The end of an era

The last of our dogs from this blog passed away today. Trudis was 16 years old.

It was bittersweet as the Animal Doctor performed euthanasia on Trudis this morning, June 18, 2024. Since last year, she had been progressively declining, but she fiercely held on to life, even in her last moments.

I wanted for nature to take its course, but If had to be honest, I knew in my heart I was only doing it for my sake.

A couple of nights ago, I asked God for a sign that it was time to let Trudis go. I drifted off to sleep, and there in my dream, saw her in the same playpen where she had lain since January, bedridden, unable to stand and eat on her own. But this time, she was sitting on her hind legs, looking up to me so happily. Its been a while since I saw her like this.

I knew at the Rainbow Bridge, she will be young and strong again.

Full of Thanks

Last night, my Mom/Secretary took my measurements which she'll submit to Eddie's Wheels, the people who will be making my wheelchair in the US. She gathered her measuring tape, yardstick, home made caliper, visual guides for measuring, and called three(!) hoomans to assist her.

It needed three pairs of hands to hoist me up in a standing position, where I will be measured. I was embarrassed when the hoomans told Mom to hurry up because I was kinda heavy.

Mom had to double and triple check my measurements. There are parts of the wheels which are non adjustable. It would be difficult, next to impossible, to send the wheelchair back to the US if it does not fit me.

Mom thought the visual guide looked very easy to follow.

photo taken from the website of Eddie's Wheels

But not so if your legs look as bad as mine. Mom will have to ask Eddie's how to take measurements if my legs permanently splayed like this.

On top of it, I could not keep still. I am too excited.

We don't have a Thanksgiving Day in the Philippines, but I want to celebrate anyway because my heart is overflowing with thanks. Donations to my wheelchair are trickling in day by day, most of these came from people who did not even know me until they read my story in the blogs of my DWB friends.

I am thankful to these kind strangers-now my friends, and to my dog and kitty pals, to Labrador Life Line organization, Eddie's Wheels- to ALL OF YOU - who believed that my Wheely Dreams could come true.

Our friend Lorenza in Mexico celebrated Thanksgiving by remembering the day she was adopted. I thought it was a very nice idea so I gathered all my doggy siblings so we could silently commemorate our own adoption and be thankful about it.


We have come along way since our long faces.

( from left to right: Trudis, Bambi, me Scarlet, Woody, Moymoy and Jappy)

Update on Woody

Do you remember Woody, the puppy we fostered? A couple of weeks ago, she visited our pet clinic for her booster shots, but the Animal Doctor found out that she had hookworms and must be treated first.

The Secretary, however, noticed something else. First of all, the Secretary already sensed something wrong when Woody's dad blurted our their reasons for adopting Woody- that they wanted to teach their children not to be afraid of dogs. But she forced herself to be optimistic, hoping all the best for Woody.

Now seeing Woody for the first time since her adoption, the Secretary's heart sank. Her doubts were confirmed. Woody is sad, so unlike the happy, carefree puppy we had raised her to be.

The Secretary had to think and act quickly. It was Valentines Day, which may be the only best time to defend a losing proposition with the Animal Doctor.

The Animal Doctor's Valentine gift to the Secretary

YAY! The Animal Doctor made a call to Woody's new family and within a few minutes, we got her back for good! Look how happy she is to be with us.

There are now seven of us ( 6 dogs and 1 cat) living in our Mimosa House and we know how hard it is for our Secretary to take care of us, especially that the 'conomy is not doing good and people are losing jobs. But we shall not think of these things for now...what matters is that we all are together loving and caring for each other. And we know that if pray real hard and cross our paws that we will be alright, we will be!

Another Adoption Story

I promised to tell you about the puppies' adoption, didn't I? Well, first of all, it almost did not happen because the Secretary had grown fond ( again???) of the puppies and had wanted to keep them. The Animal Doctor gave her a "reality check" and presented to her our food and medical bills, and pointed emphatically that she already has too many dogs. Plus, if I may add, she hardly has time to personally attend to my beauty needs.

Thus, the day of the puppies' adoption came.

Blaze was adopted by the Animal Doctor's client, a woman who recently lost her dog due to old age.

Woody, on the other paw, was adopted by a young boy.

And as for Bambi...

The Secretary moved for reconsideration of the Animal Doctor's decision, arguing that Bambi has not completely recovered from the emotional trauma of having been rejected and passed from one household to another.

