Thanks to our very talented Kyra, we have a new look!
We really love it and are so grateful that she offered to help us out. Kyra, of K Wensing Photography, specializes in photography services in the suburban Philadelphia region but is also a talented artist. You can see some of her work on her website as well as on Facebook. We particularly love the photo shoot she did with our furry cousins after a recent snowstorm. Thanks Kyra, for helping us make Echo's blog look even better!
You may have noticed we've been off the grid for a few days. Road trips are occasionally necessary and sadly, the pack can't accompany us. This is rarely something they understand and in true Siberian style, they usually let us know exactly how they feel about it. As resilient as they are, when we pass the initial euphoric reunion we prepare for retribution. That's okay though. We're just as happy to see them as they are us. Just don't tell them. We'll get a brief reprieve today as they catch up on their sleep. We'll enjoy the peace while we can.
A Gotcha Day anniversary is a good opportunity to bring you up to speed. Many of you remember Shyla from our original pack. She arrived when she was very young - only about a year old. She was left in an overcrowded, overwhelmed shelter and had mere hours before some tough decisions had to be made. She was emaciated to the point of it clearly being a case of neglect (there's a fine line between neglect and abuse!), and looked like the proverbial deer in the headlights from the noisy, chaotic environment she found herself in. We slowly put some healthy weight back on her but over time, it became clear the early malnutrition had taken a toll. There were significant nerve abnormalities in her hindquarters which we knew would cause some serious issues eventually. Fast forward ten years (now) and those serious issues have arrived. This is a good day:
Peaceful slumber is a win for our senior sweetheart. Due to significant chronic nerve pain, tremors, and now a fracture which was recently found in her spinal vertebrae, we consider any day that she can relax a good day! She's on a cocktail of potent meds which was carefully crafted by our amazing veterinary team who have followed her throughout her life. The meds relieve her discomfort (on most days) and even allow her to play from time to time. Despite her challenges her loving, gentle demeanor prevails. Tomorrow is her GOTCHA DAY and we've been the lucky ones. She's an inspiration for many and we look forward to a few more good years with our sweet girl.
Now that you've met Shanuk, we'd like to introduce you to our "little guy".....Echo's Melee (Melee or "Monkey" for the cutest moments). For those that diligently followed us in the past, you know it would take a very special bundle of energy to bestow a name linked so closely to our beloved Echo! This guy seemed to fit the bill. He arrived when he was 18 weeks old, filthy, terrified, and straight out of a not-so-pleasant puppy mill. Although we had fostered numerous Siberians of all ages, this was our first experience with a puppy mill refugee. It was sobering and heartbreaking. Melee came to us completely unsocialized with absolutely no self-confidence or the typical canine skills you'd expect even at that young age. He was a scrawny little guy who trembled nonstop for the first two days. With our pack's help, he began to realize life wasn't so bad. His charming, affectionate personality began to emerge after a couple weeks and he was cuter than cute.
It didn't take long for Melee to become completely enamoured with big brother/surrogate Mommy Shanuk. Wherever Shanuk went, Melee followed.....
Today Melee is a perpetually happy, confident young man who's ready to take on the world! Which is a good thing because we've got some important jobs for him in the near future. :)
Ralph Waldo Emerson once said - "It is not the length of life, but depth of life". I attribute many of my life lessons to the privilege of spending some very special days with my precious boys - Meeka & Echo. They each came with a story and maybe a little baggage. Though some might perceive that as daunting we never did. In fact, we were always amazed at the wisdom that came with their trials in life. It was ingrained in their souls and made them who they were. Each day was a new adventure and my family and I represented the "extras" in their cast of characters. Some may have found that to be unacceptable - we however, were honored. It is this attitude that is required to successfully coexist with a Siberian. The mere fact that they often would lie next to us, sometimes even touching a paw to our hand communicating something far more that only we could understand.
We always knew one day we'd have to say goodbye. It was just something that would enter your mind and you'd quickly push it aside. Meeka's demise came quickly leaving us a mere 2 weeks to come to grips with the inevitable. A mass was discovered and it swiftly grew. As gut wrenching as it was we made that excruciatingly painful decision that many pet owners must make. A final gift to the one that gave you the best years of his life so that he would not suffer and could leave with dignity. He passed very quickly which to us was his way of saying that he was tired and so ready. Echo left our world on his own terms, sparing us the pain of making that final decision. He was happily playing in our home one minute, and was gone the next - collapsing in front of me, dropping his favorite bone that he had been carrying. I've spent many years pondering which would be worse - having to make that fateful decision for them, or having them make it for me. I still don't have that answer.
Life has changed since they have left us. Many, many tears have been shed. I can barely say their names without noticing the lump in my throat. This ride is over and it was such a good one. The boys were my family's introduction to the concept of rescue. It taught us that the world can be a cruel place yet we are surrounded by compassionate, caring people and have watched so many dogs overcome so much. It has taught us resiliency. Each dog has a story and their gentle faces are haunting, reminding us that no obstacle is worth giving up the fight. We've made many friends along the way. Meeka and Echo's legacy will not end and on their behalf we will continue to devote our efforts and time to rescue. They will forever remain in our hearts and one day we'll see them again.
