Hiking With Little Dogs...

I am very lucky to live near the Cuyahoga Valley National Park. I guess I had taken this for granted until I got into running. I have discovered so many beautiful places along the trails over the past few years.

Today I decided to take the dogs on a hike to see blue hen falls, which is a short marked path from the trailhead,  and buttermilk falls..which is a bit further, and an unmarked trail that required about 5 water crossings, and a leap of faith that you would find it.

These two rescues made my heart smile with how happy they were today just being loved dogs! Magoo is so timid, but he followed Bohannon over big logs, and climbed steep riverbed walls!

Mr. Magoo and Mr. Bohannon surveying the land! Brothers!

The boys had to cross a lot of water and other obstacles to get to the falls, but they loved it!

Blue hen Falls

buttermilk falls

There were a few rock stacks, so I left one in memory of my 5 pets I have lost over the years. 

Mr. Bohannon never sits still...he actually sat and looked out over the water today!

I have also recently found success with the thundershirt for Magoo, my puppy mill rescue that has extreme noise anxiety. I was skeptical, watched the videos, read the feedback...but I still didn't believe it.

I took a quick video of Magoo who hates medical shows for the equipment beeping..laying back down after hearing the beeps with his shirt on...and a shot of him without it on, running scared. 

Video here. 

And not to leave my lone survivor cat out, I recently bought her a new cat tree to watch the birds at the window feeder. 

Gotcha Day...

Four years ago, I adopted a VERY introverted little dog because I learned from my visits with him at the rescue that he was there and gone a couple of times. Turns out, he was adopted and returned twice for not "bonding" with the people who took him home.

He lived the first four years of life in a cage at a puppy mill, terrified of just about everything. I knew my home was the one he needed to be in so he could know what love is, and become a beloved pet! I had the patience, and love to give to him to wait for him to come around!

He learned to eat out of bowls, walk stairs, play with toys, (and then his kitty siblings) all in due time, but it just took time.

And, he's grown into the best little companion I could have hoped for!

Animals come into your life for a reason, he has inspired my love of volunteering for animals, and it really makes me feel good to spend time with those animals who have no one else to depend on.

Happy "gotcha" day to my Mr. Magoodle bug!

Mr. Magoo is a rambunctious dog, that you would never guess is 8 (or 9, or 10...) and he sure turned awful handsome with some TLC.

I work with dogs all the time that are amazing, but don't show their true colors on a first visit with them at a rescue, they have trust issues.

Take a chance! Consider adoption! Some animals just need patience to become who they are meant to be.

Animal Woes, and a New Medal!!

My Mr. Magoo, the wonder dog had oral surgery on Monday. When I adopted him, he didn't have a lot of teeth. Then, two years ago, he had 10 teeth pulled. This time? He had 6 pulled.

Now, he has 7 teeth left in his mouth. Three are up front, and he has no molars left.

Magoo says "I don't have many teeth, but this one is my favorite"

I took Monday off expecting to keep an eye on him after surgery, and be back to work without a hitch on Tuesday. When he had 10 teeth pulled, he was his old self the next day. 

But he never stopped bleeding. A little is normal, but little turned into a lot (don't look if you are squeamish)

This is only a portion of the bleeding. 

I was torn whether I should pay the $150 walk in emergency fee, plus services, or chance it til morning for a re-check at his regular vet. I had just shelled out $300 for surgery, not to mention all my cat expenses as of late. I didn't sleep, going back and forth about what to do.

Since it wasn't gushing blood, I waited it out. First thing in the morning he was back at the vet. They took one look in his mouth and said..."yea, that's a lot of bleeding"...and whisked him away to the back room. I heard him crying while they were investigating his mouth...it broke my heart, and made me cry. 

They had to keep him all day, while I went back to work, and I was thankful for the distraction. 

He lost the stitches in one of his molars. They had to put him back under anesthesia again and stitch it up. 