Bambi had outgrown what little puppy cuteness she had to begin with. Only a person who can see her inner beauty and the purity of her spirit would be able to make a commitment to care and nurture her. The Secretary is not losing hope and constantly prays for a qualified person to show at our door one day. In the meantime, Bambi will stay with us where everyday she is learning not be afraid,

and how a game of bitey face can be extremely fun!

Billion dollar dogs

Do you remember them?

Some of you doggies correctly guessed that we rescued these puppies and brought them in our animal clinic for rehabilitation. Aside from being underweight and malnourished, they had amoebiasis and fungal skin infection. They were treated, dewormed, vaccinated, groomed, and given all the works at Greenwoods Pet Clinic.

Blaze, the only boy in the trio, had his boy bits removed by the Animal Doctor. Just like Moy-Moy hihihi. This is the second time that the Animal Doctor performed early age neutering and like the first, there was practically no down time! Blaze was up and about a few minutes after his minor operation, and his tiny incision did not bother him at all.

After Animal Doctor's job was done, the puppies were transferred to our house in Mimosa Street where they underwent another kind of "treatment". The puppies were very scared of hoomans. Just the sound of hooman voices made them tremble and scamper for dear life. They would hide all day and would not even care for a round of bitey face with me.


The Secretary suspected that the puppies have experienced cruelty from hoomans in the past, so she gathered all hoomans and four legged in our house and draw up a plan. Each of the hoomans had a task to perform such as feeding the puppies, getting them used to cuddles and strokes, bathing them. I Trudis must engage them in play daily.

Now, see the difference.

Even a mongrel can look and feel like a billion dollar dog.

Next time, I will tell you about their adoption.
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Christmas Dogs

Our friend Lorenza wanted to see our christmas tree, so here it is:




There are no gifts for us underneath the tree, because here they are:

( drum roll please)

Woody

Bambi

Blaze

HUWAAAAT? Moy spluttered and Jappy blinked in disbelief. "B-but those are real puppies, not toys!"

These puppies belong to our neighbors who did not want them in the first place but did nothing to prevent their dogs from making puppies. They already gave Bambi away but I guess her suppawsedly new family did not want her either. Aki and Shelly guessed correctly, these three little puppies are going to live in our house until we find a family who will really want them. Some hoomans might have treated them badly in the past because the pups scurry to their hiding place whenever hoomans try to approach them.

The Secretary told us about Christmas during our last sunday story time. She likened the three puppies to the Three Kings. Woody, Bambi and Blaze came to our house to present us with gifts:

an opportunity to show

love,
kindness and
compassion

to another living being.

Christmas is a time for gift giving, and some people think dogs make good gifts. Not so! This misconception is often the cause of misery and sadness to a lot of pet animals. For once, my nitwit brothers said something right. These puppies are not toys. They are live animals that have needs 24/7. They are not stuffies that hoomans can throw away or keep in a box when they outgrow their puppy cuteness or when they no longer fit the hoomans schedule or life plan.

This season, puppy millers are scrambling on their feet, getting their dogs mated without much thought; pet shops abound with animals in various sizes and shapes. Before you even begin to ask how much is that doggie in the window, please please please think of the thousands of homeless dogs in the street or in shelters hoping for some warmth and forever love this Christmas. Please think twice if you really need to buy a dog or if the person you'll be giving it to is prepared for the big responsibility.

By adoption, not only will there be one less unwanted dog in this world, but another person makes a stand against the indiscriminate breeding of animals solely for money.

It is,

A Mission

My real siblings Benji and Wacky are having a howling time in our house. Benji reached her target weight and compared to before, she really is much happier and livelier these days. She's no longer taking those yucky pills and is allowed to eat regular food. The Animal Doctor stole a bit of her blood yesterday to check if her kidneys will be fine with this arrangement, and the kidneys said yes! My brother, Wacky, on the other paw, will be neutered today. Thank God, he has no other major health issues.

I am a bit very sad because the Secretary told me that Benji and Wacky are going home to their adoptive moms this Sunday. Benji's Mom already visited our house and told Benji to come home. Wacky's Mom promised that she will sort her personal problems so she could take better care of my brother.

The Secretary is sad too, she hugged me and made me understand that we have to let Benji and Wacky go home because we have a new job to do.

~ It is~

Shooting the dogs

Honestly, I have not bought something special for myself in a long while-- until a chat with Aki's Manang awakened my long repressed (and forgotten) dream: photography. As soon as I got my christmas bonus at work, the Animal Doctor accompanied me to Henry's at Quiapo to purchase a Nikon D40.

