, but this journey all started the day Missy chose me as her owner.

Well, it's time to check in. I'm hoping to blog about the conference over the next two days but I'm, not sure what the Internet situation is here at the Rio. But you can always follow me on Twitter!

Sunday, September 25, 2011

Thanks Grams!

Grams decided to buy Mister and Missy harnesses. It's amazing how much better they are on walks with them on. Missy has a pink one, and blue for Mister. We love them. All we can say is thanks Grams!


Saturday, September 17, 2011

Grams Loves Mister

Grams thought Missy was chasing Mister a bit too much so she scooped him up out of harms way. Luckily, I was quick with the camera phone to catch the loving moment. This is my rescue action shot: 


Later I caught the three of them watching TV together.

Wednesday, September 7, 2011

Always an Adventure

Hard to believe it's been another eight weeks since the dogs got groomed but today we were back at Petsmart. It's always an exhausting trip that makes me feel like a true dog mom. Today was no exception. The appointment was set for 10:30am and I worked until 10. So that meant a speedy drive home, a quick run around so there wouldn't be any accidents in the car, than another speedy trip to the valley.

We made it there with five minutes to spare which is perfect because it takes us another five minutes to get out of the car. As I rushed to the passenger side back seat and opened up the car door out popped Mister no longer attached to his leash. He made a run for it down the Petsmart parking lot. Good thing that dog has to pee every two minutes or I'd never catch up to him. It was just enough of an escapee moment to make me panic and for him to break his name tag. ((Now both of them are running around without name tags on, awesome by the way.))

The good news was no accidents in the car or inside the store. Mister did try to escape again once we were inside the actual groomer's however. Someone opened the door and out his head went, luckily this time he was still attached to the leash. By the time I walked out I was exhausted and my face and body language must have shown it. Another dog mom looked at me and said, "exhausting isn't it?" Yes! I said with the two of them. She told me she had two little ones herself, one at the vet having surgery, the other at the groomers. I can relate.

And of course, Mister just couldn't stop there. On the way home he managed to get untangled from the seat belt and hop up front to ride with me. Nothing tests my patience quite like driving up hill at 40 miles an hour with Mister on my lap and Missy barking in my ear.

Once home they both acted like everything was hunky-dory. Which, I guess, is OK by me after all. They do look nice and smell great. They're ready for grams arrival next week. I'm ready for a nap.

Dog Name Fail

When I first saw Mister up for adoption there were two things about him that made me think "I have to adopt this dog!" One thought was, "if Missy were a Chihuahua this is what she would look like" and the second though being "Missy and Mister how cute!" It never occurred to me there might be a down side to having a dog named Mister until last month......

It was 4am when Mister and Missy decided they needed to pee. I reluctantly half woke up in order to take them down the stairs. It's always an emergency so I didn't bother to wake up enough to find my shoes or Mister's collar, just Missy's. Mister bolted, Missy and I followed as fast as we could behind him. But unlike all the other pee emergencies, Mister didn't stop on the patch of grass at the foot of the stairs. Instead he took off down the parking lot barking at something. The something just looked like a blur to me without my glasses on so while I'm still on the stairs with Missy just four feet away I start to yell for Mister. The yelling went something like this, "Mister! Stop! Stop Mister!"

It was then I saw the blur stop moving. Probably because the blur turned out to be a man, you might even call him a mister. Did I mention Mister couldn't be seen running through the parked cars, just Miss and me were visible. So that's right, some dude saw some barefoot woman with a dog attached to her running down her steps at 4 in the morning shouting "mister stop." It wasn't until after Mister popped out from behind the cars he shouted back "Is that really the name of your dog?" Probably the most embarrassing dog mom moment to date. Good thing I wasn't completely awake for it and the embarrassment didn't settle in until my alarm went off a few hours later. When in doubt, don't name your dog mister.

Sunday, August 7, 2011

Tuesday, August 2, 2011

Missy and the Mailman

Missy is in love with our mailman Robert. Luckily, he seems pretty darn fond of Missy too. Every time he sees me without her he always asks, "Where's my dog? You taking good care of her?" When he does see Missy he calls for her, not me, and she instantly tries to run in his direction. He even lets her jump into the mail truck where she sits nicely and lets him pet her. ((I really hope he doesn't get in trouble because I'm writing about this)) He's really the best mailman ever. He's friendly, polite, and loves the Missaroo.