The happy news is, that he is now peacefully sleeping at my feet on his way back to his silly self. The bleeding has stopped, but now he has a cough. Turns out that being intubated two days in a row can cause that. 

I'm thankful that he is doing better. And I have no idea how human Moms can cope with this stuff, it's hard enough with the fur kids. Reason 867,965,321 not to have kids. 

In other news? 

I did the buckeye half marathon (as a relay so just over 6 miles) in the freezing cold (34 degrees), and my lungs still hurt.

We finished at just under an 11 minute mile, which is sweet! 

Mr. Magoo kept photo bombing my race swag. He wanted to be included!

The best part? My medal is shaped like Ohio..and what is cooler than that?

My happiest part of the weekend was, I had a piece of pizza at my Halloween party. And...it was everything that I remembered it could be. If I were God, pizza would be healthy. And we could eat it every day!

Teaching an Old Dog New Tricks...

They say you can't teach an old dog new tricks. But I beg to differ.

 Mr. Magoo, the shih-poo puppy mill rescue lived for 4 years in a cage with no human love. He is 7 or 8 or so, we really don't know since most of his teeth have rotted and had to be pulled due to neglect.

 In his three years with me, I have taught him to eat and drink out of a bowl, go outside to potty, walk on a leash, go up stairs (but not so good at down), play chase, fetch toys, and sit, and lay down. He knows people aren't bad, and he enjoys being petted, playing with his kitty siblings, and belly rubs!

 Our newest venture is learning to "wait" for treats. This is him showing off.
 

 I love that silly "second hand dog" with all my heart.

A Vegan...Challenge...?

The interaction most people have with vegans, is bad. People telling you "what you are eating, and how you are the demise of the animal population".

And then I decided I want to try to be vegan. Gasp!!

I love animals more than people, yet I still eat some of them. But I don't like to be judge-y!

I was raised by a vegetarian,  my Momma grew up on a farm. Her stories were sad, but it never occurred to me, until me and my cousin were playing with two giant turkeys in our playhouse, and then...they were gone, and there were two huge turkey's on the dinner table for Thanksgiving. I was about 8, and that was the first time I refused to eat anything that I can remember.  I didn't eat meat for many years, but around adolescence, I started to eat it again.

The past 15 years or so, I've only eaten dairy, chicken, and turkey. With a once in a blue moon craving of a hamburger, or a Momma's meatloaf tossed in.

I've seen a billion sad documentaries about factory farming and I fast forwarded thru the horrible parts, even though, I knew deep down what really happens

This past weekend, I watched a lovely little documentary called "Vegucated". Which, by the name I thought would only be about the healthy side of being vegan.

Well, it still had the sad side of factory farming, and while I skipped most of the horrible parts,  I never in my 37 years thought about cows being forced to be pregnant constantly to produce milk, and having their babies taken away after birth, and the horrible lives they must live. I thought they just produced milk. Seeing their babies taken away from them was heartbreaking!

 I am so against puppy mills, having adopted a puppy mill stud, and seeing how traumatized he is..I can't imagine the fate of the Mother's. For me... factory farming is the same thing with farm animals. And if I don't support it with domestic pets I shouldn't support it any way.

It broke my heart to see those babies torn from their mothers, and I wanted to make a small change, if only with myself!

I don't expect to change anyone's point of view. That's not me.  I am one person, making one decision, and if statistics serve right, I alone can save 95 animals a year by being vegan. So why not try?

For 6 weeks, I am going to try to be strictly vegan. I am hoping that I can keep it up, or at least replace 50% of my chicken/turkey/dairy intake with vegan options , even if I decide being strict 100% of the time, isn't for me. I want to make at least a small change.

My biggest fear, is that most "vegan protein" options are processed. And I do not want to fall back into eating processed foods, so my challenge is even harder. Oh, and the fact that I am 100% in love with cheese. I am really going to miss....cheese more than I miss pizza. And sour cream. And cream cheese. And eggs. But I know, there are great alternatives, that I am going to try.

