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Indy (Oscar) 04/10/04

Indy and I just decided to make time to try and figure out the new camera so we could send you a couple pictures until we get better at this. Indy is just a love. He had a rather rough start at kindergarten/training but we were told to put on a spike collar, was given lemon juice and had time out from the other dogs-- the next class he was great. He had never acted like that when he was with us but the training has been very helpful. We have been able to take him for walks off leash on the walking path, which gives him a chance to run. He loves water. Ya just can't help but laugh. He has been great with the grandchildren, he has made two road trips back to New York and was really good. We have one more class and then we are hoping to sign up for agility. He is with me most of the time so he has make lots of friends. He goes nuts when Den comes home. I'm not sure how much he weighs but he has filled out.

01/17/05 In December, Brody had surgery for removal of the anal sacs and we were thinking positive that his lab work would come back normal. No such luck, it came back malignant. I have taken him to the University of Wisconsin small animal clinic. He has Anal sac adenocarcinoma of the apocrine gland of the anal sac For this they recommend surgery (which he had) followed by radiation and chemotherapy. He will be in the hospital for 5 days, then weekend off (I can take him home or to local hotel for a break). This treatment goes for three weeks followed by 2 more chemo treatments. It's beastly expensive $8,000. but they have had really good success. Median survival time in dogs treated at UW is 2-3 years. Brody has been a challenge and a joy and we have totally bonded! The treatment will be rough for him (me too). We are going to start on January 24th. We do hope he has a few good years ahead of him.

01/22/05 Brody and I leave Monday a.m. for Madison and he starts radiation on Monday. His oncologist has tried to prepare me for some of the side effects of the radiation. It will be a rough go, but the results should be an extended quality life for Brody. At first, I thought I could drive him back & forth each day. The Dr. assured me that is not possible, so Brody will remain there for his treatments. He will have radiation everyday for 5 days, then have the week end off for 3 straight weeks. He will have to be anesthetized each day. Since I live about 2 & 1/2 hours drive from the hospital, I will be on call to go right away if I'm needed. I will visit mid week and then plan to stay week-ends at a local hotel that accepts pets so Brody can be with me for his two days off. Everyone at the Vet clinic seems very kind & compassionate and they have quite a cutting edge in animal medicine going on there.

Brody and I both need all the prayers we can get. I'm sacred but very optimistic that this will work. I will try to send you a photo of Brody in his new red coat. A new friend made it when she heard Brody had his coat shaved & was going to be undergoing treatment.

02/06/05 Just a fast update on Brody. He has just finished his second week of radiation. He stays at the Vet Hospital from Monday am thru Friday noon when I pick him up and bring him home. The first weekend was great as the side effects had not really taken hold. This weekend has been tough for him. However, he goes back tomorrow for his last week of radiation. The Vet Hospital is absolutely fantastic. Everyone is caring and kind and Brody has made many friends. He is even allowed to walk around the ward at will (I think because he's so big) in the afternoons. Last week he stole the treats out of the technicians lab coat pocket. Please keep some prayers coming for him.

05/01/05 Brody is doing so much better everyday. Jan, Feb. & March were just awful!! Radiation therapy is not for the faint of heart. Brody had all the side effects-but overcame all. He was a favorite at the hospital, as he was there for six weeks. His hair has not come back yet at the site but it will. He goes back the end of May for blood work & ultrasound etc. and we will know if it's working. He is once again playing and chasing squirrels and guarding the property and sleeping thru the nite. I am truly thankful for everyday I have him!

7-13-07 Please let GL volunteers know Brody finally succumbed to the disease & has passed.

Brody: 1994 -2007

Shaia had a very busy weekend! She came to the trial Saturday morning for a bit, everyone met her, she was very very good. Then, she went home and hung out with my mother-in-law for the day. Sharon, my mother-in-law, goes out to the house for the day when we have a trial, and she hangs with the ones left at home so they're not alone all the loooong day! Shaia then spent Sunday hanging around the yard as Darren did chores. When he finished to watch the hockey games, she was outside with Jynx and I while I read on the back deck and threw the ball for them. If nothing else, she will most certainly lose weight just being around my house! It is a very busy place. She took a bit of a nip at Jynx once, Jynx just stood there and looked at her as if "pull yourself together"! Shaia didn't quite know what to do, so just sat there. It was VERY entertaining!! lol Shaia and Jaymee are quite smitten with each other and play alot in the house. To see Shaia's updates, visit www.standsurebordercollies.com .

Steele 04/04

Adoption Date: 4-3-04
Foster name: Steele
Adoption name: Steele
History: Steele was purchased from a pet store, as a puppy, because he was so cute and cuddly. However, a few months later the family felt Steele was playing too rough with their little children. Rather than enroll Steele in an obedience class, a "Free to Good Home" ad was posted. Luckily, a GLBCR volunteer found the notice and called the owners.