This will be my final post on Echo’s blog. Although his life has ended, his spirit is alive and is bright. He made so many precious friends through his blog and we have treasured their numerous adventures and comments and will continue to visit their blogs. We hope that Echo’s story has touched some hearts along the way and will encourage others to become involved with rescue even if for just an hour. We ask that in his memory, please donate a small moment of your life to a rescue or shelter. Volunteer for a few hours....ask what you can do to help whether it be transporting, walking, brushing, or stuffing envelopes. Spend a moment petting a rescue dog looking for his forever home.... look into his eyes and tell him that he's special and that he's loved. Tell him he’s beautiful and didn’t do anything wrong. Tell him he’ll find his forever family, and that they’re worth waiting for. Then tell him Meeka and Echo sent you.
On Thursday, July 8th at 7pm we sent our sweet Meeka on his final journey. Although we knew in our hearts it was the kindest gift we could give our beloved friend the pain for us is overwhelming.
Very recently Meeka was diagnosed with a mass in his abdominal region. Within a very short period of time it had grown extremely large. Rather than subject this proud boy to painful surgeries and treatments none of which came with any guarantees, we opted to bring him home where he belonged so that he could spend his final time with his pack. Sadly our time was very limited. We barely had time to come to grips with the reality of life without him. His mind was intact....his body was failing. I don't think there's anything more heart wrenching than that. I have to say that Meeka handled all of this much better than I. To the end he maintained his Alpha status and I could see the others communicating with him. It was subtle but it was there if you watched. They rarely left him alone yet respected his space, lying a few yards away.......ever watchful.
Our hearts are broken. The pain is tremendous. I feel him everywhere yet it's not a comfort yet. I want to reach out and pull him back to me. But I can't. I know that in time it will get easier. Every second feels like hours. I miss his gentle nature. I miss the way he took your breath away when you saw him. I miss his joy when you came through the door, even if you were only gone for 10 minutes.
The outpouring of kind words and prayers has been amazing. One never knows what to say when this happens. I read every email and message left, sometimes only a few at a time because my tears get in the way. I will save them all and will put them in his scrapbook. One of the most profound messages came from a close friend of mine. It's from a book called The Art Of Racing in the Rain, by Garth Stein. It is written from a dog's perspective:
"My life seems like it has been so long and so short at the same time.People speak of a will to live.They rarely speak of a will to die.Because people are afraid of death.Death is dark and unknown and frightening.But not for me.It is not the end.".......... "after a dog dies, his soul is released into the world around us.His soul is released to run in the world, run through the fields, enjoy the earth, the wind, the rivers, the rain, the sun, the - When a dog dies, his soul is released to run until he is ready to be reborn. "
For now I'll hold on to that thought. It will get me through the day. I thank all of you for loving Meeka as much as we did.
We have FANTASTIC news to share! Meeka's surgeon called first thing this morning with some amazing news. Meeka's pathology report came back.....apparently he put a rush on it. Much to the surprise of the surgical staff and vets, Meeka does NOT have a malignancy! We thank everyone for all of their kind and encouraging words, prayers, and those very precious (and quite effective!) Sibe Vibes!
This is Mom speaking - Echo was kind enough to lend his blog to me for what we feel is a very important post. As per our last entry, we've been busy. What I didn't share was the situation we've been coping with regarding our beloved Meeka. It's time to share his story.
A few months ago we discovered - quite by accident - a small mass on his upper gum. It was tucked away from sight so was easily missed upon quick inspections of his teeth and gums which we all routinely do from time to time. We have no idea how long it was there, nor had we ever seen anything quite like it. The next day we were in our vet's office. Meeka patiently let techs and 2 vets pull and tug at his muzzle, tilting his head one way then another. He seemed to know this was important. No one was really able to draw any conclusions as to what it was for sure. It could be a benign epulus....or perhaps something worse however all agreed they'd never seen a malignancy look like that. Several options were presented and we went home - our brains spinning, searching for the right thing to do. Unfortunately any mass in the oral area presents quite a challenge for getting clean margins. The only hope of doing that would be to remove significant bone mass in his upper jaw which would then require reconstruction. To even find a surgeon qualified to do that would be difficult. That meant our best hope would be to reduce the mass, then have it biopsied. The procedure was scheduled. Days later Meeka had a severe allergic reaction. His face quickly swelled and it moved dangerously lower, towards the throat region. This happened twice and despite my best efforts with Benadryl, Prednisone, and some major prayers I could not reverse the reaction. That meant 2 emergency trips to the vet to have an injection to reverse it. We had no clue what was causing this however none of them felt it was related to the mass. Unfortunately this made anesthesia extremely risky for him. We concluded that we need to wait several week to be sure we wouldn't be facing any more of these mysterious episodes. After an extensive blood panel and a chest xray, Meeka had his surgery yesterday morning. We opted for laser surgery since that was our best chance to remove the most tissue. He is recovering here by my side as we wait that painstaking wait for the biopsy results. I look at him and choke back the tears as he stares back at me with those soulful eyes. He's telling me he's okay for now and that I need to be brave. We always knew Meeka had an important job to do in this world. He's been a wonderful ambassador to the rescue world. Countless people have admired him at Meet and Greets and he sent the message that rescue dogs aren't just castaways with baggage. He became the Alpha of his pack. Always mindful of what the others are doing, scolding as needed and making sure they all stay safe. It came to mind that his work is not yet done. As I pray every moment that the biopsy won't indicate a very aggressive Sarcoma, even willing to settle for a malignancy....just please God, let it be a slow growing one - I realize this is yet another task for our proud Prince. He needs to let others know the importance of checking the mouths of your babies very carefully on a regular basis. Our vets have indicated they're seeing more oral malignancies now. Don't just quickly scan the lower gumline when you admire their healthy teeth. Pull up those lips and really look! Look for color changes, texture changes, swellings - and if you see a change, take them in to be checked. This is the message Meeka sends. We ask that you keep Meeka in your prayers.
