3VS Havanese

05/06/2023

They always brighten my day! 💕😎😍 And help to heal sorrows.

05/01/2023

04/30/2023

Lily, 3VS Raising the Torch
2/5/2010 – 4/12/2023

It’s time to write about losing my sweet girl Lily, 3VS Raising the Torch. Lily went to Permanent Sleep Away Camp on April 12, 2023. It’s been over 2 weeks. I keep waiting for this to get easier & it just isn’t happening, so I’m going to power through & be done with it.

On Monday the 10th I started to get a little concerned about Lily. I made an appointment for her with our family vet for Friday. I thought maybe it was time to adjust her meds. She’d been successfully medicated for quite some time for a liver issue. Lily at just over 13 years old was certainly in her Twilight Time. But she was eating, drinking, going outside with the rest of my dogs, and still had that essential spark in her eyes! By Tuesday I questioned whether I should take her in sooner even though she could not be seen by our regular family vet. Tony & I talked about it & he said he felt that if we took her in, she wouldn’t be coming home with us. That comment caused me to reevaluate my plan. I didn’t want to believe that her time with us was over, but in my heart, I knew he was right.

When it’s time for our dogs to go to Permanent Sleep Away Camp I use the services of Dr. Jessica Kriner, DVM from MyCompassionateHeart.com. Dr. Jessica is the absolute best in this situation. She never rushes us. She makes sure my dog is calm. And she makes sure that I’m as ready as can be. I believe bringing our vet to our home is the best choice for my dogs. She’s in a place where she feels safe & loved. It also allows our other dogs to say ‘See ya later’. It lets them know exactly where their family member is going. Dr. Jessica helps us make the best of a sad situation.

Lily was from our Olympic Litter since she & her brothers were born during the 2010 Winter Olympics. All 3 puppies were named after a city that had hosted an Olympic competition. My little lady was named after Lillehammer, Norway. I didn’t intend to keep a puppy from that litter. I was not concerned about finding good homes for only 3 puppies. However, every single person that filled out an application for my only female was somehow shady & not to be trusted. One guy called me on the phone & I explained our process to him. He “didn’t have time to complete an application because he was just driving through & thought he’d swing by & pick up the female”. When I declined his delightful offer, he said “You don’t understand, I have CASH”. I assured him that he was the one that didn’t understand! At that point I knew Lily had found her Forever Family & we were it!

Lily has always been my middle child, very unobtrusive, and sweet as can be! I only bred Lily one time & she had a difficult whelp. So, I didn’t ask her to do more than that. She was our only C-section. Actually, she was the only one of my girls that didn’t free whelp. Our vet didn’t have a vet tech available, so Tony & I did that scary duty! She blessed us with 4 perfect puppies & we kept one, our little Maggie. Lily was a wonderful mom! She was still grooming Maggie right up to the day before she left us.

Before this we were down to 4 Havanese: Lily, Grace, Maggie, & Finn. Now, my kitchen seems bigger with one less bed in there. As I’m re-reading this I see I’m giving a lot of miscellaneous information & not a lot about my sweet Lily. It’s simple, I still can’t talk about her or write about her. I know I made the correct decision for Lily… But it’s another piece of my heart at Permanent Sleep Away Camp. My dogs don’t cross the Rainbow Bridge. They’re simply sleeping somewhere else until we’re reunited.

Through the years we’ve had a total of 10 Havanese in our home. I know that seems like a lot, but they’re small dogs with big personalities! We started out with 2 pet Havs, Sunny in 2000, & then my Best Boy, Blaze about 18 months later. When Jenny came to us, we showed her to her CH & then started our breeding program. So initially we only had three dogs. Through careful selection and with proper health clearances we bred Jenny, then Leena, Mimi, Lily, & Grace. We kept what looked like good show prospects from almost every litter. That’s how we got to 10!

We started losing our dogs in 2016. Sunny left us first. Each one took a part of my heart with them. I love Dr. Jessica, but I hope it’s a long time before I need to call her again. I’m sorry I didn’t have more time to prepare myself for this loss. When I know I’m losing one of my dogs I have a routine I follow that makes it easier for me. I schedule a consultation with an animal communicator, Carol Schultz. I want to make sure that my dog understands just how loved they were. Carole also tells me if my fluffball wants to tell me anything. In Lily’s case there just wasn’t enough time for that. Once I realized her time had come, Dr. Jessica was able to be here the very next morning. It’s important to me that my dogs don’t suffer unnecessarily so I was very grateful Dr. Jessica had an opening in her schedule so quickly.

If you’re reading this & you have a 3VS dog, please give them a kiss & hug from their 1st mama. I love & remember each & every one of them.

As for my Lily Lu, I know that her mom, grandma, aunts, uncles, sisters, & brothers were there to guide her, comfort her, & show her the ropes at Permanent Sleep Away Camp. I believe they’re all together waiting for us when it’s our time. I’ll see them all on the other side. I promised Lily I’d take good care of Maggie. I really hope it’s a very long time until they’re reunited.

And now again, there’s only three, Grace, Maggie, & Finn.

04/23/2023

Another timely PSA! Please read the entire article. It's kind of long but definitely worth your time.

Signs of blue-green algae poisoning can begin within 30 minutes of ingestion.

03/02/2023

I was just hanging out on our page & noticed a post from Jean Dodds W. Jean Dodds' Hemopet, Petlifeline, Hemolife & Nutriscan. I was reminded about how important her recommendations were to me about vaccines & titers. It's still important information IMHO so I'm including the link here!

Give your animals the pet care they deserve. Hemopet's testing gives you data to help you understand your pet's dietary needs to improve your pet's overall health.

02/26/2023

Today I’m celebrating the birthday of my Best Guy, ERAS Silver Blaze! 💖 Blazer was born in 2002. I knew he was supposed to be mine from the very minute I saw him on his breeders website! I literally begged her to let me have him.

Sadly, Blaze went to Permanent Sleep Away Camp on July 5, 2016. So when he left me, he was almost 15. That’s a long & beautiful life for a dog! 🥰

For those 14+ years Blaze was my constant companion & well loved family member. He was my 2nd Havanese & he taught me so much about the breed.
Living with and loving Blaze convinced me that I wanted to get more involved with the breed. So a few years later Jenny came along & 3VS Havanese was born!

I’ve been owned & loved by quite a few Havanese over the years. And I have loved each and every one of them.  But Blaze was the dog that owned my heart! Actually he still does (along with Mimi). But her story is for another day. 😊

I will celebrate his birthday every year. And I’ll probably cry buckets of tears every year on July 5th. 

But today is the day for celebrating one of the best dogs I’ve ever known ! I’ll always miss him. 💔I know a day will come when I’m reunited with him on the Other Side. Until then, rest easy my boy & know I still love you. You’re in my heart every day. 💗

10/11/2022

It's been 3 years since we lost 3VS Camelot's Hope at 3VS. 💔 Our beautiful girl gave 3VS our start. Breeding Jenny brought me to the one thing I was really good at; raising puppies. Jen was 15 when I lost her. And not a day goes by that I don't remember her. She passed her awesome temperament on to each of her kids & grandkids. There are many happy families out there because they have a Jenny kid or grandkid. Jenny was a blessing!

06/25/2022

This is a timely reminder! 😊🐾🐶

Please pay attention, your fluffball will appreciate it!

Paws to consider, please.