Update: 11-29-04 Steele is doing great, though it was a bit of a rocky start for us. As an animal keeper, I have trained a variety of animals, but Steele was a whole new challenge! Of course, that is what I had hoped to find when looking for a dog to adopt. Another challenge was that I had to leave for ten weeks this summer to do an internship at a zoo.
Steele needed more attention than Ryan could handle alone. So, Steele stayed with my parents for a couple weeks, until we were able to find a wonderful board and train opportunity. Steele went there for the last month of my internship and came back with a solid foundation to continue his training. Then, we went through training, with the handler and the dog. We are getting married in August and Steele is going to go spend another month for advanced training.
We have completed a beginning agility class and Steele shows goodpotential. The next class is obedience for agility. Hopefully, it will help us learn how to channel his energy, since he just wants to go, go, go and that isn't always safe on the agility equipment. Our focus right know is getting Steele to greet people more appropriately. He understands that it is not appropriate to jump all over us and certain people he sees a lot. But, when new people greet him, he gets so excited, it is difficult to keep him from jumping on them. This wasn't an easy thing to train. Most handlers suggest to turn away and ignore the dog when it jumps to greet. However, if Steele is in a playful mood and you turn your back to him, he'll bite your behind ;-) Try to ignore that! Thankfully, we are past that stage.
Steele has definitely created quite a little niche in our lives. One would think wehave children because of all his toys spread about the place. I've spent a lot of time restuffing and sewing the
squeaky toys he's gutted. Luckily, that has slowed down. Maybe he finally figured out that if he doesn't open them up he gets to keep them longer. Being a grad student, I often work on the computer and look down to find all of his toys around me. Of course, Steele is there too, waiting patiently or impatiently to play.

Foster Name: Maisie
Adoption Name: Daisy
Adoption Date: April, 2004
History: Maisie was pulled from a Michigan shelter by a GLBCR member who then stopped and did a home visit for a prospective adopter on her way home. The family liked Maisie so much they decided to adopt her as soon as her two-week evaluation period was up.

Every thing here is Great !!! Daisy is wonderful. She has fit in as if she had always been here. She and David hit it right off. He is in a 4-H club now. They meet every Tuesday and work with their dogs teaching agility, obedience and showmanship. Also learning how to care for their dog and about the breed they have chosen for ther project. Daisy is so much fun. Playing with all her toys she sure keeps us busy. Thank you again for finding Daisy for us, she truly has enriched our lives. 04/04

Nigel 04/04

Budge (Blackie) 04/04

Adoption Date: 4-04
Foster Name: Blackie       Adoption Name: Budge

Update: 11-09-04
Budge is a delightful dog, full of the joy of life, and I am so happy we found each other! Budge fit in to my "family" as soon as I brought him home 6 months ago, although my 12-year-old BC mix, Tess, was a little overwhelmed by his exuberance. But Budge sooned learned his limits around Tess and they became good friends. Unfortunately, no dog lives forever, and about 2 months ago I had to put Tess down. Budge gently licked the tears from my face as I cried for my departed friend, and for a few weeks he always searched around the apartment for Tess whenever we'd come home
from a walk or car ride. Budge is so full of life. He loves everyone and is so gentle around little kids. He bounds through the woods on our morning walks as though he has deer DNA, launching himself over fallen trees with ease and navigating through thick underbrush at high speed like a radar guided rocket! He has become very trustworthy off-leash, and comes back to me when I whistle or call him. He loves nothing better than chasing a deer or squirrel or rabbit, which I'm sure he believes were made just for his amusement. And he loves to play and romp with other dogs, and absolutely lives to swim in the summertime. One of his favorite games over the summer was "diving" for submerged crabapples that had fallen into his wading pool. He would paw at them until he had them cornered, then plunge his entire face under the water to retrieve his prize. And Budge has his mischievous side, too. One of his earliest "tricks" was picking up my underwear off the bathroom floor while I was in the shower, and depositing it smack dab in the middle of the living room floor.
Lately he has taken to silently stealing a banana off the kitchen counter, peeling it, and eating the entire fruit! His favorite toy is a plush monkey that screeches when he bites down on it. I'm convinced that Budge thinks it's alive as he'll walk around the apartment carrying it in his mouth and softly whining. Budge is a Godsend, and I'm so thankful for all the hard work the GLBCR volunteers put in to give Budge a second chance. And thanks, GLBCR, for taking in BC mixes as well as purebreds! Budge is a perfect example of what a fine dog a BC mix can be.

It's been a year now since we've had Marley (Ruby). She is doing very well with us. She is such a loving dog who still never stops kissing. She looks up to her big sister, but Joey, the older BC, still has to remind Marley that she is the boss. I've been missing out on a lot of Marley's proud moments. Just a couple of weeks ago Marley has become such the water dog, last year she was afraid to go into the water and now we can't even keep her out. She doesn't actually swim in the water but she will lay in it. Here are a couple of pictures of Marley at our favorite place to go.

More Pictures