I have to brag.....

[JLH]

My puppy monster and I are now a certified pet therapy team with Easter Seals Dogs On Call (DOC).

Jazz has been diagnosed with hip dysplasia. Thank heavens, we have pet insurance on both dogs. (Embrace.) She'll be two on June 7th.

[Zizzle]

Cool!

[Polly]

Congrats Joan!

A former golden of mine, Jeffy, was a "Pets on Wheels" volunteer. We were assigned to weekly visits in a nursing home where the residents were quite disabled and had little to no family nearby. It was so rewarding! After about 4 mo. I realized that no one knew my name but that everyone knew Jeff's name. The residents would wait in their wheelchairs by the front door on our visiting days, clutching food that they had saved up from their meals to give Jeff. (Of course, I couldn't let him eat all of that food - I took small dog treats that could be fed to him). For Christmas, I took a photo of each resident with Jeffy and gave it to them.

Sorry to hear about the hip dysplasia. My last golden, Rusty, had it and lived for 14 years. He slowed down during the last 2 yrs. but had an excellent quality of life, I think.

Love,

Polly

[mbeezie]

Joan,

That is so cool! Dogs have such an amazing ability to lift our spirits. Kudos to you and puppy monster I had hopes that my puppy monster (Minnie, the retired greyhound) would be such a dog but we are not headed in that direciton. She a sweet girl but SHE is the one that needs therapy;-)

Mary Beth

[Stanz]

Congratulations to both of you.

[Lesley]

That's terrific Joan. It took those places a long time to realize how much joy dogs give the residents, but I am glad they got there eventually.

[Gabes-Apg]

awesome news and congratulations



(not sooo awesome about the hip thing....)

[MaggieRedwings]

Congratulations Joan and to your doggie too!

Love, Maggie

[JLH]

Thanks, all y'all. She still is quite a monster at 2 years old. She weighs around 75 pounds now, at least 10 pounds heavier than our older Borzoi. She still whines and barks. UGH.

She just has her basic certification which allows her to go to assisted living and nursing homes. Our older dog has two more certifications which allows her to work in hospitals and work with PT, OT and speech therapists. (I probably won't go for those because with MC, I can't make an appointment and not be able to show up for it.) What we do now is a small group thing so if I can't make it, not a big deal.

[JLH]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eYFbTqbMTVU

Our older girl is the black and white dog with the little girl in the night gown and in a Tuscaloosa photo. (DH went on WW and lost almost 25 lbs, after this video.)

MB, our older dog needed therapy when we first got her because she was not well socialized because of illness in the breeder's family. Also, her sister, Sweet Pea (NOT), terrorized her.

At her first obedience classes, all she wanted was to hug the wall and get out the door.

[JLH]

Polly, the first clinic (our new vet) missed the dx but I knew something was not right and took her to another vet who took x-rays and said it was in the right hip. Prescribed Dasaquan. Took her to a specialist who said it was in both hips and prescribed Adequan shots.

We changed vet because we didn't agree with the old vet's (over)vaccination policy.

http://www.dogsnaturallymagazine.com/dr ... s-webinar/

[Stanz]

Aw, that made me cry, Joan. So wonderful that you and DH do this together.

[JLH]

Thank you very much, Connie. I hope everything is good with you.