Robert recently went on vacation and left poor Missy hanging. I was getting pretty worried as well. She would get excited every time she saw the mail truck pull into the apartment complex just to be disappointed when someone other than Robert got out. Surprisingly, none of the other mail carriers wanted Missy near their trucks.

Yesterday, the two were reunited and it was back into the mail truck for the Missaroo. She sat there nicely while he gave her a pet. As a dogmom, I think it's important that Missy get interaction from the men too, especially since she's no closer to gaining a dogdad anytime soon.

Now you might be wondering why I'm not including Mister in this story. Mister could care less. He never gives people a second look when they stop to give the dogs a compliment or a pet. Missy gets all the attention and puts on a cute little show. Mister rolls around in the dirt and sniffs around for a place to pee until we can move again. This is totally Missy's love affair. As always, Mister and I are just there for moral support.

Tuesday, July 26, 2011

Balcony Wars

The dogs and I have been without our balcony for more than a week now. We should be able to walk on it again by tomorrow morning, we shall see. This is one of those apartment fixer uppers that's totally annoying for the renter and no one can really tell the difference or even knew there was something wrong with their balconies in the first place.

More than the fact I can't use balcony, park in my own garage for a few days, and have my entire block smell like paint, the dogs were officially freaked out. I came home one day and Missy was just shaking in her crate. Most of the time when I was home she was either barking at the strange men on our balcony, who by the way got there via ladder, or hiding under the bed. It was not fun for any of us but did serve as a reminder for me as to how easily I could be robbed.

Anyone that knows me, knows this is one of those things that would just light a fire under my butt. And yes I did lose my cool on a few of the workers and let the apartment complex know how annoying I found the whole thing to be. I even encouraged Mister to go pee on their stuff once. He didn't, but I would have thought it was hilarious if he had.

So there are two things I've figured out from this whole balcony war of words with the apartment complex. One: I'm so happy I have my dogs to protect me from people who decide to climb up onto my balcony. And two: I am first and foremost a dog mom and the fact that my pups were shaking really, really pissed me off. My poor babies listening to strangers in their apartment all day long with nothing they could do about it broke my heart. I wanted to kill those guys, but I didn't and of course I would have let the Missaroo have the first go-round.

Sunday, July 17, 2011

We are a Family

The other day one of my bosses asked if I had roommates. "Nope, just me and the dogs," I told her. It's just the three of us for better or for worse. Mister thinks I'm a chew toy. He likes to gnaw on my fingers while he sits on my lap. Missaroo thinks she's at the very least my equal and that Mister is "our dog." Of course Missy doesn't have the slightest clue she might also be a dog. I am of course, the dogmom, keeper of the food and treats, and opener of the door. But for us this works. We're weird, wacky, and filled with love for one another. Sounds like a pretty good family to me. The three amigos, till death do us part! Now, if only they could remember to leave me some room....

Wednesday, July 13, 2011

Missaroo as Kidaroo

I had a really, really bad day at daycare the other day. I actually had to leave early because I just knew I couldn't take care of those kids any more. I've been hit, slapped, kicked, punched, and shoved by some of them, but it was their words that finally got to me. When I came home I was happy to see Mister and Missy waiting for me. Apparently, I'm not so good with kids, but dogs I get. Missy is the best kid a girl could ask for. Who needs kids with this face to love every day?

Saturday, July 9, 2011

Our Favorite Breed

The Spokane Humane Society's slogan is "Adopted is our favorite breed." I couldn't agree more. We all know the Missaroo is my pure bred mutt and Mister is her mini-me although we do know he is a Chihuahua mix. A mix of what to turn out like Miss is anyone's guess. Needless to say, I've never really been good with dogs breeds and it's because I just don't care. A good dog is a good dog.

Now, I've been debating about whether to blog about this right here on the dog blog or the other blog. There is always a little bit of a cross over because my dogs are my life, but I decided to write right here because the Missaroo is all about helping dogs not as lucky as she is.... so what's this about? 

I really wanted to give a shout out to the wonderful people at the Spokane Humane Society. I love walking dogs every week ((if I can)) and I love the nice people who work there as well. When I volunteered at SpokAnimal I also loved the dogs, but walking around for 30 minutes in a parking lot drove me nuts! And the staff there acted like the volunteers were in the way, not there to help. At the humane society, everyone seems to be on the same page, we are there because people kinda suck, animals don't.

