Animal Updates

Daphne

Carol · Mar. 18, 2012

Carol and I would like to thank everyone from the bottom of our hearts for all of your support, well wishes and prayers for our little Daphne. When a beloved pet hits a crisis and is facing death, it is the worst feeling ever--helplessness, regrets, and anxiety. One is consumed every moment of every day/night with thoughts and emotions, in this case, of Daphne.

Yesterday I caught my Mom exclaim in the kitchen, "Hey leave him alone Daphne ."

A second later I saw Phoebe toddle into the computer room. "Mom did you just call Phoebe Daphne?"

Sigh, "Ya ..."

Something you might not know about Daphne is that her real SAINTS' name is Daphne 2. When she arrived SAINTS was home to another Daphne (aka Daphie Duck), a sweet and soft golden spaniel who was also known as the pillow queen because she spent her days lounging on the pillows on Carol's king-sized bed.

My mom was thinking about re-naming the "new" Daphne, Matilda, but never did. Daphne 1 is not longer with us so Daphne 2 just became the Daphne.

My mom likes to call Daphne my "first rescue" but really she was my fiance's rescue. A fellow firefighter, recently divorced had told Jiv that his ex-wife was looking at euthanizing Daphne, a 4-year-old incontinent daxi as a last option because it was just too much with two small toddlers. Daphne had slipped a disc December 2008 and was paralysed for 10 weeks. Her family saw her though that but she was permanently incontinent and by the summer of 2009, her family could no longer manage with a new baby just arrived. One thing led to another and I found myself meeting the family in the parking lot of my work as they handed me this little scared and shaking daxi.

I was not what one calls "a small dog person" I just could not understand why people would bred and adopt these little pointed nosed things. How can you cuddle and snuggle these little things? It's like you need to do Yoga to bend down and pick them up for a simple kiss on the head. They can't event jump up onto the couch on their own! And they are small, fast and sneaky, always sneaking out of doors, and running under foot. To me, small dogs were a nuisance.

Anyways, I am not heartless, Daphne was visibly scared on the car ride to SAINTS so I let her sit in my lap as she wanted. She had her little feet in my lap as she stood at the window with her paws on my arm so that she could get a good look out the window to see where this strange person was taking her.

When we got to SAINTS I took her into the back yard and she spend a good 30 minutes tottering to and fro the gate paying no attention to me or my mom.

"She is just upset and scared right now" my mom assured me, "She will be fine a few weeks."

We took Daphne inside and all of the other dogs were crowding her to have a "sniff" and day hello. Poor Daphne looked horrified and violated.

"They will all settle soon when they get used to her" my mom reassured me again.

I left there in tears that day, questioning whether SAINTS was the right place for Daphne. The reality was that she did not have anywhere else to go. SAINTS was her only option at that moment. It wasn't until a week later that I came up to SAINTS on Saturday that I saw Daphne again. I was surprised that she clearly remembered me. She ran up to me and wanted to be with me. Ok, hi nice to see you too. She followed me every where, which I though was weird. I have now had a wiener dog shadow! I wasn't sure whether she liked me or if she wanted me to take her back home .

Needless to say that Daphne soon became the queen of SAINTS and she and I were soon the best of friends. Once my mom adopted her we were also sisters. Daphne would try to boss me around and I would try to boss her around right back. Daphne and I would go on mini-play dates to the shop, suite or park next door and a few times I even took her home for some fun.

What I love about Daphne is that she is full of spunk. She is a miss bossy pants to the extreme--she is alot like me and my mom. Daphne has found a home at SAINTS and I have no doubt that at SAINTS with Carol, me , Kathy and all of her other friends she has found her perfect place.

Anyways, right now Daphne is on my mind and in my heart and yesterday SAINTS was not the same with out her. She is my best "non-human" friend in the world so I hope she gets well soon and comes home. I can't even think about the alternative. I still miss Paws, Daisy Fae and Tyra, I am not ready to "miss" Daphne too.

Here are some pictures of her yesterday at the vets when I went to see her it was the first time she has not run up to greet me barking and clawing at the ankles with her sharp little diggers to be picked up. She seemed comfortable and I know she is receiving the best care from Dr. Loff and the staff at Eastridge.