The dogs will be my companion as I venture into the world of digital photography. I still don't know how this thing works ( nervous laugh here) as evident from the photo above. But I think I have a creative eye, and provided the dogs could contain themselves for a second- this camera will be put to good use.

Update: Benji managed to pack a few pounds, I am confident we will hit her target weight before she goes home to her adopted Mom. The other dog you see is Trudis' brother. He too was adopted but for some reason that I cannot discuss publicly, he will be us for the time being. Can you see how Trudis is way bigger than the rest of her two siblings? Trudis was the runt in her litter. She reminds me of Clifford, the big red dog. LOL

Clifford The Big Red Dog is an enduring American chidren's book series first published in 1973.Clifford was the runt of the litter, and was chosen by a city child named Emily Elizabeth Howard as her birthday present. No one expected Clifford to grow, but Emily Elizabeth's love for her tiny red puppy changed Clifford dramatically. Before long, he was over 25 feet (7.6 m) tall, forcing the Howard family to leave the city and move to the open spaces of Birdwell Island ( photo and text from Wikipedia).

Once Upon A C-A-T

Today, I, Trudis, will tell you the story of Pussy O' Woosie. First of all she is not a dog, but the Secretary said that we are sisters by "default" . Hmmm, I do not know what that means, (All four leggeds in the house must look after each other like family-Secretary) but I said, Pussy, you can be my sissy as long as you don't steal my bone, okay?

Pussy came to Greenwoods Pet Clinic long before any of us dogs did. It was during the first few days of the clinic's operation when an office staff found her. She was just a tiny kitten then with an eye infection. The Animal Doctor thought she needed treatment; the Secretary thought she needed a home.

Back then, the Animal Doctor and the Secretary were living in a small room inside the clinic. There wasn't much space. Pussy had to live inside a prison house because the hoomans were afraid she'd escape to play with the other cats outside, then pick up a disease or worse, get herself killed.

This is where Pussy made poopies inside her prison house. (I find the litter box a great aid in potty training cats if you don't have a garden or a backyard.- the Secretary)

Being cooped up like that made Pussy a little crazy especially during her scheduled play time outside her prison. She tore around the clinic and destroyed everything in her path, especially the bags of pet food that the hoomans sell in the clinic. It got worst when Pussy reached puberty and she really, really, really wanted to go out and date with boy cats. The Secretary was afraid of this because Pussy would then make kittens and the hoomans would end up taking care of more animals than they could afford.

The Animal Doctor knew of a way to stop Pussy from making any kittens, and that is by removing her girl bits. OMD! I am scared because I am a girl too, and that means....

? ? ?

Okay, I will not talk about it now, I will finish Pussy's story. She survived the operation but it took a week before she was able to get back on her four paws and resumed with her destruCATion. Around that time, the hoomans found a real house near the clinic and relocated Pussy with them. It was a perfect time to buy a real house because we doggies had arrived!

In our real house, Pussy is queen of the manor. She has no play time because anytime is her play time. She lounges in the roof, in the front yard, on top of the cabinet, or on top of the stove. I think she loves our house because she never leaves even if cats outside call her name. Oh, I think she loves to play with us more.

Vacation Stories Part II: Meet the Secretary's Pets

Some of you know that I have eight dogs living with my Mom in Iloilo ( learn about my city in Wikipedia). Four years ago, I left to pursue a career in Manila but had to stay indefinitely when I married the Animal Doctor. I am still plagued by separation anxiety, but my job pays for the good life my dogs are currently living. It takes a 45 minute plane ride on weekends every other month for me to see them, and so, I look forward to vacations where I can stay longer. Our time together is so precious, I can't even afford to sleep!

Dee-Dee Marie, who is turning ten years old, is my very first dog. I remember being scared of her on our first meeting, when her brothers and sisters started jumping up my legs ( silly me). The person who gave me Deedee had to pay P1,500 ( somewhere between 30-35$) to the breeder. I think Deedee is worth billions now- or even more-if I can even put a cash value to how much I love her.

Dexter Franklin Toblerone J, Jr, nine years old, was given to me by Deedee's veterinarian in Iloilo City. Deedee was terribly sick at that time, and the vet promised to give me a new dog if Deedee dies. Deedee recovered( miraculously, if I may say so. I think my non stop bawling scared her illness away), but I adopted Dex anyway. The vet kept him in a very small cage, and it was only after I brought Dex home and given him a bath, did I realize he was spitz and not a golden retriever pup.