Friday when I went I was really mad at people, specifically the owners' of these amazing dogs who gave them up for, in my opinion, crap reasons. One of my new found favs there is Roxy. I played fetch with Rox for 20 minutes after walking her. She is the best dog to play fetch with of all time. She dropped the ball right in front of me every time. My job was easy, I just sat there and threw it. At the end of our time together, Rox didn't want to give the ball back so I did have to take it out of her mouth when she wouldn't give it up willingly. When I brought her back and looked at her intake form it said "aggressive toward people." Um, no she is not.  She is awesome, sweet, calm, and a wonderful fetch player. Not aggressive. The dog next to her's form said "aggressive toward animals." Again, no way. That dog was the only dog that didn't bark at anyone or anything at the shelter. Not the other dogs or cats. People suck, these animals do not.

The reason I'm going on this rant is to tell you this: I watch people walk by kennels passing up dogs after looking at their forms alone. Don't do this. Take the dog out, ask the volunteers at the shelter or the staff about the dog's real behavior. Experience for yourself. I can only imagine how many shelters the Missaroo would have gone through if someone else had adopted her. Want to talk about aggressive toward other animals? Uh, Miss is. And yet, she's still my best bud and the source of great entertainment. Shelter dogs are the best dogs.

Tuesday, July 5, 2011

Parks and Rec

My goal is to have as much fun with the puparoos as possible this summer! So far, we've made it to two parks for nice long walks and fun in the sun. First up, Manito Park on Spokane's South Hill. We walked for about 45 minutes in the heat before they needed a break. Luckily, mommy found some sun for her and shade for the pups. How cute are they!?!



Then, for the 4th we headed downtown bright and early before the people and the fireworks took over. I love this beautiful city so much, I just had to take the pups on my latest trip of playing tourist.


Of course when we aren't off having adventures somewhere, we're spending the summer the same way we usually do.



Hopefully more fun on the way! 

Saturday, July 2, 2011

Fat Guy in a Little Coat

One of my favorite movies is "Tommy Boy." No matter how many times I watch it, it still makes me laugh, even when I know exactly what's going to happen next. One of the classic parts of the movie is Chris Farley's "fat guy in a little coat"  Although, I'm pretty sure Missy has never seen the movie, I think this is her take on it, minus the dancing of course and no she didn't brake the crate either. But still, totally funny!

Escapee

The scariest dogmom moment for me came on our way home from doggie daycare. After four days away, I missed my pups and I was super excited to have my joys barking up a storm in the backseat. It was a beautifully rare Spokane day so we were all cruising along with the windows partially down. Mister loves to stick his little nose out the window so the backseat windows were down just enough for him to get his sniff on. Missy of course was buckled in her seat belt while Mister man was tied by his leash to that same seat belt.

With Blow blaring on the radio I turned into my driveway while the garage door opened. All of a sudden I heard a little dog noise. I wasn't not sure what it was or which one it came from. All I knew was when I stepped on the brake and looked behind me I only saw Missy. Um, I have two dogs, where did the other one go? I asked Missy, "Where is Mister? Where is my other dog?" I threw the car in park and got out as fast as I could while repeating the phrase "oh my God" over and over again. I wasn't sure what I was going to see when I rounded the corner of the car. The thoughts that ran through my head included no dog, a dragged dog, a dead dog, or a severally injured/bleeding dog.

Luckily, none of the scenario that ran through my head came true. BUT I did see Mister standing outside the car with his head pulled up by his leash, but at least his feet were on the ground. Praise the Lord he wasn't hanging there or worse, he had been dragged. From what I can make of the situation, when I turned into the driveway he either jumped or fell out the window. Either way, I think it's time for Mister to get a seat belt of his own.

Friday, June 17, 2011

The Return of Doggie Daycare

I'm blogging from Denver International Airport right now while I wait for my connecting flight to Chicago. I'm only going to be on the ground for less than four days, but it's plenty of time to miss my puparoos. They are spending a long weekend at doggie daycare.

Like any good dogmom I packed them up the night before and labeled everything I could. Nothing makes me feel more like a dogmom than writing Missy and Mister Baumann on every bag I packed. Dishing out their food in large quantities is also very momish. We spent our last night together like we do every other night, fighting over sleeping positions and waking up as soon as the neighbor's newspaper hit the pavement. Then the real adventure began.

Getting Mister and Missy anywhere is a pain. Mister is my happy little traveler, Missy not so much. But the real surprise came moments after we walked inside daycare. Missy pooped on the floor, right there on the carpet. Yikes. They took her back right away and I made sure she was put with the big dogs. Then they came for Mister. He went with the small dogs but the two of them will sleep in the same suite at night. This way they can tell each other all about how much fun they had during the day. They stay just feet apart from each other at daycare, but they might as well be in two different universes. The small dogs can't see the big dogs.

