Welcome Lion...So much to tell.

Lion arrived this evening, now we have two wonderful dogs living with us as fosters, seeking new forever homes.  The Paw Challenged One left in a hurry shortly after dark and arrived back with Lion.   Lion is an 18 month old male golden who is suffering from attention deficit disorder.   He has been deficit in getting attention for some time.    He is the product of a divorce, his family moved into two different apartments, and left him alone in the house.   He spent up to 20 hours a day in a crate, with only a short time out morning and evening.  

When Lion arrived, he came in the front door, out the back door, and ran straight into the water on top of the pool cover.   He came out soaked.    He sure did enjoy getting dried off.   He is busy being under foot and under hand, he will make someone fall over him but he does not care.   More attention, please.   We tried giving him treats, he either did not know what they were, or he was too excited to stand still long enough to eat one.    After he was dried off, he ran and ran and ran in the back yard.   He just had fun being a dog in the big yard.   Bella, Lanai and I ran with him, he wore all three of us out.   Now we will start calming him down for the evening.    He has met the cats and he is fine with them.   He is ready for a new home, he would love to have a family and a home that can give him love, exercise and attention.   Attention, please.

Since our last post we have been so busy that we are still spinning.     First, just before Thanksgiving, our cousins mom (the paw challenged ones daughter) received a job offer in Tampa Florida.    Now we don't know what a Tampa Florida is, but apparently you don't need snow shovels there.   Since he is a pilot, he can fly from anywhere, so they decided to "run to the warm". 
The days before and after Thanksgiving were filled with helping them pack and filling up a rental trailer so they could take basic living needs with them.   Then Saturday after Thanksgiving, they packed up and left.    Their house is on the market, and they have rented a new house down there.    All very confusing to our golden minds.     He is still flying in and out of Denver so he gets to come pack up and get ready for the real move.  

Since they were traveling with my three Golden Cousins, The Paw Challenged One thought it would be a good idea to keep Sara the cat here.   Traveling across country, pulling a trailer with Molly, Piper and Emma on board was going to be excitement enough.    So Sara came to stay with us.   But that night she disappeared.   Lost cat signs went up around the neighborhood and nasty remarks were made about leaving the dog doors open at night.  Then a call came that a similar cat had been spotted.    They ran out and rescued it, but it turned out to be a different cat.   So now they have lost Sara, but they have a totally unknown cat in the back bedroom.  New Cat is somewhat battered, he either had a run in with a car, dog or coyote.    He is missing some fur and has some bad scabs where something took off a lot of hair.  Talk about confusing.
Lanai is still here, she is looking for her forever home.   She says that she is happy with our back yard and the squirrels keep her entertained.   Lanai does enjoy having her own cat to pester, Mini Cat does not mind and they run together.   Lanai has not met New Cat yet.    Besides, New Cat is hopefully, in transit.   In transit to where we don't know.   With Lion here to play with, she will have a better time while she waits for the right home. 

Mogley G. Retriever

Napping made easy, lessons from a golden retriever

Warning, this blog demonstrates advanced napping techniques by trained and experienced golden retrievers. Do not try this at home!

The Paw Challenged One is always talking about how hard it is to sleep.   Lanai is giving napping lessons, right here in our home, for no additional charge.   She is shown in the photos demonstrating some advanced relaxation methods.  

TPCO was running around the house last night painting everything in the house with orange and blue paint.   Something about Thursday night football and the Denver Broncos apparently won something, for a change.   He has been practicing making Tim Tebo moves all over the place.   He is talking about organizing a group of people to campaign for "Tim for President".     He figures that if prayer can do that much for a football team, think of what it could do for our country!

I watched part of the game.   I was not impressed with their ball handling skills.    All I saw was a big green field, a bunch of tall one's in funny outfits playing fetch without a single dog to help them.   It must have been amateur football, if it had been professional football, golden retrievers would have been fetching the ball, we could have done a much better job. 

