Shady and I have been working and blogging hard for all the homeless cats and dogs out there.  Well, we got “schooled” in some very serious Bunny Business yesterday!  Who knew?  We were a little embarrassed but glad to be educated...you can learn more too if you read more here:

http://shadytales.wordpress.com/2010/03/16/bunny-business/

Why would anyone adopt an animal again after experiencing pet loss? My blog readers have said it better than I can. Peek in my inbox and see for yourself.

Next week we'll be getting back to the tales I have been waiting to tell. We'll get back to the stories of pet adoption and all the dogs and cats that rely on us to open our hearts to them.  After all this talk about pet loss and grief, why would anyone get attached to another animal and open themselves up to this awful pain again? I can tell you why but instead I will let some of our readers do it for me in their own  words as they tried to comfort us, or to seek comfort themselves.  As we read these remarks over the last few weeks it became clear that as painful as grieving is, it is also a culmination of fierce love and loyalty between humans and animals.  Once we experience it, we are not likely to want to live without it in the future:

"Crying now, but sweet happy tears, thank you."

"Be happy that you got to love deeply enough to truly mourn; not everyone does."

"They still love us, even after they have left our presence, and I'm convinced they love us more if we just stop crying."
Read more: http://shadytales.wordpress.com/2010/03/11/pet-loss-readers-words/

Thanks to all who have read and commented, it is much appreciated.

Pet Loss: "I want him back" continues with one of the new stories we have heard from a blog reader, "Gizmo's Long Farewell". Together Gizmo and his family saw each other through sadness and defied the odds longer than anyone expected.  

Gizmo was spotted online by his new Mom at a rescue website after she had spent a lot of time trying to find her new canine companion. Just one look at his happy face and the search was over. I am sure you can see from his photo here why he was the one and why she wanted him in her life as soon as possible. His new Mom met went to meet him right away and it was, in her words, "love at first sight". She welcomed into her family in July 2008 and was ready to provide a lifetime of love to her new best friend.    

Just a few hours after bringing him home, Gizmo had to be rushed to the ER with a bloody nose.  The cause turned out to be an aggressive nasal tumor.  What was supposed to be a new beginning for Gizmo and his new family suddenly felt like an ending instead.  The vet estimated that even with treatment he would only survive 1-4 months. Now here's the thing that makes his family so special. Despite to overwhelming sadness of his diagnosis they didn't waver at all on the not-quite-completed adoption. They simply shifted their focus to making him as comfortable as possible for as long as possible.  Gizmo could have been returned to his rescuer, but instead his Mom committed to do all she could for him.  She understood that was meant to be the one to see him through this.   Read the rest and see pics of Gizmo here: http://shadytales.wordpress.com/2010/03/09/gizmos-long-farewell/

It has been a week of bad days here.  All sorts of things going on, but one constant throughout is the reduction of the dog population in the house.  I  had a startling reminder of the very first time I visited this site and the first blog I ever posted here (or anywhere). I found this place as I was looking for help in dealing with the loss of my dog LoJack.  I have made so many friends here since and you have all supported me in some new ways I have found to deal with this. I know this all sounds sad, but in reality I know I am doing so much better than I ever thought I would after I lost LoJack and then Nikki, and it is largely due to all of you.  Thank you.

Pet loss: I want him back.
http://shadytales.wordpress.com/

Mom says almost everyone uses the internet for everything. People go to Google before they check the yellow pages. They go to Facebook to see what their friends are doing and Twitter to see what is going on in the world. That's why we started a blog. If that's where the people go for information then that's where we need be to make sure the dogs and cats that need homes aren't forgotten. On the internet you can track a lot of things, too. Mom can see how many people visit this blog and how they found us. Despite the fact that we started this particular blog to talk about homeless pets, a lot of people find their way here based on different kind of search and are lead to one of the first entries. It was about pet loss. A few days ago Mom saw yet another person come in through a search engine after looking for information on pet loss. She can see the words that were typed into the search engine, and the phrase this person used stopped her in her tracks; "pet loss-I want him back".

Mom knows what that feels like. After more than 6 months she still feels like that every day. She used to say those words, "I want him back" to herself over and over again after LoJack left us. Then one day she said them out loud, just once, to me. "I want him back. What have I done?" What she did was completely the best thing for LoJack. She tried to get him help and instead was shown exactly how much pain he was in and how much more would come. To bring him back home would have been selfish, even cruel as the doctor put it. She knew she could not say this out loud to people for that reason. It was selfish. They would just tell her she can't have what she wants and remind her that she had done right by him. She already knows she is not ever going to see LoJack again and but she was desperate to figure out how live like that, without him. That's the part she needed to work through. We don't talk about it much here but Mom never even got to say goodbye. A few minutes after she said those words out loud to me she opened up her laptop and tapped out her first blog. It wasn't posted here (on wordpress) but parts of it turn up here from time to time.
Read more: http://shadytales.wordpress.com/2010/03/07/pet-loss-i-want-him-back/

Shady's Worst Day Ever

Today I had to bring my little Shady (well, she's the littlest of my 3 dogs, she is 8 years old) for a dental cleaning.  She also had a small lump that had to be checked. She has never been to the vet for anything besides a checkup and routine shots.  I just picked her up and the procedure went fine.  The lump is nothing to worry about at all.  I am very happy.  Shady? Not so much?