The nice part about doggie daycare this time around is it is located in a new building and construction on the inside is finally complete. Mister stayed there when they were still under construction a month ago. Since the inside was all done, I also got to see around the place. It was the first time I got to see Missy with the other dogs before. I barely recognized her. She was the happy go lucky dog I've always wished her to be. She walked around in a pack with the other dogs and seemed, well calm. Not a word I've ever used to describe the Missaroo before. She seemed to fit right in and it made me happy to see her so darn happy, but sad to know that only happens every once in a blue moon. Mister on the other had didn't have as many buds to play with on his side. He seemed pretty content like always, but he needed a friend. I hope he was able to find one.

As always, I'll call and check on them at least once this weekend before I pick them up on Monday. The silence last night was nice, but I sure did miss my Missaroo and little buddy too!

Sunday, June 5, 2011

Dog Moms Stick Together

Last night I went over to my friend Danielle's apartment to kick it after work. I was living on the edge with my three glasses of water! I'm not really sure how I made it home before midnight! What can I say? I tend to be pretty lame, but I always have a good time. Anyway, two of Danielle's other gal pals were there too. And after name introductions one of the gals asked me about my weight. Here it comes I thought, another skinny you know what joke. I've been the thin girl all my life, the skinny girl, and I'm just as self conscience about it as someone who thinks they are overweight. Apparently she was one of those people, I never would have thought that. And although it's rude to ask an overweight person how much they weigh or how they got so big, strangers have no problem asking me those types of questions the first time we meet.

After a rough start, I was determined to keep face and find something else to talk about. Turns out she's a dog mom. Before you know it we're swapping vet horror stories, tips on grooming, and of course pictures. We must have talked for an hour straight about all things dog mom related.

When it was time for me to head home to my puparoos, you know a little after 11:30 pm, she shook my hand and said it was nice to meet me. You know something, I actually believe her. Us dog moms, no matter our differences, have to stick together.

Sunday, May 29, 2011

Bratty McBraterson

Missy is a spoiled brat. Not that I can say much because I'm pretty much an adult version of my childhood brattiness, but at least my parents didn't have enough money to spoil me that much, plus I always had to share with my brother. Missy on the other hand doesn't even like to share with me.

Last night I fought with my dog over the couch. I'm not even kidding. When I was watching TV she was curled up on my left, and Mister on the right. But when I went to lie down and go to sleep I tried to move her. She growled at me! Missy. My dog. Growled at me. It wasn't vicious, but it was a get out of here mom growl. And when that didn't work as well as she thought it would she started to nudge me with her nose. Are you kidding me? No Missaroo you cannot sleep on the couch and force your mom on the floor. I eventually won ((thank goodness), but I couldn't believe I had to fight her for it. I told her what a brat she was, but of course once I settled in she jumped up and slept on the couch with me like she always does. Mister too. What am I going to do with them?

Saturday, May 28, 2011

Life Saver

I know I've written about how much the Missaroo means to me before, but I think it's time to remind people. Recently, it's been harder and harder to make ends meet. Some people suggest giving up my dogs. To them I say, sure, as soon as you give up your kids. Might seem a bit extreme, so that's why I'm reminding people that it was the Missaroo that saved my life.

Before I adopted Missy, I was living an extremely lonely existence in the Tri- Cities. I hated my job and most of the people I worked with. I worked overnight and had trouble sleeping ((either too much or too little)) and the stress of it all made me cry pretty much everyday. A couple people, including my mom, recommended getting a dog. So I searched the Internet one weekend looking for a dog in need of a home. That's when I found Missy's picture and bio.

The first thing I noticed about her is that no one knew what breed of dog she was. Perfect! Because I don't care what kind of breed I adopted. I just wanted a companion who was loyal. Well that's the Missaroo. It said she liked to stay busy and be on the go but was also pretty content to curl up on your lap. She had some behavioral issues sure, but hey, she was dropped off in the middle of a town and forced to fend for herself. I think I would have issues too.

I love Missy for all of these reasons, but our bond is much stronger than that. She was literally the reason I got up in the morning. She forced me to continue to live when I wanted to give up the most. I didn't want to die, but I sure didn't want to live. I wanted to hide under the covers every moment of every day when I wasn't at work. Missy wouldn't let me do that. She even went to the extremes of pulling the covers off of me when she had to go to the bathroom and I was in one of my moods where I was felt like I was too depressed to function. She gave me hope. Something to look forward to. Something to take care of and love.

