Sam the beautiful all-black German Shepherd Dog

The Life of a Dog: Sam's posts from 8/26/04 through 10/5/05

2005-10-07T20:18:00.000-07:00

This blog is by Sam, the beautiful all-black German Shepherd Dog. Nearly 300 posts chronicle his life from the day he was rescued from the Humane Society, to the day he took his final nap, a period of 13 1/2 months. Most entries are written by Sam himself; a few are written by his pet guardian.

Sam the beautiful all-black German Shepherd Dog on 2/5/05

Sam in his personal heaven. Thanks to China and her human for creating this portrait. (Click on the picture to make it larger.)

Remembrance of Sammy by Tami from the DM list. (Click on picture to make it larger.)

The Eulogy To Sam

2005-10-05T23:30:00.000-07:00

This post is written by Cynthia, Sam's pet guardian.
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Dear Fans, Friends, and Cyberdog Buddies of Sam the beautiful all-black German Shepherd Dog,

I set Sammy free today at 5pm PST. There was no one particular reason, it’s just everything all added up. I want him to leave happy rather than when he was suffering. He was so paralyzed at this point that he couldn't even get to his water dish if it was beyond the end of his nose.

Sam had a wonderful day starting with sleeping next to me all night with me rubbing his ears and nose continuously. In the morning he ate lots of ice cubes and an expecially large breakfast. Then he got fresh peanut butter in his Kong and a rawhide bone which he chewed on for hours.

His swimming lesson was great. He and Connie, his swim instructor, called it a truce and he gladly let her rub his ears. He didn't even once try to bite her when he was swimming. There are photos of Sam swimming in the posts below, along with some videos.

Sammy left this world after eating 5 bananas in one day, in fact, he had a banana chunk in his mouth at the very end. He passed away on the floor of the back seat of the suburban, one of his very favorite places, satiated with bananas and treats. He closed his eyes and went to the better place where his legs work again and he can run and bark and actually catch and chew on cats.

While every pet guardian thinks their pet is the best, Sammy was the bestest of the best! I don't need to tell you about his antics; you can read about them in his words right here in his blog.

However, I do want to mention his great attitude through all of his difficulties.

Sammy never lost his sense of knowing what is really important in life: food, ice cubes, bananas, being in the house, car rides, and barking at the cats. His sense of self of self-importance never wavered even as he became less and less mobile. He knew that if an ice cube slid out of reach, it was my job to fetch it for him.

And he kept up his job of barking at the cats, and the squirrels and the birds in the yard, without complaint despite his handicap. In fact, he enjoyed his job tremendously even though the possibility of catching and eating one of the luscious felines became unlikely. The cats kept up their part of the game by continuing to completely ignore him.

He kept working at his personal goal -- biting his swim instructor -- without becoming discouraged despite his total lack of success.

Over time he proved to Elsa the Meanie that he, Sammy, was the top dog and she was subordinate to him.

When disaster struck from the Tsunami and Hurricane Katrina, Sammy willingly gave up his treat allowance to the relevant Humane Societies.

Sammy never figured out that he was paralyzed and couldn't walk. He just dealt with what he could do and lived happily within his physical limitations. He is my hero for keeping his spirits up without fail, and always appreciating a banana.

I will be making a donation to Refugio Franciscano in Mexico in Sam's name.

Additional eulogies to Sammy Wammy can be found in the comments to this post and the surrounding posts, and on the blogs of his canine blogging buddies:

It's time to say goodbye, posted by China, the medium bug-eyed red mutt
Goodbye Sammy, posted by IndyPindy the Husky
Goodbye Sammy, Miss you, posted by Freda the Delta Bunny GSD
Nicknames, posted by Leader dog Willow and Stella the puppy
Ode to Sammy, posted by Heidi the Way Under Dog

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Many thanks to all of the people who helped me with Sammy including his vets and the staffs who cared for him at Adobe Animal Hospital, Pet's Friend Animal Clinic, and the Animal Care Center, the San Francisco Bay Area German Shepherd Rescue group who saved him from euthanasia, the Degenerative Myelopathy Yahoo Group who provided support, knowledge, a variety of DM-specific equipment, and friends galore, his cyberdog (and cybercat) buddies and their humans, his blog fan club, my friends and family who loved him, his swim instructor Connie Frank of Aquadog who laughed off his attempts to bite her, his sibling doggies Elsa, Pumpkin and Buffy who tolerated him, the luscious felines Misty and Charli who ignored him, and my good friend Cindy who kept me going when times were really tough.

The Videos of Sammy Wammy

2005-10-05T20:00:00.000-07:00

All of these videos were taken on Sam's last day at his swimming lesson with Connie Frank of Aquadog.

Sam hated the camera so it was always hard to get good photos of him.

Before his swimming lesson on the grass:
http://www.ourmedia.org/node/70375 Sam I

Swimming:
http://www.ourmedia.org/node/70462 Sam II
http://www.ourmedia.org/node/70385 Sam III
http://www.ourmedia.org/node/70391 Sam IV
http://www.ourmedia.org/node/70393 Sam V
"The False Sense of Security" mentioned refers to how Sam would sneak an attempt to bite Connie by first pretending that all was fine and that he wasn't going to try. In fact, in this last swimming session, he never did try to bite her showing that he knew she loved him and that he didn't want to play the "game" anymore.
http://www.ourmedia.org/node/70457 Sam VI
http://www.ourmedia.org/node/70464 Sam VII
http://www.ourmedia.org/node/70467 Sam VIII

2005-10-05T19:48:00.000-07:00

Photo: Sam swimming on 10/5/05

2005-10-05T19:47:00.000-07:00

Photo: Sam swimming on 10/5/05

2005-10-05T19:45:00.000-07:00

Photo: Sam swimming on 10/5/05

2005-10-05T19:44:00.000-07:00

Photo: Sam swimming on 10/5/05

2005-10-05T19:43:00.000-07:00

Photo: Sam relaxing on the lawn after swimming on 10/5/05

2005-10-05T19:41:00.000-07:00

Photo: Sam in the family room on 10/5/05

2005-10-05T09:42:00.000-07:00

Photo: Looking longingly back at the house on 10/5/05

Photo: Outside in the backyard after eating my breakfast on 10/5/05

2005-10-05T09:34:00.000-07:00

Photo: Outside in the backyard after eating my breakfast on 10/5/05

Photo: No! I don't want you to take my picture! on 10/5/05

2005-10-05T09:33:00.001-07:00

Photo: No! I don't want you to take my picture! on 10/5/05

Photo: Trying to get away from the evil camera in the backyard on 10/5/05

2005-10-05T09:33:00.000-07:00

Photo: Trying to get away from the evil camera in the backyard on 10/5/05

Photo: Eating ice cubes in the family room on 10/5/05

2005-10-05T09:32:00.000-07:00

Photo: Eating ice cubes in the family room on 10/5/05

Photo: In my favorite spot in the family room on 10/5/05

2005-10-05T09:29:00.000-07:00

Photo: In my favorite spot in the family room on 10/5/05

Photo: At the German Shepherd Rescue Picnic on 9/11/05

2005-10-05T09:27:00.000-07:00

Photo: At the German Shepherd Rescue Picnic on 9/11/05

The Happy Dog with Lots of Problems

2005-10-02T14:02:00.000-07:00

I'm home and happy! I've been home since Tuesday when Mom came and picked me up at the vet. I almost had to drive home though Mom was so traumatized by the bill. I know I am a lot of work to take care of and Mom is really busy with packing and winding up the house sale and working on her consulting business and her new apparel business (WearAware). Plus we got the really bad news that Elsa most likely has degenerative myelopathy too. Mom can barely manage taking care of me -- having two German Shepherds that cannot walk at the same time seems unmaneagable.