Mogley G. Retriever

Update on Lenai

It was a busy weekend.    On Sunday we had an appointment for a family that wanted to meet Lenai.    We took Lenai over to meet with them, early in the morning.   She did us proud, she showed off and loved up to the family, she even ran and fetched a little just to let them know that she had talents.   She was not just another pretty face and coat.    They were impressed.    There were two young boys to give her attention and play with her, two adults to spoil her rotten.   She put on her best show.   One other golden and a golden-doodle were competing with her for the one home available. 

It was for naught.   The family had not had breakfast yet and they decided to wait until after breakfast.  They left, but did not come back for her.   Obviously they had no taste in best friends.    Lenai was left at rescue because two more families had called and were coming in, Lenai fit their profile as well.   At the end of the day, Lenai was still at rescue, she had lost out on three potential homes.   She had been passed over for younger and more cuter dogs.    Experience, obedience and great looks will win in the end, just not today.   at 6 years old, she is no longer a spring chicken, so she has to make her choice of family carefully.  It is forever, you know. 

Lenai was left with Mary for the night, the last appointment was running late.    Lenai came back home this noon.   The family had called to see if she was still available, but they could not get free till the weekend.   Lenai was depressed, two days at rescue and she was still not adopted.   She just wanted to relax and gather her thoughts.  

Lenai has a habit that makes everyone love her.    When she is ready to lie down, she grabs a big mouthful of her bed, then lies down with her paws holding the bed down.   Then she goes to sleep in that position.   When she first grabbed the bed, everyone thought she was going to tear it up, instead she just dropped down, closed her eyes and went to sleep.   The tears in the bed are not her fault, they were there long before she arrived.   She takes good care of her bed and toys.  Well, all toys except for stuffies, she can unstuff a stuffie in seconds. 

We will put her write up on the web, then we will begin booking appointments for this coming weekend.   She won't last long once people learn what a wonderful lady she is.    We just have to help her get back to her normal cheerful, happy and loving self. 

Mogley G. Retriever

Climb back on the horse! Or dog, as the case may be. Lenai

After losing Boo Boo, The Paw Challenged Ones (TPCO) were going to take a vacation from the stream of fosters that had been coming through the house and just have Bella and I.   But then new arrivals at Golden Retriever Rescue of the Rockies (GRRR) made them rethink their plans.    Maybe the best thing they could do in memory of Boo Boo and Nala would be to help another dog in rescue.

They had gotten word that another worthy rescue lady had been named Nala in honour of Nala who had recently passed away. Nala had already found a foster home, and has already been adopt. Great news. Now Lenai was in need of a home. Lenai arrived home last night, she was ready to find a place to settle in for a short time while she waits for her new forever home to open up. Lenai is the victim of the economy, as are so many dogs that arrive in rescue these days. Downsizing a home is human speak for "lets send the dog to rescue". Lenai was in a home with children, cats and a loving family. Then came the downsizing. Now she is moving around from place to place, trying to figure out what is happening to the world and people she loved.      Below, Lenai demonstrates the finer points of begging. 

Join us in welcoming Lenai to The Dog House. She will be staying here while we are looking for her new Forever Home. We think she will not be with us for long, she is very good looking and very well behaved. She is getting along very well with the other dogs over at rescue and she has settled in well with Bella and I. She was curious about the black cat when Mini ran across the floor, but once they were introduced, they get along just fine. She has ignored Buddy, the big white cat, Buddy ignores Lenai and Lenai ignored him in return. She loves attention and she would love to find a new home with lots of activity and lots of hands. The hand to dog ratio is going to be important to her, she wants lots of hands, lots of attention.     She is a little overweight, but an active home with lots of walks and runs will soon take care of her figure. 

Stay tuned for more news as we go back to rescuing again.    Lets see, is she number 78 or number 77?   Either way, she is a wonderful lady to share our home with for a few days. 

Mogley G. Retriever

Rest in Peace Boo Boo Bear

This afternoon Boo Boo Bear was laying under the computer table, right by The Paw Challenged One's (TPCO) feet, when Boo Boo began coughing and breathing hard.  They looked down and Boo Boo was bleeding from the nose and coughing up blood.    They loaded him in the car and were off in minutes.    Boo Boo laid behind the seat where he cold be petted all the way to the Vet's office.  By the time they arrived, there was a pool of blood beside Boo Boo.   