Now the Missaroo has given me a new found passion when my dream died. I want to help save other pets, not because I feel like I saved Missy's life as much as she saved mine. As for Mister, well he completes this family. He is our little buddy and I can't imagine our lives without him. Together they are what I can't live without. My life savers.

Tuesday, May 17, 2011

Double Trouble

It's official, the dogs have taken over. They're running the show, I'm just the blogger. Yesterday, was groom day. It's always a bit traumatic for me to get the two of them to Spokane Valley on time. It was 8 weeks ago when Mister peed all over me when I went to pick him up in my work clothes. I thought that would be the worst of it. Nope. Wrong again.

30 seconds into the 30 minute car ride Mister decided to poop in the car. Awesome. It was pouring rain and my driver side window doesn't roll down anymore, so that made it even more fun. Then we get there and 30 seconds into the 60 second trip through Petsmart to get to the groomer Missy pooped on the floor. I couldn't believe it. Then as I'm cleaning that up Mister peed on the floor! Seriously guys! By this time I'm having a freak out moment in the middle of the aisle. I finally get that cleaned up as a small dog goes by that Missy just has to try and bark at. I pulled Missy back so fast the other pet parents probably thought I abuse her. I didn't mean to jerk her back but there I am holding an injured chihuahua in one hand and a bag of poop with the other and Missy attached to my wrist. I wanted to just make it to the back of the store in one piece.

I finally made it there with my two lovely pups and that tiny dog is standing inside the groomers. Oh great! Luckily for me, Missy's groomer Cynthia saw me in all my dog mom glory and quickly knew why I was standing there. She came out and took Mister out of my arms and told me she'd be back for Miss. OH THANK YOU! I would have hugged her if I wasn't certain I had some sort of dog germ on my hands. She is so great. She even puts Mister and Missy in crates so they can face each other and let's Missy pick her's out.

When I went to pick up the puparoos a few hours later they looked and smelled great.They both had their happy to see mom faces on and off we went. Of course, I made sure to stop off at the tree outside before getting back into the car.

I wish that was the end, but those little pups are just too darn smart. On the way home, in the pouring rain, Mister figured out how to push the button to make his window go down, twice! Yep, I've officially been outsmarted by a couple of stray dogs. Gotta love the puparoos :)

Saturday, May 14, 2011

Staples Out? That was Easy

Thursday marked two weeks since Minster's surgery. We were back at the vet to have his staples removed. I thought it would take about 30 minutes. Um, no try about 5. After the staples were out I asked to talk to his vet about how he was looking. She was surprised to see how much weight he is already putting on it. She says it still looks like the surgery went great and Mister is now ready to venture out a little. He is still not allowed to jump, climb stairs, or run for another couple of weeks but the doc says he can go on 5 minute walks! We can increase the length of the walks a little at a time until he's back to full strength.

I also asked her if this could potentially happen in his other hind leg. She said she couldn't guarantee that it won't BUT his other knee feels much tighter and should hold up. She also recommended cutting back on his pills which was great news. She's worried Mister is feeling a little too great and maybe being in a little bit of pain will stop him from wanting to run and jump. 

It really has been quite the two week journey for all three of us. Mister went from being the saddest looking dog on the planet to just a dog with a shaved leg. Not too shabby!

Note: Sorry for the lack of pics lately. I cannot figure out how to get them off my blackberry since I decided to update it. I now hate my Blackberry. :( 

Friday, May 6, 2011

Well That's a New One

WARNING: This is one of those gross dog mom blogs that only other pet parents and/or kid parents will be able to read. Skip to happier times below if you aren't ready for some tmi.

It's been a week since the surgery and Mister seems to be doing just fine, however, his little system is all out of whack. We use to be on a pretty set potty schedule and little Mister would pretty much potty in time he hit the ground. After the surgery, he didn't go at all for the first few days. Then he started pooping A LOT. The good news is he's made it outside all the time. Then he started to pee as well by the beginning of the week. Then starting Wednesday the little bugger decided to pee and poop at the SAME TIME. Um, you can imagine how well that worked, especially with a bum leg. Uh, and he tried it more than once. You can also imagine how much fun it is to carry him back up the stairs. Seriously, dog mom moment.

The staples in his leg should come out sometime next week. Thursday by the latest. Then it's still another two weeks of recovery. We're getting there though, one day at a time.