I'm very upbeat all the time because I am only a dog. Even though I don't get treats anymore since Mom is afraid I will get aspiration pnuemonia again, and I have to eat my food standing up (Mom holds me up while I eat, luckily for her I eat very, very quickly), I still get lots of ice cubes, I get to be in the house 99% of the time, and I get ear rubs and nose squeezes all day. Who could ask for more?

I just wish Mom didn't worry so much about me and now Elsa too.

The Feverish Dog

2005-09-22T21:55:00.000-07:00

I'm still in the Adobe Hospital ICU recovering from pneumonia. I'm eating great and alert and happy, but Dr. O'Day says my fever still spikes too high (103.9 today). She wants me to stay in the ICU one more day. Dr. Shandro will be taking over my care until Monday when Dr. O'Day returns. I like both doctors very much. Dr. Shandro was my vet when I had pneumonia in July.

Mom came to visit me tonight and told me she was taking a trip for a few days. I'm not happy about being stuck here with no visitors, but worse, Mom forgot my BANANA! She promised to bring me a whole bunch when she returns. I sulked a bit but what can I do? I'm stuck here...I can't run away since I can't walk. Besides, the food is great.

Mom said she is temporarily dogless. Elsa is in the kennel at Pet's Friend, Buffy is with Kodi, Pumpkin is with Bandit, and of course I'm here at Adobe Hospital. Mom still has the luscious felines, but tomorrow they go to Hemingway Cat Hospital for boarding. Only the birds will stay home in their outdoor aviary, cared for by Critter Care, while Mom is traveling.

I'll be moving from the ICU to the medium care unit tomorrow and it will be hard to blog from there. Stay tuned for when I come home next Tuesday!

The Improving Patient

2005-09-21T21:04:00.000-07:00

It's me Sammy! I'm still in the ICU at Adobe Hospital. Mom came to visit me today at 6pm and I overheard her talking with my vet, Dr. O'Day. The vet says I still have a high fever (103.9) so I have to stay in the ICU till tomorrow. Then I'm going to move over to the high maintenance boarding section so that Mom can take a short trip to Missouri. I'm not happy Mom is leaving me here for extra days but she says she has to find us a new place to live. Well, we gotta have a home!

Mom brought me a banana and I got to eat the whole thing all by myself, -- no forced sharing with Elsa and Pumpkin (Buffy doesn't like bananas). I begged for the peel but Mom just dangled it in front of me and laughed at me and then threw it in the trash. Dang.

Dr. O'Day put me on two new medications (along with all of my antibiotics to cure my pneumonia). These new medications -- DES and Proin, are to help me control my bladder. I've got a catheter in right now and will keep it in till I go home. Mom says she is really eager to see if these medications work.

There are some luscious felines here -- all of the doggies are on one side of the ICU and the cats are on the other side. This means I have a great view of some of the kitties. I particularly like to watch the kittens -- they look like they would be especially yummy. I stare at them longingly but so far none of the help has bothered to toss me one. (No offense intended to my felines fans -- I'd love to chomp on your soft furry lithe bodies too!).

The Very Ill Dog

2005-09-19T20:46:00.000-07:00

This post is from Cynthia, Sam's pet guardian.

Update at 7pm Tuesday Sept. 20

Sammy Wammy is better! I visited him at 6pm and he was alert, catching treats, drinking water, eating his food, etc. I had a long talk with his vet which Sammy overheard. Sammy is planning to sneak out of his cage later tonight and blog his status by using one of the clinic computers when they are busy saving another pet.

Update at 10:30am Tuesday Sept. 20

Dr. O'Day called and reports that Sam is doing better! His fever went back up to 104 but he is eating and is alert. I wasn't able to visit him this morning...will be going this afternoon. He will be in the ICU for at least another day, probably longer. It's lonely here at home since Buffy is with his cousin Kodi and Pumpkin is with his cousin Bandit. Just me and the personality challenged Elsa (my 15 yr old GSD).

Update at 3:30am Tuesday Sept. 20

Sam is slightly better. He is on oxygen thru a tube and was given an anti-anxiety medication so he could stop worrying about breathing and relax and sleep. His fever is down to 103 (101.5 is doggy normal). I will be visiting him at 10am when his vet comes back to work.

Original post at 9pm Monday Sept. 19

Sammy Wammy is very ill with aspiration pneumonia again. It came on suddenly this morning; he has been at Adobe Hospital in the ICU since 12:30pm. Dr. O'Day has been taking care of him.

Sammy was eating when he went into the hospital, but at 5pm when I visited him he was no longer interested in food. His fever has gone as high as 105.5 is now at 104.7. He is on oxygen, an IV, and 3 types of antibiotics. X-rays showed the pneumonia is in both lungs, although not very severe. He is also anemic again, which no vet has ever been able to explain.

I just spoke with Dr. O'Day at 8:30pm to get this latest news. Dr. Rogers, who is the nighttime vet and cared for Sammy before when he had aspiration pneumonia, will be taking over from Dr. O'Day until 10am tomorrow. Dr. Rogers will call me if Sammy takes a turn for the worse.

I am very worried as Sammy Wammy looked miserable when I saw him earlier. He did recover beautifully from his last bout of pneumonia though so I am also hopeful.

Cynthia

The ASPCA Donation Banners

2005-09-18T20:39:00.000-07:00

The ASPCA now has donation banners to put on blogs. I've added their two banners, one has a dog and one has a cat. Why the cat? Because if cats didn't exist who would I bark at?!!!

The Nicknames

2005-09-17T21:03:00.000-07:00

I've got a lot of nicknames. Sam is my real name. But Mom calls me all kinds of other names.

Sammy
Sammy Wammy
Sammy Wammy Tammy Shammy Phammy
Sambo
Sambo Tambo
Sammy Pie

and so on.

Doggie Bloggers -- do you have nicknames too?

Some of mine seem kind up pupish, but hey, Mom smiles and talks sweetly when she says them and sometimes she throws me a treat!

Sammy Wammy

The Bee Man

2005-09-17T06:33:00.000-07:00

Found this photo on SFGate. This man has lots of pet bees. We only have the one -- BOB -- the Big Orange Bee (male Valley Carpenter Bee).