Wow! Life seems to have gotten away from us! We're sorry we dropped out of sight. It really wasn't intentional - it just sorta happened. Everything's fine and we are touched by the notes many of you have sent through wondering where we went. We're sorry if we worried anyone and feel we really do owe our friends an explanation. So here it is:
That's our girl and Logan! Mom has learned that this horse ownership thing occupies a lot of time. We don't keep Logan in our backyard so that means Mom and our girl have to drive a little ways to get to him. Logan has made so much progress in the past several months that our girl decided to show him this season. That has turned out to be a very good idea because the big guy really seems to like it. And look....he won his first ribbon last week! We're all very proud and are encouraged that there's a bright future for this pair. Unfortunately the barn where he is boarded doesn't have wireless internet. She said she could get alot of blogging done if she could just get that wireless thing going. In the meantime we're taking a bit of a hiatus. She doesn't think it's fair to ask everyone to read our posts and not have time to visit theirs. We really do miss blogging and promise we'll be back as soon as we can. In the meantime we'll be visiting your blogs when we can.
Do you remember Punxsutawney Phil, the groundhog that apparently has the ability each February to determine whether winter will come to an immediate halt or whether it will linger for an additional 6 weeks? If the fuzzy fella sees his shadow he concludes that winter will continue. Obviously not alot of technology goes into that. As a matter of fact we suspect Phil really isn't a willing participant. Think about it. If you were napping quite happily and were abruptly pulled out of your nice warm den to face this:
....how would you feel? I can think of about a million other things I'd rather do. Despite his protests which you can clearly see here:
"I see common sense eludes you"
....these stupid people continue to perpetuate this ridiculous sport each year. So is it any surprise Phil tried to make a break for it this week? Yep - poor Phil tried to escape 3 times from his man made den in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania. Unfortunately he was unable to scale a wall which surrounds the enclosure. I'm thinking it might have something to do with his rather portly stature but I could be wrong:
"I'm just big boned"
We need to help this poor guy! In order to fully understand his plight I decided to pretend I was being held captive:
"This could drive a fella nuts!"
Since I do my best thinking after a brisk play session I knew what I had to do. There was no holding back. This calls for some serious thinking:
We need to put our paws together and help poor Phil out. Does anyone have a ladder?
It's that time again - the Peeps are here! We love Peeps. Mom loves Peeps too. For those of you who don't know what a Peep is take a look:
They're very yummy I'm told. Luscious globs of marshmallow covered in fine colored sugar and are traditionally enjoyed around Easter but can now be found in all sorts of holiday shapes and colors throughout the year. Mom has them stashed all over the place in hopes that no one will find them. She's not very good at sharing her Peeps. She really needs to work on that. The National Geographic channel (one of our most favorite channels I might add) is running a contest. They want to know where you take your Peeps. They ask that you post a picture of your Peeps visiting someplace interesting. You can read all about it here. Here's some pictures they used for inspiration:
I couldn't let this opportunity go by so I asked Dad to fire the camera up. We let a Peep out of the package and he found all sorts of places to visit. Take a look:
Who knew they liked to swim? :
Ruh Roh.....we had to rescue the little guy when we saw this:
I'd like to add that no Peeps were harmed during this demonstration......just so you know.
"I know the perfect place!"
Here it is. The perfect place for a Peep to visit:
My crate! I promise to take real good care of it! Where do your Peeps go?
Meeka 2001-2010
"My buddy's gonna be OKAY!"
"I see common sense eludes you"
"I'm just big boned"
"This could drive a fella nuts!"
They're very yummy I'm told. Luscious globs of marshmallow covered in fine colored sugar and are traditionally enjoyed around Easter but can now be found in all sorts of holiday shapes and colors throughout the year.
"I know the perfect place!"