The vet examined him and told TPCO that it was time for Boo Boo to take his trip to the Rainbow Bridge.   He was not breathing well, and he was losing blood rapidly.   Boo Boo left on his final trip with TPCO holding his head and Mary from GRRR petting him.    Moose was there to give his respect and comfort to help Boo Boo on his journey.

For a few days, Boo Boo had a little discoloration in his mucus.   When his nose ran, they would wipe his nose with a napkin.   It looked like he had a puncture wound inside his nose, a little visible swelling, perhaps a hole from a cat claw when he took the mouse away from Minni Cat on Friday night?   The vet told us it was far more than that.   Boo Boo had a huge tumor in his nose, it had burst, bleeding badly and it had swollen so that it blocked his breathing.   All in just a few minutes.  He had been laying peacefully beside the computer desk at 3:00, then he began coughing, bleeding and  being unable to breath, by 5:00 he had left us. 

It is a total shock.    We were ready to see Boo Boo slowly become more disabled from his bad hips and knees, slowly losing his mobility.    We were not prepared to lose him so suddenly and without warning.   

Boo Boo can now run free of pain.   He can now chase the squirrels at full speed.   He can play fetch and chase blowing leaves.  He can join so many of the wonderful rescue's that are waiting for all of us on the other side of the Rainbow Bridge.   We know that he is free of pain now, but we were not ready for it quite yet.   We will remember you as a wonderful companion, one that lived in pain but brought so much love and comfort to everyone else.   Thank you for spending time with us, Boo Boo.    Run free, you have earned it. 

Sunday we learned that Golden Retriever Rescue of the Rockies had received a donation in Boo Boo's name.   A donor had given a large quantity of glucosamine supplements and a walking assistance harness to fit Boo Boo and help him walk.   Thank you for the donation, it will go to another rescue that needs help.   We have too many older dogs in rescue these days, they will benefit from Boo Boo's donations. 

Everyone should get another pet this evening.   Chin Scratches for everyone and tummy rubs all around.  Everyone should get another treat this evening.   We never know how many pets and treats are left to us.  Enjoy while you can.

Mogley G. Retriever

Some rescue news

Boo Boo wanted the photo above as proof that he is a very distinguished, elderly golden gentlemen.   He has asked us to call him Bear.     His full name is Boo Boo Bear, but he does not think Boo Boo is fitting him well.   What do you think?    Has he earned the name Bear or perhaps Mr. Bear? 

Well, it has been a quiet week end here at the dog house.    We looked up the diary of fosters that we have had in our home.    Boo Boo Bear is the 75th foster we have had.    Roxie, who was adopted out two weeks ago, was the 73rd, and since she came back and left again, she may also be 76.  We are not sure if we get to count her in the number of fosters since she was still only one dog but she went through twice and was adopted out twice.    This time it is going to stick, she is doing wonderful in her new forever home.    Rescue is still going strong, we understand that we have another lady who will be joining us shortly, so she will be either the 76th or 77 rescue in our home. 

We suspect that Mr. Bear will be here a long time.   With his inability to walk, he is not going to find many people that want to adopt a dog that can't go on walks with them or play fetch.   He says it is fine, he is happy here and he has unpacked his bags.    He is quite happy being a permanent foster. 

Bear has been entertaining the house by chasing mice.    Mini Cat catches mice in the field behind the house and brings them in to play with.   Bear tries to take them away.   It is amazing how fast Bear can move when Mini Cat plays with a mouse just under Bear's nose.  Mini Cat likes to show off, so she brings them in where everyone can see how great a hunter she is.  Somehow during the last exchange of mice, Bear got a claw to the nose and his nose is still tender and dripping from time to time.  There was enough blood that the carpet machine had to come out.   Noses apparently do not heal rapidly.   The mouse got away, and we are still looking for it.    Mini does not get upset, she said she can get another.   The Paw Challenged One's were a little upset though,.  