Here is Luning Ann, aka Inday Lou, (Inday is an Ilonggo endearment for a sister or daughter) eight years old, looking sad and miserable on the day of my flight back to Manila. Lou was born out of Deedee and Dexter's mating. Of all my dogs, she is the sweetest, she follows me everywhere, even inside the bathroom when I take a shower. Lou has never been mated, and right now I am torn whether or not to have her spayed before she gets pyometra. My other vet ( not the Animal Doctor) here in Manila quoted P14,000( between $311-320) for the operation and I might go for it in January next year- hopefully I can deal with the jitters. He will use gas anesthesia so the risk will be minimized. And I will request to be sedated too.

Poput, seven years old, is Dex and Dee-Dee's son after their second mating. I learned my lesson and had Poput neutered when he was two months old. All of Deedee's offsprings had poor skin and coat when they were puppies, but look at Poput now with his glorious mane. Poput did something strange when he was 4 or 5 years old. I was seated on a stool in the middle of the garden watching the dogs play, when all of sudden, he ran to me, lifted his leg, and peed. Yes, directly at me. The vet interpreted it as a form of marking, maybe Poput was telling all the other dogs that I was his fire hydrant.

This apricot toy poodle is Cleo Marie Mae, aging between 7 to 9 years old. She used to live in the veterinary office where the Animal Doctor used to work. Her owner, some rich lady, split up with her boyfriend and decided to rid herself of the mementos of their relationship, including their surrogate child. Cleo came to live with me in my apartment in Manila in 2005, and for a while we had fun living an independent single lifestyle. In 2006, Cleo had enough of traveling and decided to retire in Iloilo.

Jennilyn, is somewhere between 4 of 5 years old. I adopted her from the same veterinary office where I got Cleo. Jennilyn was a product of another person's igorance ( her Mom had just survived distemper when the veterinary staff mated her with another dog ) and was kept in a cage entirely since birth. She was thin and had wobbly gait when she came to my apartment in 2006. In that same year, I decided to relocate my Manila dogs to Iloilo which was a far better environment.

Puppy, now three years old, is a cocker spaniel pup the Animal Doctor bought after Jumbo's (Deedee's son, he was airlifted to Manila in 2005 for treatment of Ehrlichiosis) death. Instead of being happy and grateful, I got so angry with the Animal Doctor because like most misguided people, he thought animals were toys that made nice gifts. I was still grieving and totally unprepared to meet the needs of a very young animal. In 2006, I relocated Cleo, Jennilyn, and Puppy to Iloilo.

This is Destiny Joe Aringkingking ( dont ask me about his last name, it just popped in my head) around 2 to 3 years old. He was given as a gift to our neighbors who did not know a thing about dogs. They let him roam in the street outside and basically just forgot that he was a living thing needing quality food and water. My tummy was bursting with a human baby at that time so I managed to ignore Destiny's pathetic cries at night by covering my ears with a pillow. I vowed to save him after I gave birth. Several months later, I barged into our neighbor's house and "confiscated" Destiny. I invoked the law which penalizes the neglect of animals. It was a good thing that the owners did not charge me of theft or tresspassing--maybe they learned how much I spent just to keep their dog alive.

Destiny, after I groomed him on the day of his rescue. He was severely matted and infested with ticks.

As of this date, I have not heard of any person criminally charged of neglecting their pets, although Republic Act 8485 ( The Animal Welfare Act) penalizes this.

Jack Flash is an askal ( asong kalye or stray dog) pup that came to our house in 2002. My Mom agreed to let him in after I assured her that the puppy was only looking for transient residence and will be on his own as soon as he hits adolescence. Well, it never happend. I mean, Jack grew up but my Mom had to spend thousands for the reconstruction of our fence to keep Jack inside.


This is our honorary dog, he is a topiary in the shape of a dog. Sometimes he grows little flowers all over his body and I find those really cute.


This is Pepe, the gold fish I bought to teach my son Miggy about responsibility. Pepe died on Miggy's second birthday. Rest in Peace, Pepe.


We have two other dogs, six cats and two rabbits that have crossed the Rainbow Bridge, but I will never forget them.

We, who choose to surround ourselves with lives
even more temporary than our own,
Live within a fragile circle, easily and often breached.
Unable to accept its awful gaps,
We still would live no other way.
We cherish memory as the only certain immortality,
never fully understanding the necessary plan."

Irving Townsend, from "The Once Again Prince