Rescued With Love

Sparky has been howling the last two nights. Yesterday he had a dental and had 7 teeth out and was desexed. But he is we believe, missing his life mate who was euthanised on medical grounds at the shelter. We are aware. We are distressed. We have been in contact with our vet - and we are going to try everything. Often it is just time. His life has been tipped upside down and his loss is immeasurable. Even when dogs have rotten owners, they pine for them, love them, and miss them. We will keep you posted on how he goes over the next few days.

We had a first on the weekend. Jean-Louise decided to have a game with Flower. They haven't looked at each other since (except when Pow Pow wants into her food bowl) but it was so lovely to watch.

I just got a lovely update from Willie Wonka's family - he is doing wonderful - and they are quite the little tribe! Wishing them all a happy Gong Xi Fa Cai - and lots of runs in the park followed by cuddles and love! Go Willie!

Flower was playing with the squeaky red head. She was not giving it up - and was being very doggie about it all. While we were having a game, Kween, who is now 16 (and not doing so well) decided she needed to pee on the mat. Nothing to be done but mop it up and keep moving on.... Meanwhile Pow Pow is in command of the red head. Most nights we have games like this - at the moment we are doing it outside on the lawn the weather is SO good and everyone, Quinn and Harry too are out there having such a lovely time. It is busy with so many special needs. Some days are busier than others. But no one is busier than The Power with her red head.

Thanks to Dean and Caroline at D-Wheels Quinn now has a little bit of pep in her step!

This is Quinn yesterday. For the first few months Quinn sat on her bed. I picked her up to move her, she literally didn't move at all by herself. It is only the past few weeks that she will race out the door, noodles at the back and she uses her front legs to speed along the grass to bark (like everyone else) at passer's by. Yes - she barks. A little. She even does stretchy frog pants and scratches her tummy on the floor this past week - another first. Looking back now, and seeing how I was unable to connect with her on any level, and how distressed we both were - she was without doubt grieving very deeply. But the light has come on - and I know she is going to be happier now. She lines up with the others to be picked up to be put on the chair next to me at night. The others will sit with her, bottoms touching, especially Baby Girl and Jean-Louise. Miss Pea doesn't go near her - or hops down when she is around. She does the same with Flower. We had a moment last week on our walk when a dog shot out between two bars of the fencing around their property and went for her. It terrified her, me, and husband. I shooed the dog back, Quinn was stuck up ended in the gutter in her wheels screaming in fear. The owner came out and promptly blocked the hole and apologized - and seeing Quinn in her chair realised how vulnerable she is. He apologized again. We now walk the other way on our walks. And we are extending our walks quite nicely. It is our time together and one day in the future I hope we can go right around the block. :) But I make sure the road and the footpath is cool - she likes being on those because her wheels run faster and she gets up a nice little trot. She still hasn't realised she can race around free in her wheels without being on the leash. She stands stock still and will continue to do so if I leave her on the lawn. No amount of calling or treats prompt her LOL. But Quinn, who had lost her life as she knew it - is starting to shine.

Update on Willie Wonka, our 15 yo boy we helped out of a shelter recently. Well it looks like it's a Hallmark movie. Here is WW on his morning walk. Enjoy the day folks. x

We did our first spin in our new wheels today. Zoom Zoom. We went very fast......

See that tail wag? That is Willie Wonka. How a week in the life of a Rescue dog with no options can change with great people gather. Willie is off to have his dental today with us and then will be adopted to his family. Thank you so much for your amazing support and help us to get Willie safe and loved.

Yesterday was another moment where we saw Quinn enjoy herself just that bit more that really makes my heart squeeze. We hadn't been out in the wheels for about 5 days because the weather had been so dreadful here - and I want to make it a positive experience in every way for her. I strapped on her wheels, hooked her noodles up (her back legs) and she didn't need any encouragement with the leash. She navigated the side garden gate and the front double gate, a first - and waited for me to say which way before she chose to head left. We are sticking mainly to grassy areas to ease the pressure on her front legs advised by her physio and a couple of times she managed to get up a little gallop. Again a first. Ears pinned back she could feel freedom. Every sniff we stopped and waited until she had finished, and a lovely family came over and asked about her, she gave them a hello. They thought she was beautiful. We managed to go to the corner of the street and to the next corner but she was tiring visibly. We did some stops and sniffs and I took her out of the wheels and carried her home, husband carried the wheels. When we got home good grief we had sun shining. So a cup of tea on the verandah and everyone was romping around the garden on the grass, yapping at passers by - and Quinn engaged. A first. She bopped across the grass, noodle legs behind and joined in. I can see when the weather is better - she is going to sit out in the sun with the others. We allowed her to do what she wanted and she moved around a lot and was happy to be part of the circus. I express her bladder regularly - we have a routine, and she often toilets at the same time. It just gets cleaned up with no fuss. This is the way it is. She gets distressed when she smells it and so I make sure she is always fresh, a wash, wipe and nappy change. She has free air time with no nappy at certain times of the day to keep her skin healthy - so far so good. She eats from a raised bowl to hel

Yesterday while Dublin was having his surgery and Martha was having her wire removed, Quinn and I attended her first hydro and physio session. It was a learning experience for me - never having done this before I asked a million questions, as I watched Quinn go through tests and exercises. I found it confronting at times, and overwhelming but the ladies at the Animal Rehabilitation Centre in Mornington were absolutely amazing. www.mparc.com.au (if you want to check them out - they are fantastic) Quinn has been over compensating with her paralysis and has built up a serious set of stomach muscles to curl her body so she can drag her back end around. We have to work to 'un curl' her. So she will be getting a back end harness to straighten her into a normal dog position and along with other exercises we are going to do our very best. The time for the nerves to find new pathways is 3 months. We are at 6 weeks. We are going to treat her as though she will regain mobility and go through the process for the next 6 weeks. It is the gold standard Rolls Royce treatment. Who knows where it will take us....the worst? She will stay as is.... We had her wheel chair fitted and she was terrified of it - so I have a job to work on things there. Some dogs take to them, others don't - but we will try. Meanwhile old toothbrush stimulation on the toes where the nerves are, bicycle movements with back legs, and a little bit of back leg stretch and some soaking in warm water to release the tension in her body. All we can do is try.