Mini likes to hunt in the field behind the house, but at night the coyotes hunt there.    Now that the nights are getting colder, the coyotes are hunting closer to the homes.  The dog door is getting locked at night so that Mini does not go out after dark.

The Paw Challenged One has been busy in the basement.   He has a large number of fish tanks down there, and he has been busy with some new fish.   He picked up some extinct fish and endangered fish at a recent fish event.    Extinct?  Yea, that is what we thought too....    It turns out that they are only extinct in the wild and there was a effort to have people keep them to spread the gene pool and not keep too many of them in one facility.   So he has dedicated several tanks to them and is keeping records on them.   So if you want to see some "extinct" and endangered fish, just call us.    In the meantime, there is no more sushi on the menu.  

One more important item for our local readers.    Murdoch's Ranch supply is having a grand opening in Parker, through the 13th, they are selling the large bags of Nutro Dog Food at "Buy two, get one free".   So stock up, a house full of rescues eats a lot of food.

Mogley G. Retriever

All the news that will fit on a fire hydrant

Above, Boo Boo and Bella are waiting for TPCO to open the door.    It is a good comparison between a normal set of rear legs and Boo Boo's twisted and painful legs.   When his legs healed, about 3 years ago, they healed crooked, that puts sideways force on his ankles, so they are now giving way, and the twisted bones are also causing his hips to deteriorate.  He is too badly twisted to do remedial surgery at this time.   His future is very little movement and lots of pain pills.  Watching him walk is painful to all of us, he shuffles along, dragging his rear legs forward on each step because picking them up is too painful.   You can see below, that does not dampen his spirits.   He has taken over the spot between the computer desk and the toy bin, so he can get attention and toys at the same time.    He is a great cheerleader, he barks and tries to help when Bella and I wrestle, but he can't join in, he would probably hurt himself.   He is finding the right level of activity and pain medications so that he can do a few things without hurting.   He has again started going upstairs to sleep with the rest of us, for a while he was hurting too badly to make the trip up the stairs. 

We have not been leaving messages for the rest of you to sniff.   The Paw Challenged One (TPCO) has been tying up the computer all day with his writing, and then all night long I have to correct all of his errors.  They think he is a writer, but I do all the hard work.   Working my poor paws to the bone.   He thinks spell checkers and grammer checkers grow on trees.  

We have received several e-mails from Roxie, she is doing well.    She has taken several trips to the lake, and she has gotten to run in the river, before the snow arrived.   She even gets to sleep on the bed, nice and cozy.   She says she is happy being an only dog and getting all the toys to play with.   Here are several photos she has sent us to prove that her new home rocks!

 

Way to go Roxie!

Mogley G. Retriever

Update on Halloween Party and Forever Homes.

The photo above is quite a contrast from when Beth was our foster and just recovering from multiple health problems.    Her new home agrees with her so much she came to the Halloween Party as a bee.    A very busy, buzzing bee.    We were so happy to see that Beth and her family are having fun.    She has three golden sister and they were all there to enjoy the Halloween party together.   What fun to see her again.    What a joy to know that a very sick and miserable dog has become a queen bee.

So much news, so little time.   Last Thursday we took Roxie over to meet a possible new family.   Roxie has a habit of getting grumpy and not sharing toys well.    We took her over to Rescue Central to meet a family that wanted to consider her.     It was love at first sniff.   She really liked the  family and they loved her.    They wanted to consider taking an older golden with them as well, one they could hospice for.    Just then the rescue transport drove in and they delivered the cutest little 8 mo old Golden Retriever puppy you have ever seen.   It was love at first lick.    So it was decided, they would take Roxie and the puppy.   They threw a toy to the puppy, and Roxie turned into her old toy hoarding self and she growled at the puppy and sent him running to hide.    So Roxie growled herself out of a home in the high mountains, on 5 acres, with two streams, no fences between her and the far mountain peaks, daily runs in the forest and nights in front of a fireplace.  A dogs paradise, and she blew it over a toy.   The good news is that an older golden lady found a home where she will be the guide dog to train a puppy, and a puppy found a marvelous forever home in the high Rocky Mountains. 