On a lighter note, my Mr. Magoo is loving my "vegan purge" as he is getting to partake in all the meats I still have in my house.

I smell chicken!!!

Adopt a Shelter Dog Month...

I was always a "pet snob". I only wanted pure bred cats and dogs. Papers in tow. I never ever thought I would adopt a "used" animal. That is, until one stole my heart.

It is adopt a shelter dog month. I put together a little video in honor of my trash to treasure dog in hopes that more people can see that just because a dog doesn't look perfect, he can still be a loving companion.

With love and patience, I rescued this shy little shih poo after a life in solitary confinement... a cage. Being good for only one thing...breeding in a puppy mill.

He didn't know humans, treats, toys, stairs, petting, snuggles potty training, or love. The biggest thing was..love. Shelter dogs deserve a happy ending to their lives of misery.



The song is by my favorite singer/songwriter Edwin McCain "The Lucky One".

I have had lots of pets, but the special bond you achieve from rescuing an animal, and showing them how life "should be" is unexplainable.

I hope that you take the time to consider a rescue pet. And if you are unable, make a small donation to your local no-kill shelter. If not monetary, they always need used towels, blankets, etc...

Shelter dogs aren't broken!

We All Love...

Sometimes you have a bad day at work, and  then, everything starts to feel bad, and you can no longer keep up a strong front.

"I'm no spring chicken.  I thought I'd own my own home by now. Why don't I have a significant savings? What if I wind up alone and a ward of the state when I am old, without a hand to hold, or even my cats to comfort me? I am such a good person with a big heart, why am I still alone?"

And then I heard a song that made me remember feelings I thought I had forgotten, so then...I sobbed the entire drive home.





After my good cry...I came home. To an apartment that I love, and pets that I adore. I had friends to talk to, and a family that would listen to my endless tales about times gone by.

Mr. Magoo shows off his only front tooth alot. I also captured his one good eye in this shot. 

It's ok to still hurt. It only means I am still not ready to move on. Which is OK. We all have our own demons to face before we find our pot of gold at the end of the rainbow.

I have not yet become bitter about love. I still love it and all that it represents. I still feel optimistic that I am going to have that amazing feeling again. I just refuse to settle for someone. I want "the one". I have plenty of prospects, and dates, and guys that like me, but really....it means nothing to me. I want so much more than that. I could settle down, but I refuse to "settle". None of them light my fire.

"Everyone says love hurts, but this is not true. Loneliness hurts. Rejection hurts. Losing someone hurts. Envy hurts. Everyone gets these things confused with love. But in reality love is the only thing in this world that covers up all the pain and makes someone feel wonderful again" -Greg Braden

Rescue Dog Days of Summer...

I live in Northeast Ohio. Once in a blue moon, the temperatures reach 90. It's rare. I don't remember the last time they have exceeded the 90's, let alone, for weeks on end, as they have been, and caused such distress on the inhabitants....dogs included!

This is Mr. Magoo's sad and pathetic "I'm bored" face...he thinks I'm terrible for not walking him, or taking him to the dog park in the hot weather, but he is a stumpy faced dog, he can't cool off in the heat...it's for his own good

 So, as any good Mother would do, I finally went and got him a doggie pool. At first, he's not sure about it...what's this business? 

Then, after a quick backyard chase session, he decided that it met his approval..."yes, this feels nice!!"

"Thanks for the pool Mom!!" (I got a kiss!)

From 4 years of life in a cage w/no human contact... to having his own doggie pool, and a human that thinks the sun rises and sets with his sweet face....Mr. Magoo hit the jackpot with my adopting him.. and as always, I am equally as lucky for having adopted him...

Later That Day....

Every time we "went outside" which usually means "potty"...we had to check out our pool..... I didn't have the heart to correct him. He lounged around in the pool, and then still did his business. 