Monday, May 2, 2011

Another Day, Another Vet Visit

It was back to the vet this morning for Mister and me. I think by now he gets nervous anytime he and Missy are separated. As far as he's concerned, that's when bad things happen. Today the vet took off his bandage and his pain patch. Basically, Mister has replaced his clubbed leg for an iky one. You can see his staples. And this means no messing around. He CANNOT lick his staples. For this dog mom, it also meant a little help from the good doc. We came home with another pill bottle ((three in all)) this one labeled sedative.

I hate to drug Mister. Trust me, I do not like the fact that I have to sedate him but he can't bolt out of his crate every time I open the door. He was holding himself up on two legs and banging around in Missy's crate in the middle of the night! He's also jumped on things which is a HUGE no no for the first two weeks. I needed the sedative to help me get a better handle on him. I might ((key word might)) be better at this if I didn't have crazy Miss too, but let me tell you, no way would this be do-able if I was still working 47 hours a week. I barely slept this weekend, which is fine when you don't have to be on your A game 24/7. I remember when Miss got sick and I could barely hold every thing together, between work, pill time, and school I def didn't sleep that entire week. Waking up in the middle of the night to give her pills was horrible. I was a walking zombie and this will last more than a week.

So now Mister is taking two pills every 12 hours and another pill every 8 hours. I've also been caring him around and singing to him in my attempt to nurse him back to health. I have to take him to the bathroom separate from Missy. He also eats and drinks separately from her. And of course, the Missaroo will not be ignored. She's still getting her very own walk and lots of love and attention too. Needless to say my apartment has turned into a dog daycare and pet hospital. I'm pretty much exhausted and was thankful for my dog mom time to myself at the gym this weekend. The sedative will help make this week a little easier. But I can't tell you how grateful I am that Mister and Missy are dogs, not kids.

Sunday, May 1, 2011

Post-Op

Taking care of Mister has been harder than I thought it would be. His bandage runs all the way up his leg and has already fallen pretty far down. He has to wear a cone around his head and all of this has caused him to whine like there's no tomorrow. He's also on two kinds of medication that make his tummy a little upset. I try my best to give him a chance to walk around even if just for a few minutes a night, but even that is difficult.

I've been putting him in the bathroom with me when I get ready in the morning and close Missy out. I also lock her out of the bedroom while I'm getting dressed so Mister can wander around in there with me too. The only other times he really walks is when I take him downstairs to try and go to the bathroom. Needless to say, it has been far from fun for him.

I've also been trying to hold him when I can. I think he feels rather isolated from Missy and me most of the time. He wants so badly to be with us, but he just can't. Last night was the worst! He just whined and cried so much he woke me up three times. I tried my best to at least make him more comfortable or give him something to chew on. It was heartbreaking and annoying. I just wanted to sleep! Plus, Miss and I have already been sleeping on the couch so he won't be out in the dinning room all alone. At least he can see us from where he is in Missy's crate. It will continue on like this for the next couple of weeks. Our next vet appointment is set for tomorrow morning. We'll update you on his status then.

Friday, April 29, 2011

Surgery

The title pretty much says it all but it feels like so much happened in the last two days I don't even know where to begin, but like I often tell people who say that to me, lets give the beginning a try.

On Wednesday, Mister went in for surgery prep. I took his little red bed with and put it in the backseat of the car so he could ride to the vet's in style.

We were in and out of there fairly quickly. Mister came home with a rockin bandage on his front leg where his pain patch is. It helps to continually give him a low does of meds for a couple of days. He tried to chew it a little, but for the most part he left it alone and so did Missy. We spent the rest of the day laying low and I tried to get to sleep early ahead of the big surgery day.

Surgery day arrived bright and early Thursday morning. At 6:15 we were awake and on the move. I wore my clothes for the gym so I could go straight there after the surgery and packed a book to read while I waited. Mister said goodbye to Miss and we headed out the door. It took me three trips to get everything inside the vet's office before I handed over Mister. I then took my seat and began the wait. It was at that point they told me Mister's surgery had been rescheduled for 1pm. Um????? Seriously? I was angry, confused, and not thinking straight ((my coffee was still in my hand and not in my tummy)) "OK well we're going home then, my entire day is thrown off," I told them. But first we had to make a stop at the grocery store.

Mister wasn't allowed to eat breakfast that morning or have any water. Now I was instructed to go buy him baby food to eat. ((Buying one jar of the cheapest baby food at the store makes for an interesting conversation with the cashier by the way)) Needless to say, the whole ordeal was upsetting for Mister and Missy and neither one of them ate the baby food. It had to be a first. On the positive side, the frustration of the morning made for an awesome workout! I kicked bottom on the elliptical machine.