Early this morning we lined up at the front door to go to the Golden Retriever Rescue of the Rockies Halloween Party.   The photo above shows us all lined up at the door to go.   Even Boo Boo is excited and jumping around.   But Boo Boo can't go.    His legs and ankles are in too much pain to have him going to a party where dogs are running all over and tennis balls are being tossed.    But Boo Boo did not want to stay, he jumped up on the human, the first time that his hind legs have supported him upright, he begged to go.   He whined terrible when we went to the car and he stayed behind the door.  So all four of us got to go to the party.    Below is Boo Boo at the party, he found a spot where he could lie down and keep watch on the madness that was all around him.

We had such a good time at the party, everyone, even Boo Boo was running around.    They kept Boo Boo confined a little, trying to keep him from walking.    Finally a lady came up, asking if she could meet Roxie.    She had come to the party just because she had heard Roxie's story and she felt that Roxie needed a chance in a home where she would be an only dog.    With two young daughters, Roxie decided that it was a pretty good offer.   A big back yard, and lots of hands to pet, they even allowed dogs on their couches and chairs.    Roxie was sold, and shortly she had sold them on the idea of a Dog named Roxie.   Below is Roxie, getting some love from her new mommy.  

We are so happy that Roxie has a new forever home.   We are happy for her and we hope she makes them proud to be Golden Parents.    We will miss Roxie, we were suspicious that Roxie was being hard to get along with on purpose because she wanted to stay with us, but she went with them without looking back.    Yea! Roxie.

While waiting for the costume parade, the treat machines were in operation handing out treats to all the good dogs.   The Pied Piper has nothing on these folks. To the far left you will see Boo Boo sitting, waiting his turn, with his pal Beth in the bee outfit.    Did we mention that Beth is now known as Winky, the house elf?  

Meanwhile, the costume parade was a hit.   Here are a few of the participants.

Above, our cousins went as Roman Chariot dogs.

Above, Moose came as a door stop.   Very fitting for him.    He has to be the worlds luckiest Golden.    He came in terribly overweight, it required many trips to the Official Golden Retriever Vet of the galaxy, Dr. Carpenter.   Moose was there so much and he was such a great lover that they adopted him.   Now he spends his days at the Vet's office, greeting visitors and giving love to anyone that needs it, then at night he gets to go home to constant attention as well.   We marvel that he is not bald, he gets so much attention that his hair should be worn off.

Just before we went home, we went to the nail clipping place.   There they discovered that I had broken a nail very badly, split it deeply.   It needed medical attention.   Luckily the Official Golden Retriever Veterinarian of the Galaxy was in attendance.  He drove down and opened up his office just for me.  Now I have a bandage on my foot and I have some new pain pills till the hurting goes away.   

Mogley G. Retriever

Remembering Nala

We received the nicest e-mail last night.     An anonymous donor donated $100 to Golden Retriever Rescue of the Rockies (GRRR) as a naming tribute for Nala.    This means that a rescued dog will soon be named Nala, in memory of our great lady.    Thank you very much.    Nala will live on in our hearts, and through another worthy rescued Golden.   

Nala also lives on in our computer, the photo above has been our screen saver for a long time.   Along with the photo of me (Mogley) when I was just a puppy and I was cold, wet, tired and curled up in a beach chair at the annual Golden Retriever Rescue Reunion Picnic and Swim Party. 

Another reader has offered to loan an assistance harness for Boo Boo.   They also have a doggie wheel chair.    Thanks so much, we are still working on getting Boo Boo to accept help.    He still thinks he has to be macho and walk by himself and when his assistance canvass shopping bag goes around him he does not want to walk anymore.   We hope a little more time and he will get the idea.     We may need to take up the offer of a lifting assistance harness, but lets see if the bag works out.  

