Thinking of my girl, today.

Bailey-the-Bichon

March 11, 1996 – January 15, 2010

\~\

Happy Easter everyone! Or Happy Springtime if you prefer!

Bailey would have been very pleased with what we have accomplished for Small Paws Rescue this past month. Like all of those Hollywood awards ceremonies, I have a list of people I would like to thank for their contributions.

First and foremost is our good friend Romeo. Thank you Romeo, Puglsey, and all the staff for making Small Paws your March fundraiser. I love you guys!

A really huge THANK YOU must also go out to the company I work for P&G Pet Care. I found out on March 31 that my company will be sending a check to Small Paws for $1,000 in memory of Bailey!! I love you guys, too!

I also want to thank Romeo’s fundraising sponsors, Wellness and Feline Pine for their generous donations. And a big thanks to Romeo’s staff, who sell really cool Rescue Mom and Rescue Dad magnets!

Tuffy and Lil Joe--ADOPTED!

Next, I want to thank the following people who went to Romeo’s site and made a contribution:

Kim, Bunny Jean Cook, Christina Capadona-Schmitz, inezmj, Sanjee and Georgey, Jacky O, lyzzal, Gracie & Bob Canedo, Skeezix the Cat, James D. Wood, Mac’s Mom, Di & Howie Siegel, DaisyMae Maus & the Feline Americans, KaBooM, Lesley, Yvonne Ostby, Aunt Colleen and Zeus, Mandy Kelley, Ginger Geronimo, Rena (The Pet Wiki), Sue, Chris, Shelley, Amy, Julie, Jen, Marti, Cathy, Kim, Em

 Your generosity and kind words are greatly appreciated! 

Mr. B and Mugsy--ADOPTED!!

I also want to thank the bloggers and tweeters out there who helped us spread the word. I tried to keep track of who was posting what during the month of March, but I know this list is incomplete:

The Poodle (and Dog) Blog, Dog Show Poop, The Cat’s Meow,  DaisyMaeMause and the Feline Americans, Petside, The Fantail, Dogs and Dames, @TeenysFriends, @ThePetWiki, @FrugalDougal, @1SassyChick

Together, we raised over $2,400 for Small Paws Rescue.

Thank you all very much!

Our online Bichon Bash, in memory of Bailey to raise money for Small Paws Rescue is now officially over. And look at what we did!

$2,456.00!!

I will be posting more tomorrow…..

Bailey was born on March 11, 1996.

We did this birthday video last year. I think, in my heart, I suspected it would be the last time we celebrated Bailey’s birthday. I have very fond memories of the day we shot this. It’s pretty silly.

In memory of Bailey, join our online Bichon Bash by clicking and donating to Small Paws Rescue. No donation is too small, and every donation will make a difference in a dog’s life.

Jen and Louie-King-of-the-Cats

My friend Jen wrote about our online Bichon Bash for Small Paws and Bailey! Check it out! Thanks Jen!

…AN ONLINE BICHON BASH
FOR SMALL PAWS!
Though Bailey was not a rescue Bichon, Small Paws Rescue has long held a special place in our hearts. I am deeply moved and greatly appreciate that Romeo the Cat and his staff are devoting their March FURPOWER Fundraiser to Small Paws, as a memorial to Bailey!

Read more…

I came across a blog post that made me smile the other day–Chow Hounds on The Daily Dog Blog. Some really sweet photos and a very funny video reminded me about that whole “life goes on” thing. The Husky puppies at the Lazy Husky Ranch love their food–especially on their face and paws!

I took some time today to read back through the January posts from the time the puppies were born. More beautiful photos. And Shannon (the writer) shows such a love for her dogs and the puppies. The Lazy Husky Ranch must be a very happy place with so much love being shared.  

Shannon and I share that love for our dogs.

One sweet puppy, Lucy, almost didn’t make it. The runt, her sibs often pushed her out of the way when it came to nursing from mom. But Shannon refused to give up on her. She gave Lucy extra care, keeping her warm, using an eyedropper to give her extra nourishment. Lucy and Bailey each turned their corners at around the same time.  Lucy is now a lovey, chubby pup. Bailey is gone.

Shannon and I both feel the same about puppy breath (nothing sweeter!), but we disagree regarding snow. I guess as a musher it makes sense that she would like snow. Bailey never liked snow, so I never liked it either. And now, perversely, I wish our snow had not melted–her paw prints were all over our patio and the small, fenced-in yard. Now they’re gone. My girl is gone.

Ugh! I continue to work through my grief. It’s been 2 weeks which is at once an eternity and yet no time at all. Friends and loved ones continue to send me cards and kind thoughts. I am surrounded by people who care about me and who loved Bailey and even though I’m not very good company right now, I so appreciate everyone’s kindness. I miss my girl so much, but I am so thankful that there are puppies in the world.

my heart is broken. i have no words.

A step forward, and a step back.

She’s vomiting more often. Last night when we went to bed, and again around 3 AM. Three times this morning. It’s nearly all water, cause she hasn’t eaten since 6 PM last night. She is again refusing food.

Just got back from the vet where we did a repeat of yesterday–fluids under the skin, blood glucose check, buprenorphin, famotidine, metoclopramide.  I came home with 2 syringes of buprenorphine (for pain), and 1 of  metoclopramide (for the vomiting).

We (Bailey, me, and Dr. B) are back on the path that may end at the bridge. It depends on how she responds over the next 24 hours.

I think we’ve reached a turning point.

I had a sensible, realistic talk with Dr. B this afternoon, and we agreed on a path to follow. If Bailey did not make some kind of improvement by Friday, we would probably help her over the bridge. Under my desk, I think Bailey must have been listening to our conversation.

Around 4:15 she got out of bed and directed an insistent kind of growlie groan at me. As if to say, “WTW mom?” She followed me out to the kitchen door and decided to eat some mash potatoes. Then she had a little chicken. She kept it down and had another little meal a couple hour later.

And after each meal she had a big pee on the wrong side of the patio door. The first one was my fault because I didn’t get her outside fast enough. The second one was also my fault because I let her come back in too soon. But frankly, I don’t care if she christened the rug not once but twice. God bless her! She seems to be making some improvement.

We still don’t know what brought on this crisis to begin with. But Bailey ain’t crossing no bridge.