Bittersweet

I am usually not a fan of bulk emails, but this one was just too sweet not to share. Of course, I don't know if it's true or not, but does that really matter? It still gives you a little bit of faith in humanity.

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Our 14 year old dog, Abbey, died last month. The day after she died, my 4 year old daughter Meredith was crying and talking about how much she missed Abbey. She asked if we could write a letter to God so that when Abbey got to heaven, God would recognize her. I told her that I thought we could so she dictated these words:

Dear God,
Will you please take care of my dog? She died yesterday and is with you in heaven. I miss her very much. I am happy that you let me have her as my dog even though she got sick.
I hope you will play with her.. She likes to play with balls and to swim. I am sending a picture of her so when you see her You will know that she is my dog. I really miss her.
Love, Meredith

We put the letter in an envelope with a picture of Abbey and Meredith and addressed it to God/Heaven. We put our return address on it. Then Meredith pasted several stamps on the front of the envelope because she said it would take lots of stamps to get the letter all the way to heaven. That afternoon she dropped it into the letter box at the post office. A few days later, she asked if God had gotten the letter yet. I told her that I thought He had.

Yesterday, there was a package wrapped in gold paper on our front porch addressed, 'To Meredith' in an unfamiliar hand. Meredith opened it. Inside was a book by Mr. Rogers called, 'When a Pet Dies.' Taped to the inside front cover was the letter we had written to God in its opened envelope. On the opposite page was the picture of Abbey & Meredith and this note:


Dear Meredith,
Abbey arrived safely in heaven. Having the picture was a big help. I recognized Abbey right away. Abbey isn't sick anymore. Her spirit is here with me just like it stays in your heart. Abbey loved being your dog. Since we don't need our bodies in heaven, I don't have any pockets to keep your picture in, so I am sending it back to you in this little book for you to keep and have something to remember Abbey by.

Thank you for the beautiful letter and thank your mother for helping you write it and sending it to me. What a wonderful mother you have. I picked her especially for you. I send my blessings every day and remember that I love you very much. By the way, I'm easy to find, I am wherever there is love.

Love,
God

Freckles and His Camera

I am forever taking pictures of Freckles. Here are some of my favorites:

Hanging out in his dog cave

Oops! He blinked.

One of his many sleeping poses. When I catch him like this, I like to think that he's dreaming of chasing squirrels and cats.

Don't Judge a Book by Its Cover

I'm so glad I found this Q&A on the Dogtime website. I actually started to write this post as a comment on the blog, but my comment turned into such a long diatribe, that I think I’ll turn it into an actual post.

I appreciate the frustration felt by A.C.C.U.S.E.D. I still get upset when I think back to an accusing question thrown at me on a trail more than a year ago. I lived in an area where dogs were welcomed off-leash on almost any trail. For reasons I'll explain below, my dog was leashed. A woman stopped me on the trail and told me that leashing my dog was a passive-aggressive way to control him. I let her rant about the fact that he needs more exercise than what a leashed walk could give him and that I should really find a trainer who could help me learn to use voice control rather than such a cruel form of restraint. I never told her that when I adopted Freckles from a shelter, he was so scared of people that he hid behind furniture; that he's so scared of being hit, he'll leave the room if you even raise your voice; loud noises send him running blindly in the opposite direction out of fear and anxiety.

I adopted Freckles knowing that we had a lot to work through. He no longer cowers when he meets strangers. He barks now (it took him two months to bark for the first time), and he is sometimes (not often) allowed off-leash. These are the accomplishments that I’m proud of, but I still feel a little guilty when I think about the lady who stopped me on that trail. I don’t know why. I knew that having him on-leash was safer for him and other dogs given his mental and emotional state at the time. It’s not like I could “just get a trainer”, because Freckles wouldn’t even come close to strangers at that point. He certainly wouldn’t have taken cues from them. Besides, he loves hearing the clink of his collar against the leash. You should see him race to the door to make sure he’s coming along :)

The (Animal) Odd Couple

A friend of mine introduced this video to me, and it has to be the sweetest thing I've ever seen.

A New Chapter

Wow, it's been almost a year since I've posted to this blog. I thought I was done with it, but due to some changes in my personal life, I think I need some feel-good topics to write about!

So, in the past year, what's happened? Freckles (and the rest of us) have gone through a ton of changes:

• Freckles has seen his owners get engaged
• He has gone through three surgeries, had a stage one grade three tumor removed and has almost started chemo. Luckily, the vet said his chances are good without it.
• We've moved Freckles across the country from Montana to NC in the back of a tiny compact car
• Freckles has met his "aunts" and "cousins" - aka my mom and brother's dogs

So here we are, starting a new chapter in life from NC. Part of that new chapter I hope will be recorded here for everyone to see!

Ho, ho, ho

OK, now that Thanksgiving has come and gone, I can really get into the Christmas spirit. I’m almost done with my Christmas shopping. One name on my list that hasn’t been taken care of yet…Freckles. This will be my pup’s third Christmas, and I’ve always gotten him a present. According to an Associated Press-Petside.com poll, I’m not alone: 52 percent of pet owners are planning to buy their furry family members a holiday gift.

So what to get your four-legged family member? I always use Christmas as a time to replace worn necessities—leashes, collars, brushes, etc. And of course, there are treats and rawhides thrown in as well. This year, motivated by an upcoming road trip and a feeling of guilt that I should have done this earlier, I’ve decided to invest in a car restraint system. I’ve read that it not only keeps pets safe in accidents (duh), but it can also relieve motion sickness, which Freckles suffers from after only an hour or so in the car.

If you’re a holiday gift guide junkie, check out the 2009 Pawcurious Holiday Gift Guide, which is where I found information on the seat belt restraint system. There are also neat finds for cats as well.

Merry Christmas!

'Tis the Season

Somewhere in all of the work-school-family-friends craziness that is my life, we have stumbled upon my favorite time of the year. Seriously, I don’t think anything can bring me down during the months of October, November and December. There’s something about the holidays (and I count Halloween because while I don’t really have any interest in dressing up and partying, I LOVE handing out candy to kids and watching scary movies) that makes everything OK.

It’s also a time when I look back on the year that’s passed and think of everything that’s happened (and always so quickly, it seems!). I’m usually overcome with a sense of awe at how much has changed and how far I’ve come, and I’m definitely thankful for it. Another thing I like about the holidays? Giving. There are so many animal shelters and rescue groups that could use some extra help (not just at the holidays, either!). This year has been an especially difficult year for lots of families and their pets, so animal rescues are in desperate need. Please, look around and see how you can help. There are the obvious requests like food, but shelters also need cleaning supplies, sheets and blankets, and toys, among other things. I myself have sheets, blankets and comforters that are going to the Humane Society of Western Montana, which was Freckles’ home for the first year of his life. Or…do you like to send out holiday cards? The Humane Society of the United States has many options for holiday cards, and the proceeds go to helping animals. What about calendars? I personally can’t live without one, and this calendar by Heather Armstrong (who has a hilariously funny blog that you should also check out, btw) is a great option for 2010. All proceeds go to the Humane Society of Utah.

I know what you’re thinking…there are others out there besides the Humane Society. And you’re right. There are plenty of shelters and programs out there where your time and money can help. The ones I’ve linked to here are just those that I’ve had experience with through donations, adoptions or social media. The point is to celebrate the season, to be thankful, and to remember that there are others out there who aren’t as fortunate as you. Give back, even if you think it’s such a small donation that it won’t matter. Everything matters.