The Paw Challenged One is trying to take a movie of Boo Boo walking so you can see how much he has to struggle to move.   With his broken legs having healed crooked, it has put sideways pressure on his ankles and they are twisting.   His pain pills and anti-inflammatory pills help, but there is still a lot to hurt in those poor legs.  His struggle does not keep him from being close at all times, he considers being underfoot to be his assigned task in life.   As Boo Boo says, "It takes a big dog to fill a hallway".   He is the most talented speed bump we have ever had grace the living room floor.

Thanks so much to our readers for helping out the rescue cause.  

Mogley G. Retriever

New dogs and old dogs.

Above, a photo of Beth.   So much news, so little time.  The humans have been hogging the computer.    He thinks his new company is more important than dog news.   He says he needs to write presentations for something called Venture Capital.   It is not even good to eat, so we need to get him off that train.  The good news is that he says it is working....

Above photo:  Beth and Roxie, nose to nose before they both moved on to new homes. 

First, at the annual romp in the lake, aka, Golden Retriever Rescue Reunion Picnic,  we had official notice.    Beth, our foster who had such a hard life, is off to a new and much better life.    The couple that picked her up to foster her have failed.    A foster failure is when someone takes in a foster and refuses to give it up.    They failed, they told us not to put Beth up on the "available dogs" list, they told us that they wanted to keep her, they could not even imagine giving her up.    They sent us some very nice photos of Beth, along with a nice update on her, below:  

We have sort of renamed her “Winky, the house elf” – ala Harry Potter – she is our little house elf – and when all four line up to get cookies her bitty self, big eyes and ears sort of sticking out – she looks like a little elf.

She is walking every day, part of our triangle of care – exercise, discipline and affection - excellent with other dogs, our 3, plus the cousins (my sister has 2 chocolate labs and they did a sleepover on Wednesday night); perfect in the car – whether she is riding shotgun or at the feet of passenger or in the back with the rest of the crew; walks great on a leash – and have taken her to Red Stone dog park – off leash park in Highlands Ranch – she has a great time. This morning in the off leash park she ran, which we hadn’t seen before, and really played with us and other dogs. In our backyard she perks up for squirrels –and is doing the “happy dog” roll – flopping on the grass and roll and roll - She is re-establishing her balance in life.

Above is a photo they sent us, showing that she is spoiled rotten, she gets to sleep on the couch.  We are so happy for her.   She had a hard life, and she deserves the wonderful home that she has now.    Thanks for everyone that fosters, and fails!   It shows that you truly care for those dogs that pass though your life.

Meanwhile, we welcomed Roxie back to our home today.    If Roxie is a familiar name, it is because a little over a month ago she came to stay with us for the first time.   She was adopted to a very nice home on August 14th (see our post on August 17th).   She only had to share the house with a smaller and much older dog who had seniority.    Roxie quickly tried to become the boss, taking toys away, taking food and in general terrorizing her room mate.   They tried a behaviour specialist, they tried to separate them, they tried very hard to keep her.   It was a traumatic time because everyone loved Roxie, everyone except the senior dog.    Before Roxie was placed with them, the two were allowed to have some play time together to see if there were conflicts, everything was fine.    But as time went on, Roxie decided to take over and she ended up losing her perfect home.   The family was faced with an impossible choice, keep Roxie and let her bully their senior dog, or let Roxie go.    Roxie is such a wonderful lady that they had grown very attached to her, and she to them.    There were tears and heartaches, but today we took Roxie back.

Roxie arrived here, and immediately tried to take control.   We quickly convinced her she was not head dog.    She remembered everything, she was out the dog doors and back in less than 5 minutes.   But then she growled at Boo Boo when he took his normal place at the paw challenged one's feet.   Boo Boo can hardly walk, so he gets special privileges,  Including the right to lie at the feet of the tall ones.   That was quickly set straight, now time will tell if Roxie can learn to share.    Boo Boo would not take her bullying, and neither Bella or I will.  We will keep a close eye on her and help her learn to play with others.

