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In Petroglyph Animal Hospital after being diagnosed with Autoimmune Hemolytic Anemia on June 6; she received 3 blood transfusions and was put on immune-suppressant drugs. She was hospitalized for 12 days; the hospital vets thought they were losing her. I brought her home June 24; she visits our beautiful Dr. Adena each week for bloodwork. She's doing better every week; my nena is a fighter with tremendous spirit.
a rescued Border Collie who herds balls
I visited her daily while she was hospitalized; I took special treats to encourage her to eat, but I mostly just loved her. It was hard for us both to be apart. She had several balls with her, of course, to help her feel more secure and to hearten her on the roughest days.
My Chabeli fought so hard and she seemed to be winning the battle, her red blood cell count continuing to rise; it was so very close to normal when, on Aug 5, she developed a blood clot in her pelvic region ... I had to let her go. Tantas gracias, Chabelita, por compartir la vida conmigo. Me siento tan perdida sin ti/Thank you, Chabelita, for sharing life with me. I feel so lost without you.
and always makes me laugh!
Check out the hand-made collars on The Truman Collar site-- 2 pages of fabrics to choose from, 2 more of trim collars, and several styles for different needs. Matching leashes and other dog gifts, too! Please shop for your dogs on this wonderful site! 25% of every collar sold is donated to Meisha's Hope Fund #338 at the Morris Animal Foundation!.
Casper N Caboodle. All commissions earned from this design will go to the Meisha’s Hope AIHA/IMHA Fund #338 at Morris Animal Foundation. There are shirts, mugs, office supplies and dog stuff, as well as bumper stickers and buttons to help raise awareness of AIHA.
Joanne Dickson and her dog, Maddie, modeling shirts from Casper n Caboodle.
Joanne is the owner/author of the Meisha's Hope website (click on photo) an incredibly informative and hopeful site on AIHA/IHMA. She has written me many encouraging emails during Chabeli's illness, full of information and SUPPORT for which I'll ALWAYS be grateful. She has been working for the AIHA cause for over 16 years, a truly dedicated woman. Her dog, Meisha, was diagnosed with AIHA and was fortunate to go on to live to old age. Joanne and her husband started the Meisha's Hope Fund #338 at the Morris Animal Foundation to sponsor research into the causes of and, hopefully, a cure for AIHA.
THIS PAGE IS FOR JOANNE
with gratitude and respect!
and for Chabeli and ALL special dogs
As I drove home alone from the vet on August 5 there was a low rainbow directly over the village; I passed right through it before turning into my drive.
Chabeli, mi vidita, I miss you every minute of every day. Your presence has been a constant joy and comfort to me. I miss tripping over the current selections from your ball collection. I miss your clever manipulativeness and your comic instincts. I don't know how to live without our strong bond of friendship, companionship, love.... I miss your eagerness to start each new day. I miss the "zone" you entered when a real player like Daniel or Sandy came to visit. I miss your "talking with your mouth full" when you had a ball in your mouth and got excited when you knew we were going in the jeep or when visitors came. I miss waking up from a nap on the couch to see your eyes staring into mine from 6 inches away... and the ball I'd invariably find you had gently tucked into one of my "crannies" -- a bent knee, my neck, under my arm, in the curve of my belly. I miss your anticipating my every move... sometimes before I did. I miss the awesome trust you gave me after I'd taken you away from that miserable place. I miss your nagging me to play ball whenever I was on the phone. I miss your beautiful, effortless leaps and your hairpin turns and your plunges into the Rio Grande. I miss your dropping balls over the front seat for me to throw when I was supposed to be driving. I miss the expressiveness of your face, the intensity in your eyes. I miss stroking your face. I miss your rolling your ball to me down the "bowling alley" of our bathroom. I miss your lifting your front leg to invite me scratch your armpit. I miss your uncanny intelligence and the surprises you so often gave me, a sudden, uncharacteristic kiss, your BC sneakiness when a ball was in play, watching you tiptoe to your water dish as if you were stalking a sheep.... I miss watching you relish your morning kong-breakfast, your tricky snitching of 'Jita's.... I miss seeing your bright face eagerly spotting me as I returned to the car; my heart always did a leap of joy. I miss the comfort of your head on my foot. Thank you for appearing in my life and sharing it with me for the time we had. It hurts so badly to lose you. You've been my shadow, my comfort, my joy, my laughter. My blessing. You had to go, nenita, I know; I couldn't bear for you to suffer. But my heart broke and my life shrunk. I didn't believe I had this many tears left to cry. Eres el amorcito de mi vida, la nenita de mi alma. I will fight this horrible disease as long as I live.
"She is your friend, your partner, your defender, your dog. You are her life, her love, her leader. She will be yours, faithful and true, to the last beat of her heart. You owe it to her to be worthy of such devotion."
For centuries, the Border Collie has toiled tirelessly in his service to us. As the premier herding dog in the world, he has gathered large flocks from great distances and found lost stock in the worst of weather. But more than a herding dog, he has been a war dog, a sled dog, a therapy and assistance dog, a competitive sports dog, a search and rescue dog, a hunting dog and, always, a companion dog. Whatever we have asked the Border Collie to do, he has done. He has never wavered, never faltered, never quit, and never said no to his human partner.
Border Collies are bred for intelligence and working ability. To herd sheep on the mountains and moorlands of the British Isles, a Border Collie needs to meet certain criteria: He has to be independent enough to make his own decisions when he is at a distance from the shepherd. He must control his predatory instincts so he protects the sheep instead of killing them for food---as a wolf must do for survival. He needs the stamina to work in heat or cold, to dart up and down steep hills, and to ignore minor injuries in the course of a workday. He also must be bred with a desire to work in partnership with his human companion, regardless of distance.
Thank you Sal for your beautiful videos, your deep love for BCs, your extraordinary heart and determination.
A Border Collie can weigh from 25 to over 50 pounds. The coat can be rough (long coat), semi-rough, or smooth (short-haired). The coat colors vary. The typical colors are black & white, but Border Collies are also red & white, tri-colored (brown, black & white), liver, blue merle, red merle, yellow, or white with small amounts of brown, black, or red. Freckling on the muzzle and legs is common. The eye colors range from amber to dark brown and sometimes blue. The ears can be pricked, semi-erect, dropped, or a combination. The bone structure ranges from lightweight and graceful to heavy-boned and majestic. In herding, Border Collies circle and stalk the object of interest.
Thanks Joyce & Nancy for opening your hearts to me and for your passion and compassion and wonderful hard work.
The herding pose is head and forelegs lowered, eyes intense, tail down with bottom third of tail upturned. A Border Collie can become focused on any moving object, even tiny insects. It is the attitude toward life and work, not looks, that distinguishes a dog as being a Border Collie.
Work is an attitude, not necessarily a specific task. In addition to herding, obedience competitions, agility contests, frisbee events, visits to nursing homes, chasing a tennis ball -- all can be considered work by a Border Collie. Observe the dog; if his body position is in a working pose, then he considers that particular task to be work. A Border Collie needs regular mental and physical stimulation; if it is lacking, he will create his own -- a recipe for mischief. Unlike some breeds, Border Collies eagerly learn new things throughout their lives. They consider their human companion to be their partner.
After searching the rescue sites for 3 months and getting to know some truly noble people (and one very nasty one) I began to despair of finding "my" dog. Then, early in November I found an article about Miles Allen of Florence, Texas. He has a special story of his own, and I have a strong feeling that my new girl is coming from him....