Buzz in the hood: Thousands of killer bees form a swarming balaclava on Marin Tellez in Bucaramanga, Colombia. The beekeeper was trying to cover himself with roughly half a million Africanized bees to break the 1998 Guinness world record of 350,000. -- SFGate

BOB - our pet bee. Mom took this photo that was later published in the SF Chronicle along with a story about our California native plant garden.

The Humane Society Needs Your Help!

2005-09-16T21:40:00.000-07:00

Urgent message from the Humane Society!

Please help get the word to the federal and state governments that the animal victims of Hurricane Katrina need their help.

Volunteers in the region are doing all they can to rescue starving and stranded pets and other animals, but they need federal assistance now. Here is a link to the web page with the phone numbers you should call.

The Saratoga CA Shack is for Sale

2005-09-15T19:09:00.000-07:00

Our house is on the market! I'm clueless about what this means but I can tell you that 8 strange groups of people came stomping thru the house today. I was out in the dog run keeping quiet and spying on them.

There's a bunch of photos and 360 degree views of the house here:
http://www.seeitbuyit.com/tour.php?ID=14380

Below is the REAL photo of the dining room. Uncle Brian fixed this photo up so it is more realistic.

Buffy in the dining room

The Google Blog Search Tool - Is it any good?

2005-09-15T18:00:00.000-07:00

Judge for yourself by searching for German Shepherd dog.

Hey, what's way up there at the TOP in the "related blogs" section?

Woof, woof, WOOOOF!

The Photographic Celebration of the Dog: in St. Louis, starts February 26, 2006

2005-09-15T10:20:00.000-07:00

I'm stuffing envelopes with my photos! Hope to see some of my cyberdog buddies there too.

You Ought to be In Pictures!
A Photographic Celebration of the Dog
A first-ever of its kind canine photo exhibit will be on display at The American Kennel Club Museum of the Dog in St. Louis beginning February 25, 2006.
more info

The Real Discrimination Story of Hurricane Katrine

2005-09-14T21:55:00.000-07:00

Canine, Feline, Avian, Equine, Bovian, etc. discrimation exposed!!!

Hey, I read it in the New York Times!

I know my mom would never, ever abandon any of us doggies even if the earthquake from hell swallowed up all of San Jose. She'd even protect those luscious felines and the screechy birds too.

Dogs Are People, Too
By JOHN LELAND
Published: September 11, 2005
New York Times

FROM the terrificpets.com discussion board came the 12-exclamation-point alarm: "OMG !! ... I just heard on the NEWS there may be 50,000 animals LEFT BEHIND!!!!!!!!!!"

As reactions to the Katrina rescue efforts have been divided along lines of class, race and political party, they have also highlighted another schism: between dog haves and dog have-nots. Animal owners around the country have responded with outpourings of sympathy, hurt and outrage: How could rescue workers have barred pets from helicopters and shelters?

Forum: Hurricane Katrina

"There's been a lot of talk about this at the dog run," said Carol Vinzant, who brings her shepherd mix Jolly to the dog run in Tompkins Square Park in Manhattan. "They're forcing these dog owners to abandon their dogs, which in ordinary times is a crime itself. Hundreds, maybe thousands, of people died because they did the right thing and stayed with their dogs."
Jo Sullivan, a spokeswoman for the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, said the agency had already received more than $5.25 million for rescue efforts, along with shipments of food, blankets and other animal supplies.

Such animal generosity is nothing new. After the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks on the World Trade Center, the A.S.P.C.A.'s New York branch received so many supplies that it had to stop taking donations.

Last week, as teams of rescuers combed through New Orleans on separate missions - one group taking people without animals, the other taking animals without people - many residents were still refusing to leave without their pets.

"When we all re-evaluate this event, it may make us rethink the way we do human rescue," Ms. Sullivan said.

For Elizabeth Finch, the owner of two dogs named Zorra and Hans Blix, the sight of citizens forced to choose between their pets and their safety was, like the disaster itself, indicative of broader social rifts. "Not to equate people with animals," she said, "but this fits into a bigger model of discrimination."

John Amis/Associated Press
Valerie Bennett, of Slidell, La., reunited with Lady in Atlanta.

The Big Move

2005-09-13T21:32:00.001-07:00

I've mentioned this briefly before -- we are moving! Mom says first we are going to Missouri and then maybe somewhere else. Mom says the most important thing is to sell this overvalued shack in earthquake country before the real estate market crashes, or the big one hits, or both! We've been really busy fixing up the house and packing (that's the royal we, the truth is I haven't had to do zip) and tomorrow, finally, the house goes on the market. Mom and Elsa and Pumpkin and I have to skip out from 9am-1pm for the realtor tour. Mom's going to take me swimming with Elsa and Pumpkin as my peanut gallery (Buffy is still on vacation).

AlthoughI haven't done any work I've been supervising Mom and Michele do the packing. Incredibly in today's "Cathy" comic strip there is a demonstration of exactly how Mom packed.

click on comic for larger view

I just hope she can find all of my toys at the other end!

The "Operation Pet Lift"

2005-09-11T19:58:00.000-07:00

Thanks goodness billionaires such as T. Boone Pickens and his wife have a soft spot for doggies!

Rescued Dogs Airlifted From Gulf Coast
By BRIAN SKOLOFF, Associated Press Writer
Sunday, September 11, 2005
San Francisco Chronicle
(09-11) 19:32 PDT San Francisco (AP) --

The first major airlift of dogs from the hurricane-battered Gulf Coast left Louisiana on Sunday, carrying about 80 pets to new temporary homes in California.

The Continental Airlines flight from Baton Rouge, La., was chartered for about $50,000 by Texas oil tycoon Boone Pickens and his wife, Madeleine, in a movement dubbed "Operation Pet Lift."

Complete article.

The Lemon Beagle Puppy Conehead

2005-09-11T19:41:00.000-07:00

Here's a photo of my cyberdog buddy Ditto III the lemon beagle puppy with his e-collar. Isn't he cute!? Stay tuned for photos of me with my e-collar.

Ditto III

The Foods a Dog Should NOT Eat

2005-09-10T22:31:00.000-07:00

Here's a 10-question quiz about foods that are poisonous to dogs.

Mom took the quiz and only got 4 questions right! I'm going to make Buffy taste my food from now on. Naaahhh. Just kidding. I can't wait for tasting and anyway, I don't like to share!

The Alternative to Blogging

2005-09-10T21:30:00.000-07:00

ID: 121304, Published in The New Yorker September 12, 2005

The Vacation for Buffy

2005-09-10T20:55:00.000-07:00

Buffy is on vacation playing with cousin Kodi at Aunt Cindy and Uncle Dick's house. The rest of us are working like crazy on the house and Buffy is lounging around. Oh well, he's pretty useless when it comes to work. He's awfully cute though I guess that's why he gets away with it.

Geez, look at him on that purple velvet pillow. Like he's a king or prince or emperor's pup. He'll probably demand to be called "Prince Buffity-Buff" when he comes home.

Here's Kodi all zonked out after minor surgery on her nose. I hope Buffy is being supportive!

