Nessa the AmBull

17/01/2024

Hi everybody. Since Nessa's passing I haven't been out on any walks at all. I just couldn't face all the emotions I knew it would muster. Well today, with the falling snow, I couldn't put it off any longer and ventured out! I thoroughly enjoyed it!! 😀
Of course it felt strange not to have her by my side, to have a lead in my hand and smile at her antics. I had a few tears but was generally just soooo happy to be out again! My favourite time of the year for walks and I was reminded just how lucky we both were to have beautiful countryside on our doorstep. I think some of you will recognise it from the photos. 😀
As for the future............ yes, I will be getting another (rescue) dog! I already have a good idea which one but all will be revealed nearer the time!! ;) Take care of yourselves and your pets, Steve.

27/10/2023

Hello everyone, Steve here. I'm still getting over Nessa's passing but, apart from a relapse when leaving John's dogs in Bulgaria, I'm doing just fine! 😀 Firstly I would like to apologise for posting my last post, about Lady, forgetting that most of you would not have realised it was a follow up from my friend John O'Neill's post that I was tagged in. Some of you know or follow both of us and I posted without thinking it through. Tut! 🙃
Whilst I was in Bulgaria John rescued two dogs from the streets. Lady, from Rosa the next village being one of them, and Olive from his own village. John had noticed her and one day gave her some food outside his house. She started to be seen more often hanging around near the shop and outside John's place and, of course, he fed her. Below is a photo I took of her waiting outside his house just before she was grabbed. Then you can see her at Mark and Claire's place, Lululand, being comforted by John a short time later. Now Mark and Claire are a couple who have been doing wonders for the local strays for a while now. Taking in the injured and nursing them back to health, finding some new homes in Bulgaria and the UK and fundraising to help pay for medical expenses and food. Claire even gets up early on Sundays to run a stall at various car boot sites!! (Very early, trust me, I know!! 😉)
If you would like to see the start of Lady's story click on the link to John's page and scroll down to the post on Sept 21st. You can check out the other strays as well.
Thank you all for your time, Steve. 😀

facebook.com/john.oneill.796

14/10/2023

Hello everyone. Lady is doing very well, as you can see. She seems very reassured to know that the (nice and cool) workshop is her safe haven. She's eating well which makes giving her the medication easy. She's also getting more accustomed to all the dogs. She has quite a turn of speed, even on only three legs! She is very affectionate but isn't constantly looking for us now as her confidence grows. She is adorable! 😍

10/10/2023

So I arrived at John's and ALL the dogs gave me a super friendly welcome! ( yes even Jordon, in fact, especially Jordon!!) 😃 More will follow but, for now, here's six of them!😍 Steve.

04/10/2023

Hello everybody, Steve here of course. Firstly I would like to thank you all for the kind words and wishes. I also didn't really appreciate quite how many of you had met, walked and interacted with Nessa!
Since her passing I have thrown myself into catching up with some much needed house maintenance. This has helped me not to constantly dwell on her loss. Now, and this won't be for everyone I know, I also found that packing up all her things and putting them upstairs on her bed helped enormously. I still have that beautiful, large photograph on the wall but I'm not looking at her cushion, bowls, toys etc which would constantly set me sobbing. I felt guilty about it but I had to do it and it certainly has helped me with dealing with such an awful loss.
I have scattered Noos's ashes recently. That was very emotional to say the least. I walked to the paddock first and entered. It was very odd to see the long grass and no tracks from our visits. I walked all around the paddock, scattering a little as I walked. I then headed to the old oak tree we used to visit way back when Noos started posting here. Scattering a little here and there all along the track until I arrived at the entrance to the field where we used to stop and listen to the birds or even silence. Nessa used to like to just stand there listening and sniffing the air, sometimes for 10 or 15 minutes, before we'd turn around and set off for home. I scattered the rest of her ashes there, in the entrance. It felt like my final act and a bawled my eyes out, as I am now.
It's fair to say that, although I desperately miss her, I have coped better than I imagined. Obviously I still have my moments. I read the comments that you wonderful followers have left, now and again, and I'm a sobbing mess but I look at her photo on the wall all the time and I'm sad but happy with all the memories I have with her.❤️
I have also looked at all her photos on here and, of course, they are the pick of the best I have taken. What a fantastic girl you really were NooNoos.😘
Now on a lighter note, I'm off to Bulgaria tomorrow to see John and his TEN dogs. (If Jordon agrees that is!!! :) ) Just the therapy I need I reckon!! 😄
I'll sign off now thanking you all for your time and input and wishing you and all your doggies the very best for the future. I may well get another dog in the future but not just yet. Here are the photos I took at the paddock and the field I speak of. There are a couple of cows in there now.
Thanks again to you all, Steve xx

