Greetings fellow pet lovers!
There is no such thing as a boring day for me with so many critters running around the house. Sometimes though, those crazy days can be a real challenge when one of my pets is not well.
Our chocolate lab, Sam. is what my vet calls just simply a “tragic case”.
Sam is about 8 years old (we aren’t sure, but roughly 8) but he has the joints of a dog much older than his years. There is only one good joint in is whole body, his left knee. Last week he injured what is already a severely distorted hip joint. His whole leg swelled up like a balloon and he was unable to walk on that leg. With some meds, hot and cold compresses and some restless but motionless days Sam’s leg is back to its normal size, but it will probably never be the same. This isn’t the first time we have had a scare with Sam’s legs but his xrays this time clearly show us that his legs are just not going to hold out too much longer. It breaks our hearts, he is so sweet and is a great companion. We find ourselves grateful for whatever time we are going to have left with him and grateful that God cares for all of his creatures.
But it’s not over just yet and Sam reminds us daily that our time with our pets is always a measured amount of time – so we love now and love big! There are so many things I love about having dogs in the house – but the thing I love most – their capacity to receive my love unceasingly. Loving others is the “stuff of life” – it’s what God made us to do. Sometimes, loving others (people), as we all know, can be complicated. Loving our dogs – well they never tire of our love, question our motives or judge how we love them – they are such a special gift to us!
Being grateful and staying in the moment with them seems so important anytime one of them is sick but it also reminds me to make the best of everything no matter what the current circumstances are. It never fails to amaze me how stoic dogs (especially labs) are. When they are uncomfortable and circumstances are less than ideal they still find cause to wag a tail, show some affection and can find something to be excited about. I love their attitude and I hope I can face life’s difficulties with a fraction of the fortitude my sweet Sam seems to have.
Earlier this week I came across the story of Champ. Here is a link to his story: http://www.safeanimalrescue.com/champ. This is a tough one to read but Champ is true inspiration of survival and so are all the people who rallied to save Champ and to prosecute the perps who hurt him! I love rescue stories, don’t you?
There are many new things on my website this week, here is a peak at some of them:
A free craft tutorial
I made a chandelier for my studio from an old bed frame I found at a junk market. I love how it turned out and this project cost me only $40.
Check out my Craft Tutorial page for a free download of this and other projects.
A new recipe:
I added a new recipe for carrot balls. These are super easy treat for dogs; grass fed beef, carrots and potatoes – how could it get any better for a dog snack!
Check out my recipe page for this and other recipes.
Some new items in my ETSY store:
I added several new pet sympathy cards to my ETSY store (www.etsy.com/shop/TheRescueMama).
These cards are part of my “Anima” line. Anima is the Latin word for soul. Everything I make for this line is made by hand and with the heart of someone who knows how hard it is to lose a beloved pet. I charge $9.99 for these cards (plus shipping) and can ship directly to your recipient if time is an issue.
Thanks for reading our blogletter and always remember that adopting a shelter pet is a chic and stylish thing to!
Kindest regards,
Nancy, The Rescue Mama