Then it was time for the real surgery. We hung out in the lobby for about 30 minutes before they came and took him out of my arms. I said goodbye ((again)) to my little buddy and off he went. About half way through, they came out and gave me a progress report and had a question about his medication. 90 minutes after they took him out of my arms the doctor came out to tell me how well little buddy did. They surgery went just as well as it could have. We went over post-op treatment and when he would need to come back.

Ten minutes after the talk with the doctor, I was escorted back to see him. Mister was shaking and his eyes were goopy but he was awake. They placed him in an incubator to warm him up. It was scary, but I was glad I could see him. I even walked by the cage he'd be staying in with his little red bed inside and a note on the door telling them to take his collar off as he slept. Mister was a champ.

So today is the big welcome home event! Well, it's not like I have anything planned, but I'm excited he's coming home. Missy won't be, just because she won't be able to play with him. Expect a post about today's excitement soon!

Monday, April 25, 2011

Sunshine!

It really doesn't take a whole lot for my pups to be happy. Food, treats, walks, and sun on the balcony and they are pretty much good to go. This weekend the sun finally came out and warmed things up. It might not last long but we took adventure of it while we could! Thank God for sunshine!



Wednesday, April 20, 2011

Limpy McLimperson

Mister needs surgery. It all started a few weeks ago when I noticed he would pick up his leg every once in a while. I thought maybe he stepped on something that hurt his paw but I didn't see anything. Within seconds, the leg would be back down and he'd carry on as if nothing happened. Then I noticed it happening more frequently starting a week ago so when I drop him and Miss off at daycare I asked they keep an eye on his hip. That's when the gal told me she noticed it last weekend! Hmm... Monday night when he came home, the leg was starting to come out to the side. It was time to call the vet.


Here you can see him picking up his leg: 


So it turns out what is happening is his knee keeps popping in and out of place. The vet says this is pretty common in small dog breeds where their knee joint is to shallow. Basically, they have to go in and make it bigger so his knee can fit on top of it better. This should fix the problem, but he could develop arthritis there later in life. So a week from tomorrow Mister goes under the knife. The surgery should only take an hour. Of course, I'll update you right here.

In the meantime, I'm carrying him up and down the stairs, limiting his walking, feeding him anti-inflammatory meds, and keeping him from playing with the Missaroo. None of which is an easy task. Poor Limpy! 

Saturday, April 16, 2011

Grease Lightning

Mister is a little you know what sometimes. I love my little buddy to death, but you have to watch him like a hawk. Last night I got distracted on the Internet. I was updating my other blog and rocking out to music while Mister was chewing on a bone and Missy was watching him. What I had missed is what happened when the two of them switched. Mister doesn't sit and watch so well. He's always on the move. ((And remember they both have their bones but like to chew on one at a time))

This time he moved into my closet, took out my favorite sweater ((which was on the ground because I had sorted everything to do laundry)) and ate the top button clean off. Now part of this is my fault. I should have remembered to close the closet door and I should have turned around more often to see what they were doing. BUT he ate part of my sweater! AH!

The signs were all there. When I shower, I usually undress in the bathroom and throw my clothes on the floor. When I come out of the shower my socks are always missing. I usually find one in front of a dog crate and the other in front of the coffee table. My snow boots also randomly appear in the middle of the room as through they had been dragged by a tiny dog. One time he even chewed part of my modem while I was sitting at my computer! I had no idea. Turns out Mister is not a dog at all, he's a ninja who reincarnated as a Chihuahua. Seriously, he has some mad skills. He is just so quiet and if he were a person, he'd be one of those people who walked on their tip toes all of the time. In fact, I better check on my tiny ninja now.

Thursday, April 14, 2011

Bigger is Better?

I really do think of my puparoos as my kids. I just sometimes wish they were a little smarter. Like for instance, using Missy's rope to play with together instead of Mister's:

Just saying.

Tuesday, April 12, 2011

Welcome Home Mister!

Last night I went to pick up Mister from daycare/doggie hotel. I was worried about how the little bugger would do away from home without Miss. Turns out he loves doggie daycare! Just like big sis, they told me Mister played with everyone. When he came out he had the biggest grin on his little face and he was doing his little pant. He's as cute as a button.