04/09/2023

Hello everyone, Steve here. I'm afraid I have the worst news. This weekend, my beautiful Nessa has passed away.
A week after her heart got the 'all clear' she started to get poorly. We tried everything but ultimately it was her time. She was 15 or 16 years of age and my constant, loving, companion for 7 of them. I know you all know what she meant to me. I am devastated.
However we all know that, with time, things get better. My life has been enriched by a doting, loving, American Bulldog called Nessa who had the most wonderful, cheeky, character.
Rest in peace Noos, your loving daddy. ❤️

This photo was taken 10 days ago. Bless her.😢

18/08/2023

Steve here. Just been to the paddock, both car doors left open to keep it cool and madam suddenly climbs into the driver's seat, for the first time ever!!! 😂 What was she thinking? Considering it's normally a battle of wills to get her in to go home and the rear seat is hers!!
I don't think my driving's THAT bad!! 😁 Bless her. ❤️

16/08/2023

Hello everybody.😀
I hope you and your doggies are all well. I have just come home from having my tummy rubbed by lots of people! Mmmm. It seems that my heart is still good and I don't need any medication yet!
I'm a bit worried about daddy though. We rushed home because he "wanted to watch the Lionesses in Australia." Surely that's the wrong continent? Anyway, he seems super happy that he did! 😁
Here's a few photos of our life here.
Take care, NooNoos 🐕

17/07/2023

Hello everybody! Daddy was so happy that he caught me out and got a lovely photo of me actually looking at the camera, that he insisted that I shared it with you as soon as possible!! 😀 Speak soon, NooNoos🐕

09/05/2023

Hello everybody! 😃
I hope you're all fine. We're both doing well here. Lots of rainy days at the moment though. NOT my kind of weather at all!! We recently went to the paddock again!! 😁 I was SOOOOO happy. I get so worn out on our walks, if it's even slightly warm, so it was so nice to be able to do what I wanted at my own pace.
Here are some photos from our trip to Portsmouth and some since our return home.
Take care everybody, speak soon, NooNoos 🐕

09/04/2023

Hello everybody! 😃
I hope you and your doggies are all well. We are both doing fine here. My latest appointment to have my tummy rubbed by lots of nice people ended with them saying that my heart was still doing ok and I don't need any tablets yet! 😃 Last month we went on a trip to daddy's family near Portsmouth. Daddy thought I would love all the new walks etc but I didn't. I hardly settled the whole time we were there. I was so happy when we returned home a week later. I guess I just don't like change anymore.
Yesterday we had some very good news. We can use the paddock again this summer!! 😁 This is great timing for me as today it was warm and I struggled on our afternoon walk.
Here's me doing what I do whenever daddy prepares my food, or a snack etc 😁
Take care everybody, speak soon, NooNoos 🐕

05/02/2023

😁

25/01/2023

Daddy said he's 'chuffed to bits' because he took this photo before I could look away!!! You just wait daddy! 😁

