Sage

We lost Sage this week. You may remember me talking about her several months ago, the night before I was scheduled to fly home for Christmas, she bloated and had to have emergency surgery to save her live. It happened after one a week living with her foster parents, super-volunteers Jeanne and Robin. The vets were able to save her and once she came home from the clinic, Jeanne and Robin decided to make it official and signed the papers to adopt her. They took her to California for a visit to their holistic vet when it looked like she might not have much time left and the vet made some changes to her medications and supplements. The changes probably bought her another two or three months, but on Tuesday, she was euthanized surrounded by her former caregivers and friends. She did well for a while on her new meds, but it became apparent that she had some kind of cancer when she continued to lose weight in spite of the 2,000 calories a day diet that Jeanne was home cooking for her. She spent four months in Jeanne and Robin's home and she thrived with them. When she went to live with them, I figured she had maybe a month left at most, but then it all turned around. It was very sad to say goodbye to such a sweet girl, but it helps to know that she had those great four months Jeanne and Robin's home, they cared for her so deeply and with such love and devotion. After her bloat episode, they rarely left her home alone for more than an hour without a "sitter" to stay with her while they were out and Sage at better under Jeanne's care than you can imagine - when Jeanne would relate Sage's rotating menu, more than one caregiver asked if they could be the next in line to be adopted by Jeanne and Robin. Sage's favorite meal was bison sauteed with garlic, mind you Jeanne, a vegetarian, hasn't cooked meat for more than twenty years, but for Sage, anything! It is never easy to say goodbye - this I have learned over the last month - but knowing that she was so loved and happy and spoiled in her last months makes it so much better.

(Photo copyright Best Friends Animal Society.)

Doing My Best

Well, I have gotten a scolding from my brother for all the down and depressing posts of late - something along the lines of "if you don't have anything nice to say . . ." So for today's installment, I will do my best to keep it a bit more upbeat.

While I still am not feeling at home at Amra's, my mood and mental state have been improving a bit this week. There are some serious frustrations about the area but I have been told that for the time being, moving isn't really a practical option, so I will do my best to make it work. According to the long term plan for Amra's and the neighboring building, Rhonda's - collectively known as the Clubhouse - by the end of the summer the number of dogs in the two buildings will be significantly reduced and the 10x20 runs will be removed from all but two of the larger building runs. As the number of dogs decreases, so will the number of staff, ultimately bring the total number of staff at the two buildings down from seven to three. Our first dog was moved out Thursday, a fantastic dog named Jackson. He moved up to the Lodges and I really hope that the higher number of volunteers up there (though not as high as the Garden and Fairway) will finally get him adopted. He is probably a boxer-pit mix, more boxer than pit, and he has a wonderful personality and great people manners, he just isn't a fan of other dogs.

His was supposed to be our first empty run, it wasn't going to be filled, but that is only for sure once the run is taken down, so yesterday morning we got a new dog in his place. A retriever mix (probably lab-Chesapeake mix) was brought over, she has been in and out of the clinic with diabetes and diabetic cataracts. She went to Las Vegas for eye surgery and we were told that one of the vets there was probably going to adopt her but that seems to have fallen through so she is back at BF and her insulin regulation is all out of whack now. She will be getting three feedings a day, the morning and evening meals twelve hours apart and then one six hours in between. She is getting insulin injections twice a day with her morning and evening feedings and she also has three different types of eye drops that have to be given five minutes apart twice a day. Oh, and she might have ringworm . . . no problem.

Over the next several weeks though, we will have more dogs moving out. They are talking about trying Ivy with another dog and Maisy is scheduled for transport to Chicago (her forever home) at the end of this month. So there is some good stuff going on and there have been an incredible number of adoptions since the first of the year. I am really trying to keep the big picture in mind here and be a helpful employee - a friend suggested the other day that I just make sure that my managers know that I don't like it at Amra's (which I have done) and then just do a great job until they move me. It is good advice and I am doing my best to keep at it.

I know it isn't the happiest post in the history of the universe, but I am doing my best here. Hopefully the next one will be chock full of great and wonderful news and stories. Have a great week everyone!