Meanwhile, Boo Boo is the privileged one in the house.  As the senior dog that can't walk, he gets spoiled rotten.  Boo Boo is so sweet, he is becoming a very special member of the household.   It is hard to fill the spot that Nala had as our senior dog, but Boo Boo is trying.   A foster family asked if they could take him, they wanted to foster an older, well behaved Golden.    They said they wanted someone that they could take on quiet walks around the block.   We replied that Boo Boo did not do walks, he does not do anything beyond the mandatory bathroom trips.  Boo Boo makes an excellent speed bump in the hall way, he is not going to go on quiet walks with anyone.    We feel so sorry for him, he wants to play with us when we run and play, but all he can do is limp along a little, then he has to lie down.   He will pick up a toy and try to invite us to play with him, but he has to do it lying down.  He is on pretty strong pain medications, but his legs are so trashed that nothing can give him much relief.    His broken rear legs did not heal straight some years ago, and with the sideways pressure on his ankles, his ankles are giving out. 

We went looking for a harness that would have a handle on it so the paw challenged ones could lift up his rear end and keep some stress off of his rear ankles.  After shopping and finding how expensive they were,  Mary at GRRR told us what to do.   Take a canvass grocery shopping bag, cut the ends out of it and you have a sling with handles that can go around him and help him walk.    We tried it, and it works, sort of.    He does not like it too much yet, it will take some getting used to before he is comfortable with it.  If we can keep some stress off his ankles, he may have a few more good years, so each walk we can help him take is important.    Meanwhile, he has his place, at the feet of anyone that is sitting in a chair.   At night he insists on climbing the stairs so he can sleep with the family, but he waits till he is sure it is really "good night time" before he goes up the stairs.   If he will just let us help him, it would be so much better.    Time, it just takes time for him to get used to being half carried.

We still miss Nala.   We use her photo as a screen saver on the computer.   She was so special that we still look back on the days that we were allowed to share with Nala as a special gift. 

That is all for now.   Thanks for reading.

Mogley G. Retriever

Rest in Peace, Nala

This is the post that we have been dreading for a long time.    Nala was unable to get up and make her rear legs work Sunday morning.   When we got up, Nala was in the process of dragging herself in the dog door from the back yard, using her front legs and dragging her rear legs.   She had pulled herself in to the garage and across the garage floor, but she had not been able to pull herself up the ramp into the house.  The Paw Challenged One picked her up and carried her to her bed in the front entry.  He had come downstairs without his shirt or shoes, he ran back up to get them, by the time he came back down Nala had managed to pull herself into the Kitchen to check on progress with her food bowl.   Somehow in a sitting position pulled herself down the hall.  We called the vet and ran her across town.   A quick review was that she was not in pain, her legs just would not respond.   There was some neurological damage and the question was if it was permanent or reversible?  We had to leave her there for observation. 

Today Nala's condition had deteriorated.  On Sunday morning she could get herself up on her front legs and drag herself, now she would fall over and she could not make her front legs work either.  Her eyes were rolling, she was breathing hard and heavy, she seemed to have lost control of her nervous system. Her vision had deteriorated recently.   There was some suspicion that she had a brain tumor, that would account for her recent vision deterioration.   There may have been a stroke as well.   Yes, they could keep her alive and perhaps she would leave the vet's cage after a few days.  But in the short term she would have no unassisted mobility, in the long term she would have to receive help to go in and out. 

We remember how upset Nala would be if we closed the dog door and she could not come and go on her whim.   We remember how we would wake up in the middle of the night and see the motion detector lights on in the back yard, Nala was making her midnight or 2:00 am rounds. 

She had been very upset with us when we went to the annual picnic at the lake without her.  But she was having trouble getting up and down, once she was up, she stayed up, once she was down, she stayed down.   If a dog brushed her in the hallway, she would fall and getting up was getting increasingly difficult.  We knew she would love the picnic, but we were afraid she would hurt herself by not setting limits.   She would be walking the shore, trying to be part of the action, but she did not have that level of energy or of function in her hips.   We knew she was failing, so we left her home, she was mad at us for not letting her go along.    We made sure she had extra treats when we came home that night.