Ooooh boooy is she mad at me.  First, no breakfast this morning in anticipation of the anesthesia.  Then a car trip, which she hates.  Then I take her to the icky vet's office and LEAVE HER THERE.  She was highly offended.  She took it out on the staff there, apparently.

When I brought her in, they said "you can pick her up at 4:30".  It went like this instead:

The first call: 12:00 noon  

Vet's office:  Yes, we just wanted you to know the procedure is over and everything went well.  Shady is not awake yet but her vitals are all fine.  She can't go home till she gets up on her feet and can walk normally.  So you can come to get her at 4:30.

Me:   Um, sure I can be there then.  It really takes till 4:30 for her to be fully awake?

VO:   Oh yes, it does take time, But she'll be fine here till then.  

Me:   Well, if you need me to come sooner please just call, I am on standby?

VO:  No, no, she has not even raised her head yet. You can call around 3 to check if you'd like.

Me:   Oh okay.  Thank you

Second call: 12:17 pm  

VO:   (Mournful background noise: HHHHHOOOWWLLLLYYY WOO WOOO WOOOOOOFF)  Hello, Shady is up and complaining.  Would you to (More background noise:  RUFFFF RUFFF WOOOOF HHHOOOWWWWLLLLOOOOOO)  maybe come and get her (AWWWRRRRRROOOOOOOOO)  now?

Me:   Yes, I thought so.

VO:   Thanks. By the way, how far away are you? We'll be waiting outside.  

Yes folks, that is my Shady.  She is an angel as long as you do not try to leave the house with her. She rode home in the car straddled between the front and back seat right across the armrest and the shifter, wanting desperately to race back and forth but too tired to do so.  So she just laid there, all half and half. Without raising her head or even moving her mouth she managed to hooowwwllll like a wounded coyote the whole way. As she exited the vehicle, she peed on my foot. I don't think I have heard the last of this yet.

Before she went to the vet, she did manage to update her blog.  Today she is telling us about a funny little dog that has a silly name inspired by a child's toy. Then he found the new home he needed just by being his silly self.
Furby, a real live "toy" dog http://shadytales.wordpress.com/2010/03/01/furby-toy-breed/

Ever since I hit Carnelian status here on Fab, I cannot get that Culture Club song “Karma Chameleon” outta my head.  I’d probably have a better time of it if I knew what a carnelian was (don’t worry I googled it, it is pretty) but now it is toooo late.  If it is gonna be stuck in my head, I want it stuck in yours. Heck I want it on all your ringtones too! Carnelians unite, here we go back to the 80s with a little hindsight:

Desert loving in your eyes all the way (What?)
If I listen to your lies would you say
I'm a man (who dressed like woman)  without conviction
I'm a man who doesn't know (how to dress like a man, even by 80s standards)
How to sell a contradiction
You come and go, you come and go (I am not even gonna touch that one)  

Karma karma karma karma, karma chameleon (Again, say what?!)
You come and go, you come and go (leave it alone, ladies)
Loving would be easy if your colors were like my dream
Red gold and green, red gold and green (Ok this part is nice, and sort of like the carnelian, which I now know is red)  

Didn't hear your wicked words everyday (hmmm still pretty nice here too)
And you used to be so sweet, I heard you say
That my love was an addiction
When we cling our love is strong
When you go you‘re gone forever
You string along, you string along

Karma karma karma karma, karma chameleon
You come and go, you come and go (Get your mind out of the gutter, woman!) Loving would be easy if your colors were like my dream
Red gold and green, red gold and green

Every day is like survival (okay, this part is nice too...)
You‘re my lover, not my rival
Every day is like survival
You‘re my lover, not my rival

I'm a man without conviction (I believe he has one now, for public lewdness)
I'm a man who doesn't know (how fleeting my fame will be)
How to sell a contradiction
You come and go, you come and go

Karma karma karma karma, karma chameleon
You come and go, you come and go
Loving would be easy if your colors were like my dream
Red gold and green, red gold and green

Enjoy, and go here for the ringtones:
http://www.elyrics.net/read/c/culture-club-lyrics/karma-chameleon-lyrics.html