There was one mishap, but for this I blame the doggie daycare not Mister. He chewed his collar. I asked that they make a note to not let him sleep with it on ever again. Shortly after I adopted him he tried to get his collar off as well, but it got stuck around his mouth and throat. I found him nearly choking to death and my mom and I had to cut it to get it off of him. He's never slept with a collar on since, and I assumed the doggie daycare people would know better than this dog mom. Apparently, not. I told them that same story.

On the car ride home, you wouldn't have even know he was there. He just laid in the backseat very quietly. It was a far cry from listening to Missaroo bark for three hours on the way home from Kennewick. When we got home Missy was super excited to see him. She wanted to play, he wanted to sleep. I ended up giving her a special treat just so he could get some rest. It wasn't long before he was passed out in his bed.


It's safe to say Miss and I are both happy Mister is home. Welcome home little buddy! 

Monday, April 11, 2011

Queenie

Missy might have missed Mister, but not all the time:


Sicky needed her sleep. 

Saturday, April 9, 2011

Back in the TC

Missaroo and I are back in Kennewick, Washington this weekend for a wedding. For us, this is where it all started. Miss and I use to live right down the street from where we are staying. It's safe to say we're back in our old stomping grounds. Now, I didn't plan on Missy actually coming with me. In fact, I was looking forward to a weekend away from the puparoos, but what are you gonna do? She's sick.

For Miss, the whole routine of making the three hour trek to Kennewick and staying in a hotel is old news. This is at least the third time we've stayed overnight here and we've made the drive at least a half a dozen times together. Meanwhile, Mister is living it up at doggie daycare and pet hotel. We won't see him again until Monday.

If I had to pick which one of the them I wanted to drive three hours with, Mister wins hands down. This is the best Missaroo has ever done in the car, she only barked for the first 90 minutes. Mister is great in the car. It's so big and so new to him that he just wanders around and he certainly isn't big enough to see out to find something to bark at. BUT now that Missy and I are settled in the hotel, I'm glad she's here instead of Mister. He would probably pee on something, sniff all around, and try to chew or eat something. Missy is asleep on the bed.

It's a short trip for the two of us, but it's a great reminder of when it was just Miss and me. Sometimes I miss those days, but I think both us agree life is better with Mister.

Friday, April 8, 2011

But You're Sick Miss

They say a really smart dog has the mental capacity of a two year old. Missy is def as smart as a two year old. But it still doesn't seem to register, even with the smartest two year old, when they are sick. Missy is no exception. She thinks she is just fine to run around the apartment with Mister, bark at the neighbors, and pull on walks. Of course all of those things make her cough,cough, hack, hack more. I've been trying to limit her activity as much as I can by separating her and Mister and only going for our little potty strolls as opposed to full blown walks.

I can see that it is difficult for my highly active dog to take a seat on the sidelines for a week. She wants to be her "normal" self, but she's not, she's sick. Good thing the meds help knock her out!

Thursday, April 7, 2011

Cough, Cough, Hack, Hack

The Missaroo is sick again. The vet is not sure if she has kennel cough or some other respiratory infection, but she is treating it like it is kennel cough. Missy had kennel cough this time last year. It was horrible! That vet told us it was the worst case of kennel cough she had ever seen in a vaccinated dog. The kennel cough also kicked up worms she had picked up in the Tri-Cities she had been harvesting for months. She was on what felt liked a ton of pills and I had to run home from work twice a day in order to medicate her. This time it's just an antibiotic every 12 hours and hey, I'm unemployed so I have the time.

The strange thing about this latest bout of somethingness is that I have no idea where it came from. She no longer attends doggie daycare because of how susceptible she is to this sort of thing. We stay away from dog parks because of her freak out moments. Sure, she went to the groomers, but that was almost three weeks ago, and Mister he is just fine. So what the heck?

Missy took her turn at the vet like a champ though. The GREAT news is her heart is good, her body temp is normal, and her lungs sounded healthy. Although, just like any of us would be, she couldn't wait to leave:


When we were all done, I dropped Missy off at home and headed to Petco. Last time around, Missy had the pill thing figured out. No amount of treats or wet dog food could fool her into taking her pills. So this time I tried something different:


The pill pockets worked pretty well for the antibiotic, not so much for the cough suppressant. She just dropped it on the floor and Mister ate it instead! Of course, the dog that doesn't get sick will take anything! But the antibiotic is the most important, so at least she'll take those.

The other kicker to this story? This weekend Mister and Missy were headed to doggie hotel while I attended a wedding in the Tri-Cities. Guess who gets to be my road trip date now?