24/01/2023

12/01/2023

Here are the photos lost from the previous post!! 😁

12/01/2023

Hello everybody! 😁I hope you and all your doggies are well! Everything is fine with me and daddy. Apparantly I had a fit some weeks ago in the street as we set off for our morning walk but since then I have been fine. Daddy carried me indoors and after a few minutes we set off and had our walk as usual!
Well the colder weather did eventually arrive and I love it!!😀I can breathe so much easier and seem to have the energy to be more 'into everything' as daddy says. I am feeling my age more now but daddy's very careful with our walk selection so I don't have to walk uphill too often.
Life is still good here but I think you'll see that in the photos. 😀Take care, speak soon, NooNoos. 🐕

30/09/2022

Hello everybody.😀
Daddy's all excited and wanted me to show you this, so here you are.
Speak soon, NooNoos 🐕

26/09/2022

Hello everybody.😀
Finally that horrible heat has gone and all us doggies can enjoy our walks again. I can breath better in this cooler weather and walk further. Here are some more photos from life here. I had a little operation on my elbow. It was the same problem (infected lump) as last year but treatment didn't solve anything so it was removed as it only needed a light anaesthetic, daddy said.
The stitches were removed on Friday and all is good!! We did one of my favourite, longer walks on Saturday and daddy was really pleased with me!!😃
Take care of yourselves and, of course, your lovely doggies!! Speak soon, NooNoos.🐕

(Daddy has written an explanation next to some of the photos)

22/08/2022

Hi all, Steve here.
After Nessa's exemplary behaviour at her heart check up, a couple of weeks ago, I thought I'd take a photo of her ladyship having her abdomen ultrasound check up at her vets this afternoon. Chantel and her son Vinke look after my girl.
No she is not sedated at all, nor is she asleep! She stayed in that position for around half an hour and did not move a muscle!!! 😃 Vinke said she was the perfect patient for the ultrasound. (I was lightly holding the harness apart from when I took the photo.)
Thankfully nothing untoward was found. 😀
Take care,Steve

06/08/2022

Hello everybody. 😃
I hope you and your doggies are all well and dealing with the horrible heat we're having!! I am absolutely fine and enjoying having daddy home now he doesn't have to work any more. I am starting to feel my age now and can't go on long walks but I enjoy the afternoon walks in the woods nearby and, of course, messing about in the paddock. 😁
We went in the car this week to somewhere where people put me on a table and looked at me for some reason but daddy was very pleased and will tell you about it now. Take care of your doggies and yourselves. Speak soon, NooNoos. 🐕

Hi all, Steve here. Yes I had to take Noos for her yearly heart checkup on Wednesday at the brilliant University Animal Center in Gent. Recap: Her left valve doesn't close properly. Nessa behaved absolutely perfectly!! 😀 We waited outside (was hot) and she ignored ALL the dogs. Not once did she bark or even seem that concerned by them. I'd forgotten her muzzle (hardly ever use it) so I was asked if I wanted to accompany her for the examination. She was perfect !! She laid first on one side with me at her head and four students all gently holding/caressing her. Didn't move a muscle and looked close to dozing off until the cold lubricant was applied to her chest by the vet !! 😆
The good news is that her heart problem is still at Stage one and needs no medication for the time being but it is closer to Stage two. This means I'll take her back in 6 months to keep an eye on the situation. Stage two means medication.
The other good news is that she's lost weight!! She'd put on some 2-3 kilos and by, literally in some cases, cutting her snacks in half she's lost it again. I'm really so chuffed.
Unfortunately Nessa didn't fully recover from that last Vestibular Disease episode so has a permanently tilted head. It doesn't make too much difference to her and thankfully she hasn't had anymore episodes since.
Nessa is doing absolutely fine and still shows her lovely character
on a daily basis!! Oh, she's also decided that she will take her afternoon naps in her bed upstairs from now on!! 🤣 This involves putting her harness on to go up or down them of course. Her quilt covers her matrass and some of the floor where she lays if too hot. This has enabled me to take a gorgeous photo of her which I know you will all love!! It's the last one here. 😍
Thankyou for your time, Steve