The Conehead

2005-09-10T20:23:00.000-07:00

Yikes, I'm wearing a cone around my neck! I remember when my cyberdog buddy Ditto had to wear a cone. I sympathized with him externally but chuckled internally. Now I'm a conehead too!

Mom got me the x-large e-collar yesterday but my big nose stuck out of it so she had to exchange it today for the xx-large e-collar. At least this one is clear and not purple like the other one.

I have to wear the cone because I am gnawing on a sore on my leg and making it worse. I just do what I gotta do and now I can't do it! At least I can still eat treats and ice and drink water.

Luckily Mom lent her camera to a friend so she can't take a picture of me. We are going to a GSD Rescue party tomorrow I sure hope I don't have to wear this stupid headgear at the party. Well, maybe it's a good thing. It will make me the center of attention which usually leads to treats!

Pet Botanics E-Collar

The Feds to the Rescue

2005-09-10T10:05:00.000-07:00

U.S. Coast Guard and National Guard Respond to Pleas to Help Animals
HSUS
09/08/2005
WASHINGTON – The United States Coast Guard and National Guard troops have begun to allow pets to accompany people who are being evacuated from New Orleans. Their efforts will help The Humane Society of the United States disaster animal response teams and other animal responders who are in Louisiana and Mississippi working desperately to save as many pets as possible as time runs out for animals.
more...

Well, finally!

Woofs and treats.

Sammy

The Banning of Pet Rescue?

2005-09-10T09:56:00.000-07:00

Mayor Nagin is ordering pet rescue workers to leave New Orleans!

An online petition is protesting this action.

We, the Undersigned, endorse the following petition:
A Petition to Protect the Animal Victims of Hurricane Katrina
Target: C. Ray Nagin, Mayor, City of New Orleans
Sponsor: Margaret Barry

To insure that all animals are included in the evacuations occuring as a result of the Emergency Order issued on Tuesday, September 6, in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina and that those animals are provided adequate supplies and shelter until they are reunited with their owners or adopted.

You can find my signature on this page.
Thank you, Sam GSD ! You signed this petition at:9:35 AM PDT, Sep 10, 2005

Please note that I have not checked this out. I find it hard to believe the ASPCA and the Humane Society would allow this to happen. If you have any further information please add a comment.

The Search for Lost Pets

2005-09-09T19:45:00.000-07:00

Photos from NOLA

The Pet Rescuers

2005-09-09T13:48:00.000-07:00

Pet rescuers race against time
By Peggy Mihelich
CNN
Friday, September 9, 2005
Posted: 1:48 p.m. EDT (17:48 GMT)

(CNN) -- On the flooded streets of New Orleans you can hear the dogs barking for miles. They are trapped -- in houses, on roofs, tied to porches. They are frightened and hungry.
For the pets left behind after Hurricane Katrina, relief is on the way, but it's a race against time.
"It's a dire situation," said Melissa Seide Rubin of the Humane Society of the United States.

Read the rest of the article.

Veterinarian Debbie Rykoff holds a dog rescued from the streets of New Orleans.

Best Friends Animal Society has been working with the troops to rescue animals.

Birds from the Jefferson Parish West Bank shelter are loaded onto a truck for transfer.

The Humane Society CauseCollar!

2005-09-09T11:18:00.000-07:00

This looks cool. Mom says she is going to buy all of us one!

COLLAR FOR A CAUSE

Want to help? Buy a Humane Society dog "CauseCollar." The blue and brown collar is fashioned after popular "message" bracelets for people. The slogan on the collar reads "Be Kind" and costs $3. Source: Humane Society of the United States

HELP DISASTER VICTIMS!

Proceeds from the sale of the "Be Kind" CauseCollars will support The Humane Society of the United States’ Companion Animal programs.

But in the wake of devastating Hurricane Katrina, proceeds of sales through September 30, 2005 will be directed to our Disaster Services program, to assist the animal victims of Katrina and other disasters.

To read about The HSUS’ Disaster Relief Teams’ efforts in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, please go to www.hsus.org.

Click Here to Donate Now

Time is Running Out for Stranded Pets

2005-09-08T15:45:00.000-07:00

KATRINA'S AFTERMATH
Time Is Running Out for Stranded Pets
Thousands of dogs, cats and other animals left behind by hurricane evacuees are slowly dying as rescuers struggle to save them.
Los Angeles Times
By Reed Johnson and Steven Barrie-Anthony, Times Staff Writers

The New York Times: Pet shelters fill up with furry friends

2005-09-08T07:27:00.000-07:00

The humans put us in harm's way. Shouldn't they try harder to save us?

This situation is so terrible I am thinking to run for President of American Pets on the platform of "disasters strike animals too".

Sammy

Shelters for Pets Fill With Furry Survivors
By DEBORAH BLUMENTHAL
Published: September 8, 2005
New York Times

Some excerpts from the story:

Wayne Pacelle, president and chief executive of the Humane Society of the United States, said, "In New Orleans alone, we think there are 50,000 pets."

He estimates that they have picked up 200 dogs and 250 cats since Monday. "But we need help," he said. To join the effort, volunteers have to register with the Humane Society at 1-800-HUMANE (1-800-486-2631).

Mr. Pacelle said: "The clock is ticking. We've had 2,000 calls from people who have left their pets behind. We're too late for some, but we may be just in time for others."

Mr. Pacelle said the Humane Society was "not getting the help we need from local, state and the federal government."

"There are policemen and firemen out there who want to help," he said, "but the order on high is to help people, not pets. Three days from now, there will be massive die offs."

<

Dogs that came to the Houston S.P.C.A. together were kept together.

The Stranded and Abandoned Doggies in New Orleans

2005-09-06T21:08:00.000-07:00

Aahhh, my doggy heart is breaking.

The home page of the Los Angeles Times has a photo of two sad doggies stranded on top of a car in New Orleans. One is a gorgeous GSD and the other a brown and white spaniel.

Don't doggies deserve to be rescued too?

Two dogs sit stranded on an SUV in New Orleans, eight days after Hurricane Katrina struck the region. (Reuters)

I gave more of my allowance to the Humane Society today. I've given away all of my treat money for the next 100 years actually. I've spent my great-great-grandchildren's inheritance to try to save some of these poor doggies from death by starvation, thirst, drowning, disease, and so on. Since I can't actually have any progeny (not sure why but Mom says it doesn't matter that I'm "neutered") I thought giving my fortune away was the right thing to do. Luckily since I'm only a dog I cannot dwell on this enormous tragedy. I can only eat my food, beg for treats, and bark at the cats.

The ASPCA Katrina Rescue Diary

2005-09-06T10:21:00.000-07:00

Good information at the ASPCA Katrina Rescue Diary.
Donate to the ASPCA Rescue Fund.

The Search for Snowball

2005-09-06T03:53:00.000-07:00

Volunteers try to reunite boy with his dog
CNN
Displaced pets left to fend for themselves, but some beat the odds
Tuesday, September 6, 2005;
Posted: 4:52 a.m. EDT (08:52 GMT)

NEW ORLEANS, Louisiana (AP) -- Among the thousands of crushing moments from last week's deadly hurricane, one image brought the anguish home to many: a tearful little boy torn from his dog while being shuttled to safety

Complete story on CNN

The Reason Some People are not Leaving New Orleans

2005-09-05T12:19:00.000-07:00

This picture from the CNN website says it all.