I'm just going to go through a lot more towels each week than I am accustomed to... it's totally worth it to see how happy he is walking around in that silly doggy pool!!

Cutest Dog Ever...

We take a break in our half marathon high, to make you smile with pictures of the cutest rescue dog in the world! I may have mentioned a few billion times how Mr. Magoo lived his first 4-5 years in a cage as a puppy mill "stud" and when he quit "performing" he was set to be destroyed.

I lucked out on this little gem at my local rescue. Rescued, and then twice adopted and returned for his shyness, and inability to "click" with his owners after only a few days, to a week. He is my "diamond in the "ruff"' because he is so adorably sweet and happy now, all he needed was patience, and love to be the dog he always wanted to be! You would never know he is as old as he is because he acts like a puppy!

Mr. Magoo, giving his "good eye", while sucking up the a/c in the car!

We are leaving the dog park, Mr. Magoo is exhausted.

From life in a cage to taking over our new couch...can you tell how hard his life is?

Mr. Magoo, certified Ford Fusion co-pilot. Slacking on the job, as usual. 

 

Magoo learned how to ruin our new couch by laying on the back, from the cats. 

Mr. Magoo is an honorary cat. Here he is participating in a snuggle with Persian siblings Fizzgig, and Pickachu. 

Little do the cats know...Magoo destroys the paper towel rolls, and blames it on them..busted!

I call this "Let sleeping dogs lie"

Probably the cutest most peaceful thing is to catch your dog belly up, enjoying a good ray of sunshine, while snoring. (incidentally, he was in the path of the a/c fan, and the air purifier fan, so he was brilliant)

My short PSA. Adopt a dog in need. Mr. Magoo was abused and neglected for years, to bring the world "designer shih-poo's" to the pet store. You will never be sorry you took a chance on a "throwaway" dog.

Sick Day...

"I wanna play!"

I contracted a horrid cold with fever over the weekend. I missed my miles, a date (nothing major) and I had to call off work on Monday. I hate calling off work.

While I drifted in and out of consciousness, between netflix marathons, vicks fusion doses, Progresso light chicken noodle soup, and liters of water, Magoo was angry at me for not getting him out of the house for a walk.

He took to stealing my afghan, several times, as portrayed in this photograph.

Oh I'm sorry, did you need these tissues for your sore nose?

So after drifting back asleep, he woke me up by the sound of ripping my puffs plus out of the container, one by one...I rolled over, and said "really Magoo?" then I snapped this photo... he yawned , and walked casually to the end of the couch, and jumped up for a nice long nap.

Reason 567,898,736 not to have kids, if this were a human child.. after the first time I ignored his attempts to make me play, he'd have gotten under the sink and eaten the miracle grow, or drank my boxed wine, then I'd be missing even more work due to jail time.

So, ummm....I'll take my one eyed, 19 toothed, afghan stealing, puffs plus eating, rescue shih poo...any day!

Here's to good health!

Proud Mom...

Mom's of human kids record first steps, or haircuts, or first words.

Mom's of puppy mill rescues, record seemingly simple things. Like...play.

Two years ago, Mr. Magoo didn't know what kisses, pets, baths, brushing, snuggling, eating out of a bowl, or even a treat was, let alone a toy. The first time he started showing playfulness with me was major. Getting him interested in toys, was not so easy.

Chasing, and retrieving a toy is a big step for a dog who lived the better part of his life being moved from cage to cage being forced to "perform".

Mr. Magoo is a shining example of what a wonderful pet an abused dog will make when you give them the patience and love they so need.

And as silly as this video may seem, to me, it's so big. I love that floppy one eyed dog bigger than the moon!

(the cat exhibiting jealousy is Fozzie...with a short cameo of Pickachu on his way to using the pisser)

P.S. If you look closely near the end at his close up, you can see his "elvis" snaggle tooth that he acquired after having 10 teeth pulled. It's pretty adorable.