Today, the decision had to be made whether to try and keep her alive, knowing that she would lose most of her mobility in both the short run and in the long run.    We thought about how active she had been, in spite of her hips that were so sore that she drug them, even when they worked to stay under her.  We remember how she would come looking for head pats and ear rubs in the middle of the day.  We remember how excited she would be when she saw her food dish in hand, she had a special dance she did to hurry it along.   We remember how she would begin nagging us if supper was late, she would begin going from her empty food dish to where we were sitting, reminding us we had duties to take care of at 6:30 am and pm.  We remember how each trip up the ramp was a struggle, she pulled herself up with her front legs, her rear legs reluctantly coming along.  Her front legs had grown stronger as her rear legs became more unwilling to cooperate.  How would she feel about living a life where we had to put a vest on her to pick her up every time she wanted to go outside?   We had to ask ourselves if not being able to leave the dog bed without help was really a life?   Would she enjoy living if she had to have her dog dish brought to her, if she had to be half carried out the door to her cherished backyard?  Would she enjoy living if she could no longer sneak out and lie in morning sun in the big hole she had dug under the pine tree?

We hope we made the right decision, it is a decision that does not carry re-do's.   No second chance on this one.   We weighed her life as it would be if we kept her, against the life she had told us she wanted to live.  We sent her on her way with dignity, we sent her to run free. 

Thank you to Golden Retriever Rescue of the Rockies for taking her out of a back yard where she spent 365 days of a year in a lonely yard, in sun, rain and snow.  Thank you to Golden Retriever Rescue of the Rockies for sending her to us to enjoy for her last years. 

We will all miss you so much, Nala. You were a special lady to us for a long time. Thank you for coming to our house to live.  We were blessed and privileged to be able to help her find happiness in her final years.  Rest in peace, Nala.

Mogley G. Retriever 

Golden Retriever Rescue of the Rockies Reunion Picnic

Look closely at the photo above.    It is a photo of several hundred Rescued Golden Retrievers playing in the sun and water.    Several hundred abandoned dogs, having more fun that you can even imagine.  If you have ever donated to a rescue, driven a car to transport a homeless dog, or made telephone calls to arrange a rescue, this is what you made possible.  This is the annual Golden Retriever Rescue of the Rockies Reunion Picnic.    A reunion of the rescued dogs, their new owners, and the people that made it all possible.  For all of you that work in rescue, this is what you have done.   Most rescued dogs and cats disappear into a new home quietly, you don't get to see the joy and celebrate the new lives that you made possible.  We here at GRRR are blessed that once a year we can see the fruits of our labor.    We get to enjoy a day in the sun and water with our success stories.  We get to see that the lives were worth saving.   This is what a second chance for an abandoned dog looks like. 

We don't have time to tell you the whole story about the day in one blog, it will take several blogs.   We met old friends, fosters that have gone to forever homes, but come back to the Rescue Reunion to celebrate with us.   Fosters that we may have seen as scared and abused dogs, now are shining examples of the resiliency of our canine friends.   They are running free, playing as hard as they can, their new owners sharing the joy with their new best friends.   This is what rescue is all about.   Rescued dogs, showing the joy they have from a second chance at life.    If you have ever helped rescue a dog, then you had a part in making this picnic possible.    What were once lives at risk are now lives at play.  Enjoy!

After several hours of playing, all the dogs had to stand on shore (photo above, waiting for the last straggler to come to shore) and wait till the tennis balls, some marked with prizes were thrown, then we were released to fetch for prizes.    I brought in two balls with prizes, so I earned my kibbles for the day.   Below, the release.

The photo below, shows a beautiful, calm morning when we arrived at the lake, if you look closely you can see the snow on the Rocky Mountain peaks behind the lake.   How quickly several hundred Goldens can destroy the calm. 



It was a day to celebrate, and it was a wonderful celebration.

Thank you to all the volunteers that have made this day possible by helping a dog or cat move down the road to a new home. This is the proof that donating and volunteering in rescue was worth while. 

Mogley G. Retriever