"Many are leaving but police say thousands of people insist on staying."

Some reports have said that DOGS are not allowed in the evacuation.

The Thibodaux Church is Sheltering Pets

2005-09-05T09:10:00.000-07:00

Thibodaux church sheltering pets
By Millie Ball
Staff writer for the Times-Picayune newspaper

"Morris looked happy and content as he looked over his temporary flock of humans and pets. 'Animals calm people down. And pet lovers usually have gentle hearts. If you go in the other shelter, people tend to sit still and idle. Here, there's a lot going on. And what's wonderful is the way our students are volunteering and helping wherever they can. For us this is a mission that helps the evacuees and their pets as well as our students who are here taking care of them.' "

Read the entire wonderful article.

The New Orleans Zoo - Animals Doing Well!

2005-09-05T07:56:00.000-07:00

Ahh, good news.

"At the Audubon Zoo, only three of 1,400 animals died. It has the good fortune of being located on some of the city's highest ground, but it also had a disaster plan for the animals that seemed to work better than the city's plan for humans. The only fatalities so far were two otters and a raccoon, zoo curator Dan Maloney said Sunday."

I nominate Mr. Maloney to be the head of FEMA.

Complete article.

The Men who Refuse to Leave their Dogs Behind

2005-09-05T07:52:00.000-07:00

These men are my heroes!

Ronna Gradus / Miami Herald
Jack Swerdloff, left, with the Miami Dade Florida Task Force 1, talks to Samson Thomas and Wayne Williams, both residents of the Broadmoor District in New Orleans on Sunday. Thomas and Williams refuse to evacuate because they don't want to leave their dogs behind.
Complete article.

Of course you have to ask WHY are they required to leave their doggies behind to a certain death? Do humans only care about themselves? We pets are victims too and completely at the mercy of the humans.

The State that Cares about Doggies

2005-09-05T07:41:00.000-07:00

"In Denver, Qwest Communications set up a bank of at least 50 phones at a processing center so refugees could call their loved ones. Colorado state Rep. Debbie Stafford said she was trying to arrange long-term shelter for the storm's victims, and also reunite people with their cats and dogs."

from the article:
States Struggling With Katrina Refugees
By Todd Lewan, Associated Press Writer
Sunday, September 4, 2005

info about the politician who cares:
DEBBIE STAFFORD
Colorado State Representative
District 40 Office Location:
200 E. Colfax Denver, CO 80203
Phone: (303)866-2944
E-Mail: debbie.stafford.house@state.co.us

The Hope for Pet Victims of Hurricane Katrina

2005-09-04T21:29:00.000-07:00

Some pets may be saved

HSUS News
Photos from the HSUS website

Photo from SPCA Texas

The "Foster-a-Pet" Program for Katrina Victims

2005-09-02T10:13:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone,

I just learned about being a foster parent for a pet(s) orphaned by Hurricane Katrina. I begged Mom to take in some felines but she said no, there are too many pets living here as it is. I think the real reason is that she is suspicious of my desire to "care" for luscious lithe kitty cats.

Here's a note I found online about fostering.
--------------------------------------------
Dear Friends,

In the past few days, we have received so many emails from people who would like to provide a temporary foster home to a pet left homeless by Hurricane Katrina.

We have offered to put together a database of foster homes for the ASPCA disaster teams and other organizations working on the front lines, and they have accepted our offer.

If you live outside of the region affected by the hurricane, you are still welcome and encouraged to sign up. Please know, though, that you will be expected to provide a way to transport the pet(s) to you. If you are asked to travel to the region to pick up your foster pet(s), you will be responsible for all travel costs, arrangements, and accommodations during your trip.

Thank you so very much for your generosity in the face of this horrible tragedy!

Sign-up page to foster a pet orphaned by Hurricane Katrina

Abbie Moore
Executive Director
1-800-Save-A-Pet.com

Notification:
1-800-Save-A-Pet.com is a non-profit, tax-deductible 501(c)(3) adoption advertising charity.Our mission (and passion) is to help get homeless pets out of the shelters and into loving homes.
©2005 1-800-Save-A-Pet.comP.O. Box 7, Redondo Beach, CA 90277

The "No Pets Allowed" Rule in New Orleans

2005-09-01T17:52:00.000-07:00

From the Associate Press via the New York Times.

Tense Crowds Fill Buses From Superdome to Texas

By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Published: September 1, 2005
Filed at 8:31 p.m. ET

NEW ORLEANS (AP) -- At the front of the line, the weary refugees waded through ankle-deep water, grabbed a bottle of water from state troopers and happily hopped on buses that would deliver them from the horrendous conditions of the Superdome.

At the back end of the line, people jammed against police barricades in the rain. Refugees passed out and had to be lifted hand-over-hand overhead to medics. Pets were not allowed on the bus, and when a police officer confiscated a little boy's dog, the child cried until he vomited. ''Snowball, Snowball,'' he cried.
-------------------------------------------------
I cannot even comment on this news.

Sammy the very sad pet dog

The List of Places to Donate for the Animal Victims of Hurricane Katrina

2005-09-01T11:04:00.000-07:00

Be sure your money is really being put to work. Not all charities are created equal. Check them out at Charity Navigator and read the blog ("Trent Stamp's Take") by their executive director.

Recent blog entries by Stamp:
Helping Katrina's Victims
Today's Straight to Hell Winner

Charity Navigator recommends the following animal-related charities:
American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals
The Humane Society of the United States
PETsMART Charities

Thanks to Harrison for providing another list. And still another list is at Network for Good.

The Donation for Animals Caught by Hurricane Katrina

2005-08-30T11:08:00.000-07:00

I'm very worried about the pets that are caught in Hurricane Katrina. I can't do anything for them personally, since I'm not trained as a search and rescue doggy and I can't even walk -- but I've taken all of my allowance and made a donation to the Humane Society's Disaster Relief Fund.

Earlier this year I donated my allowance to the Humane Society Asia's Tsunami Relief Fund. I feel good to know that I'm giving up my treats for another doggy's dinner. I just hope I'm not buying cat food!

Jonathan Harvey rescues his dog Cuddles in Gulfport, Mississippi, on Monday
(AP Photo/John Bazemore)
[photo from the Humane Society website]

The No-Nose Cat with the Squinty Eyes

2005-08-27T14:19:00.000-07:00

Charli went for a little stroll today in the backyard. She's 18 years old and doesn't have a nose. She had skin cancer on her nose a few years ago and they took it out. She's fully recovered now but she looks a bit weird. Her eyes are little slits these days. Well, she's OLD. She sure likes to eat her food though. I know because I watch her every move in the hopes that someday she will be "available" to me, if you know what I mean.

There's a reason there aren't any photos of Charli and me together!

Squinty-eyed Charli

Even more squinty-eyed Charli

The Dark Shadow Dog

2005-08-27T14:18:00.001-07:00

Mom says it's impossible to get a good photo of me because I try to get away from the camera and I am all black.

The dark shadow dog

Look at Elsa -- she's seems to be a bazillion years old she is so gray and sluglike. Mom took her to Jack in the Box today and she shook like a leaf the whole time afraid she was going to the vet. She's a big baby. I like to ride in the car!

Annoyed by the camera

The Birthday Dog

2005-08-26T21:35:00.000-07:00

Today is my birthday! Well, it's the day I came to live with Mom and Elsa and Pumpkin and Buffy and the luscious felines. So it's my re-birthday since my life changed tremendously on this day 1 year ago. Then I was in the Silicon Valley Humane Society without a future. Linda of the SF Bay Area German Shepherd Rescue pulled me out of the shelter and Kelly assigned me to live with Mom as her first foster dog. Mom adopted me and here I am!

Read my very first post on August 26, 2004: The Rescue

Mom almost forgot today is the big day. Luckily my friends Cindy, Dick and Kodi remembered. Geez, it's a good thing I have friends! They sent me a birthday card.

Dear Sammy-Wammy -- It's your 1 year anniversary of your Gotcha Day!! We've been honored to know you and your Mom for the last few months. You are a very loved doggie and we wish you many, many years of happiness just like this last year you've had in your loving home!

Waggingly yours,
Cindy, Dick & Kodi

The Mobile Vet Visit

2005-08-22T21:50:00.001-07:00

Dr. Araiza, the mobile vet, came to visit me today. Mom says there was some blood in my dish on Saturday so she wanted the vet to look me over. Dr. Araiza examined my mouth and she said I bit my lip! No doubt when I was alligator snapping my teeth at those luscious looking felines.

Dr. Araiza taught Mom how to make me poop on command. I won't go into the details here but it's a handy thing to be able to do if you have a doggy that can't walk.

In the afternoon I went swimming. I've been growling and snapping at Connie, my swim instructor sometimes when I swim. I even try to bite her when I am swimming. I haven't succeeded since I get a bunch of water in my mouth and it slows me down. Connie and Mom endlessly discuss why I am trying to bite Connie. They and my vet have concluded it's because I need to tell Connie that despite my physical limitations I am still the top dog! Connie puts up with me because she knows how to manage me and she wants me to get my exercise.

Then tonight I had my picture taken. If you are a regular reader of my blog you will recall that I absolutely hate the evil camera, the technology equivalent of the devil.

Sam trying to get away

Sam escaping from the evil camera

Sam hiding his beautiful face

Sam and Elsa (with Buffy in the background in his crate)

The Fan Club of Buffy the Chihuahua Beagle

2005-08-21T22:09:00.000-07:00

Buffy has a fan club. Mom's friend Cindy caught one of Buffy's adoring fans snuggling up to him on the couch. I was hard at work swimming during these shenanigans and take no responsibility!

In case you want to make a comment, let's take a poll.

Who is cuter? Me - Sammy, the beautiful all-black German Shepherd Dog!
.
................... o r ..........................

Buffy the mutt a.k.a. the supposed Chihuahua-Beagle although who really knows what his parentage is.

If you think Dick is cuter than either of us you can vote for him too.

Dick and Buffy with Dick sleeping

Dick and Buffy with Dick awake

The Canine Consumer

2005-08-18T22:31:00.000-07:00

Finally the marketing humans are realizing the immense purchasing power of doggies (via their obedient masters).

By the way, ignore the typo in the last sentence of the article (below). 10% was really supposed to be 90%!

Dreyer's Scoops Up a Share of Doggie Treats Market
Frosty Paws ice cream has become its most profitable product line.
By Jerry Hirsch, Los Angeles Times Staff Writer

Dreyer's, the maker of Haagen-Dazs and other top ice cream brands, has discovered that doggie ice cream is something to bark about.

Sold in the freezer section near the Drumsticks and Popsicles, Frosty Paws Frozen Treats for Dogs has quietly become the most profitable product line at Dreyer's Grand Ice Cream Holdings Inc., the nation's largest ice cream company.

Oakland-based Dreyer's is expanding the line to include a second flavor, peanut butter, and has slapped a Purina label on the product to make it more appealing to dog owners. Purina and Dreyer's are controlled by Swiss food giant Nestle.

Frosty Paws Original flavor, described by company executives as sort of a doggie vanilla, has been around for more than a decade, growing to a $10-million product line.

Although that's just a tiny fraction of the nearly $1.6 billion Dreyer's collected in sales last year, Americans' penchant for indulging their pets has turned the treat into the highest-profit-margin item produced by the company, said Candy Marciano, a Dreyer's assistant brand manager. The new Frosty Paws flavor, which sells for $3.59 for a four-pack of 3.5-ounce cups, is being rolled out in most of the state's major grocery chains.

The success of the Original flavor, mostly on the East Coast, sent Dreyer's looking for a line extension that would be palatable for the pooch and attractive to the human who pushes the shopping cart.

"Beef-flavored ice cream wouldn't be that compelling, especially to the owner," Marciano said. "We did some studies and found that all dogs love peanut butter.

"Dreyer's is tapping into an explosion in the amount Americans spend on their pets each year, said Bob Vetere, managing director of the American Pet Products Manufacturers Assn. in Reno.

Pet spending has more than doubled to $35.9 billion from $17 billion in 1994, he said. Pet food alone is a $14.5-billion-a-year industry. The typical dog owner spends $68 annually on dog treats.

"We are seeing a trend where human product makers are making line extensions into the pet business," Vetere said.

Indeed, the idea of serving a dog a treat typically enjoyed by humans sounds intriguing to Kim Santell, owner of Planet Doggy Daycare in Pasadena.

"I would go out and try it," Santell said, "but I am kind of a dog kook."Santell has fed her beagle Kelly and other canines regular ice cream, only to have them vomit. Frosty Paws, however, is lactose free and is formulated to work with a dog's digestive system, Marciano said.

Dog goodies are an important way of maintaining the human-animal bond, said Scott Campbell, a veterinary nutrition expert at UC Davis.

But, as with people, he said, treats should be used in moderation. "Just as there is in humans, we are seeing an increased obesity in dogs.

"A good rule of thumb is to limit treats to no more than 10% of a dog's recommended daily caloric intake, he said.

The Family Visit

2005-08-11T19:47:00.000-07:00

I've been awfully busy the last week or so supervising Mom's family. Her brother George, his daughter Nikki, and Nikki's boyfriend Nathan came out from Missouri to fix up Mom's house. Gosh they required a lot of direction but luckily I was on hand 24 hours a day to bark instructions. They pelted me with ice cubes and treats so all of my efforts were worthwhile.

George and Sam

George, Nathan, Nikki and Sam

George, Nathan, Nikki and Sam

George, Nathan, Nikki and Sam

The Cyberdog Buddy - Gershwin

2005-07-31T22:50:00.000-07:00

My cyberdog buddy Gershwin went to the Rainbow Bridge a few weeks ago. My Mom and his Mom exchanged emails about us and say that we have a lot of the same behaviors.

Alert, happy, even though not mobile
Live with 3 other dogs
A special bark when we need something!
Good at grabbing treats out of mid-air

Even though Gershwin is gone now I expect to meet him in dogson at the Rainbow Bridge.

Gershwin montage

Gershwin posing

The New York Times: more feline than canine

2005-07-29T22:06:00.000-07:00

It's terrible how biased the press is! Even the venerable NYTimes shows its claws in the latest article which worships cats and their prowness on the internet. Well, I couldn't let this pass. I wrote my first "letter to the editor".

MY LETTER TO THE EDITOR OF THE NEW YORK TIMES

Subject: Dogs DO Blog -- despite your article stating the contrary

Dear Editor of the New York Times,

Regarding the article about cats on the internet:
http://www.nytimes.com/2005/07/30/arts/30cats.html?hp
Internet's Best Friend (Let Me Count the Ways)
By SARAH BOXER
Published: July 30, 2005

While amusing and well-written, it concludes with a shocking falsehood:
“Those cats are like so many bloggers sitting at home staring into their computer screens and watching other bloggers blog other bloggers. Cats, who live indoors and love to prowl, are the soul of the blogosphere. Dogs would never blog.”

I realize the NYTimes is biased; more Democrat than Republican, more liberal than conservative, more intellectual than blue-collar, but I never, ever would have imagined it to be more feline than canine.

Check out my blog – http://www.samtheblackgsd.blogspot.com/.
“Sam the beautiful all-black German Shepherd dog”
220 posts since August 26, 2004 (when I finally gained access to the internet). That’s an average of more than 5 posts a week. And check out the “Dog Blogroll” in the sidebar of my blog where my cyberdog buddies are busily chronicling their lives.

Woofs and Treats,
Sam the beautiful all-black German Shepherd dog
http://www.samtheblackgsd.blogspot.com/

p.s. I often post about cats since my goal in life is to get my pearly teeth around their soft lithe scrawny bodies and scrunch down hard. No luck so far, but this dream keeps me going.

The Found Cat

2005-07-28T22:33:00.000-07:00

Incredibly, Misty has been found! I'm trying to act happy about this but frankly I think she is just waaaayyyy too much trouble to keep. Mom really should let me deal with her. It would be short and sweet.

Anyway, Misty wandered 13 houses away, but never crossed the street, and sautered into the home of Florence and her husband. Misty joined their all-gray cat Smokey in chowing down cat food, right in the house! Florence had picked up a "lost cat" flyer and knew immediately that Misty was the intruder and she called Mom to come and get her. Florence said the "lion tail" was the dead giveaway. When Mom showed up Misty hid in the sewing room. Mom finally caught her and Misty purred for 10 seconds then she ran into the family room and hid behind the chair. Mom grabbed her again and took a couple of photos with Misty and Smokey "sitting" in Florence's lap. They are two evil looking felines if you ask me, plotting something nefarious. They sure look alike.

Mom has been kissing Misty and cooing at her, all pretty disgusting given how upset Mom has been about Misty's shenanigans. When Misty showed up I got up the energy to get off of my bed and sit up and bark at her. It's the least I could do!

Only Misty's "lion tail" is visible behind the chair. Click on the photo to make it larger. Misty is hiding from Mom when she went to rescue her. I guess Misty would have preferred to stay with her new buddy Smokey.

Misty and Smokey acting out. Can you guess which is which? They are in the lap of Misty's savior, Florence from 13 houses away.

Misty and Smokey -- which is which? Ha, ha. That stupid "lion tail" gives her away. Sitting next to Florence, Misty's savior.

The Lost Cat

2005-07-28T19:50:00.001-07:00

Misty the scrawny gray cat has disappeared. Mom is crazy with worry and running around the neighborhood going door-to-door with a color poster and plastering these posters all over any post or fence she can find. Misty has been gone one whole day and she never disappeared for more than 15 minutes before. Even I feel sad because I miss barking at her and trying to get my jaws around her soft little body.

Here are some photos of Misty and the wording of the poster. Mom also filed a lost cat report at the San Jose Animal Control Center.

Misty looking up

Misty head shot

Misty and Charli in cage

Misty the cat is missing as of the morning of Wednesday July 27th, 2005 from Chateau Drive, Saratoga, CA 95070. All gray with long hair however she has a summer haircut (the “lion cut”) and her hair is short except for tufts on the tail and face. Female, spayed, age approx. 15 yrs. Weight 7lbs. Green eyes.

Misty is an indoor cat only, during the summer she lives in an outdoor cattery. She escaped during the night. Misty is not experienced being outdoors. She is unafraid of things, including dogs. She does not have any front claws (they were removed by her previous owner, she is a rescue from the Humane Society). Misty has a blue and pink collar with several ID tags including a license (043982), and is microchipped (Avid 085 018 796). She has probably not gone far and is still near home, cross streets are Cox and Saratoga-Sunnyvale, behind the Argonaut Shopping Center. Vet is Hemingway Cat Hospital.

The Photos of Sam

2005-07-26T20:46:00.000-07:00

Sam wishing he wasn't being photographed

Sam lying down

Sammy

Sam outside

Sam outside

Sam outside

Sam outside

Sam outside

Sam and his big nose

The Crossing of the Great White Porch

2005-07-19T20:35:00.000-07:00

Tonight I got so exasperated waiting for Mom to help me come back from the yard, across the great white porch, and into the house, that I just decided to crawl in myself. Mom was shocked to see me all the way up to the sliding glass door! I haven't crawled much at all since I had that last bout of pnuemonia. Crawling means I am stronger, which is good. Mom put the muzzle on me as she is about to help me get inside the house. Mom always muzzles me before she fools with my limbs since she says I get a little bit ornery.

After crossing the great white porch I'm right at the sliding glass door!

Mom opened the sliding glass door and now I am trying to get over the threshold using the leverage of the door against my head and neck. I'm trying awfully hard which is good. I need to exercise myself as much as possible.

You are probably wondering what is wrong with this photo that it is so streaky and weird. Mom wonders the same thing. This happens to a lot of her photos that are taken inside the house. Since she has a super duper digital camera Mom is sure that the fault is hers, not the camera's. If anyone knows what Mom is doing wrong and how to fix it, please leave a comment. It's a shame that photos of me are not coming out perfect!

Struggling to get in the door by myself

The Job for Pumpkin

2005-07-19T20:31:00.000-07:00

Believe it or not, Pumpkin now has a job! Danielle takes him to a convalescent home where he is supposed to interact with the residents in a positive way (that is, by wagging his tail and letting them pet him and not by stealing their food and jumping on their laps). Mom took some photos of Danielle and Pumpkin working today.

Danielle realizing Pumpkin is lying down on the job

Danielle reminding Pumpkin to be friendly and not steal anyone's food

Danielle the beautiful with Pumpkin totally under control

Pumpkin exhausted from taking orders: Sit! Down! (followed by eating a treat)

The Typical Monday

2005-07-18T20:16:00.000-07:00

Today was a typical Monday. Breakfast, then swimming, then dinner. Gosh I love to go out. Mom says I'm kind of dumb because I am so eager to get into the car and yet so surprised when I end up at the pool. It's true that I do not like to swim. But I love to be in the car. After I go swimming since it is evening by then Mom parks in the shady driveway and lets me hang out in the car all by myself. It's cool being in the car!

I swam really good today. I am getting back some of my strength that I lost when I had pneumonia. Mom didn't bring the camera and torture me thank goodness. Sadie the white lab and Honey the yellow lab were also at the pool. They don't like to swim all that much either. Sadie barked and barked at Honey for no obvious reason. I'm quiet at the pool. I don't interact with the other dogs or humans, I'm kind of above the social patter that goes on. I do keep my eyes glued on Mom just in case she decides to toss me a treat.

Yesterday I really wanted to grab the cats and squeeze their furry little bodies hard with my teeth. I barked and barked and snapped my teeth like an alligator. Gosh I looked and sounded like pure evil. But that scrawny gray cat named Misty just sauters by me a few feet away and worse then she lies down on the ground and swishes her tail and stares at me taunting me! She deserves to have my pearly teeth squished into her scrawny body but no...I cannot walk so I cannot grab her. Die Misty die. Oops. Mom didn't like that. Well, gotta go now.

The Sneaky Camera

2005-07-16T20:30:00.000-07:00

Mom is always trying to take photos of me! She's in the house and I'm outside but I can still see that camera and I am trying to get away.

I hate the camera!

I'm crawling away from the camera

The Swim Lesson on July 13th

2005-07-13T23:01:00.000-07:00

More photos from swim class.

Connie's dog Chief

Connie's dog Chief hard at work as a lifeguard

Tyson, a black lab who loves to swim and chase balls. Hey, he's silly, he's a lab!

Keeping one eye on Connie and the other on the evil camera

Trying to get out of the pool before my time is up

Connie thinks she is bonding with me but the reality is that she is between me and the pool exit

Finally, I get to get out!

The Return to Swimming

2005-07-11T20:52:00.000-07:00

I'm back to going swimming now that I am over my pneumonia. Gosh I was happy to get in the car but I was not happy to get in the water. My swim instructor Connie says that we have a "love / hate relationship". She loves me, I hate her.

At least she didn't make me swim as hard as before. I swam three different times, but only 6 minutes each for the first two times and less for the third time.

Mom took a bunch of pictures of me at the pool along with my bathing buddies.

You can click on all of the photos to make them larger.

I'm swimming, even though I wish I were eating.

You can click on all of the photos to make them larger.

I try to splash water on Connie every chance I get so she will let me get out!

I'm trying to get away from the camera and no wonder, Mom sure isn't much a photographer

You can click on all of the photos to make them larger.

Murphy the 3-legged dog with the beautiful fur coat.

You can click on all of the photos to make them larger.

Isn't Sadie cute? She's waiting to swim.

You can click on all of the photos to make them larger.

German Shepherd/Rottweiler mix

You can click on all of the photos to make them larger.

Connie's pooch Chief

Connie's pooch Marley

The Best Photo of Me

2005-07-10T22:38:00.000-07:00

Mom took some photos of me tonight. If you are a regular reader of my blog, you know that I absolutely hate to have my picture taken. Mom said all of the photos came out terrible because I am always squirming away and turning my head. This is the best one, and it's not too good. Note Elsa the Slug snoozing there in the background. I'm usually never this close to her but I crawled around trying to get away from the camera.

Sam's head and Elsa's behind

The Fever is Gone!

2005-07-06T21:32:00.000-07:00

My fever is completely gone. I now have a normal temperature of 101.9 degrees F. Don't ask how I know this 'cause it's kind of embarrassing what has to be done to get this scientific data. Suffice it to say Mom puts the muzzle on me first before taking the reading since being poked and prodded you-know-where is a bit wierd.

As a well doggy, I am quite alert now. I bark at the cats, I gobble down my food, I drool at the sight of an ice cube or even the anticipation of an ice cube, I slurp water from my bowl, and I whine for a snack. Aahhhh. Life is good here in Saratoga.

Oh yikes, re: Saratoga. We are moving! Last Saturday Mom decided to sell our house and we are going to go somewhere else.

Mom says not to worry all of us doggies and kitties are going but the birds will be finding a new home. Their aviary is portable so Mom feels confident she can find a loving person to take the aviary and the birds. 4 of the birds Mom raised from eggs more than 10 years ago so she is sad to leave them behind but the place we are moving to has long cold snowy winters. Whatever that means. I'm a native Californian myself so I don't have a clue about snow. Mom is sad she will be leaving behind her native plant garden but she says that wherever we go they have their own native plants and she can start again. Mom already started packing so she seems to be serious. I just hope she doesn't plop me in one of those big boxes!

The Gradual Improvement

2005-07-04T22:08:00.000-07:00

Every day I feel better. Tonight my temperature is 103.1 degrees F. My vet said anything above 102.5 degrees F is a fever. So I still have a bit of a fever but it is continuing to go down. When I was in the hospital my temperature got up to 105 degrees F. If you would like to know how to take the temperature of your dog, here's some instructions. (Warning: page includes explicit photo demonstrating how to do this!)

The better I feel, the more I think about FOOD. Tonight I ate a bit of kibble and canned dog food and rice, but frankly, I wasn't all that interested. So Mom gave me half of a can of salmon. Mmmmmm! Wow, salmon is smelly and tasty. I ate it all. For my bedtime snack I got some banana and steamed chicken.

The fireworks are just finishing up. Mom came home from her cousins' house to stay with us because she knows Pumpkin is afraid of the noise of fireworks (and thunder too). Buffy and Elsa are oblivious to the noise and this is my first July 4th with my adoptive family so Mom didn't know how I would react. Well, I didn't. Loud noises don't bother me even though my hearing is very acute.

I sat up several times today for a few minutes each time. I haven't had the strength to do that since I got sick last week.

I also barked at the cats! Mom grabs Misty (the gray yummy looking feline) and waves her at me. Misty isn't afraid of me but she gets kind of annoyed. I would just love to wrap my pearly teeth around her scrawny slinky body.

Misty the gray cat

Life is good again.

The Kit to Turn Your German Shepherd into a Golden Retriever

2005-07-03T08:11:00.000-07:00

Oh my gosh, look what I found on the internet! A kit that can turn me, Sammy, a big bad German Shepherd, into a wimpy Golden Retriever. I sure hope Mom doesn't find this.

Here's the kit for turning a GSD into a GR and below that is the result of their kit for turning a Doberman into a POODLE!

German Shepherd --> Golden Retriever
Invisible Breed Products™ from attackchi.org.au

Doberman --> Poodle
Invisible Breed Products™ from attackchi.org.au

The Problems in Lifting Sam

2005-07-03T07:47:00.000-07:00

Mom sent this note to the Yahoo Group on canine degenerative myelopathy.
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Hi Everyone,

I’m having a lot of trouble lifting Sam (90lb GSD) now that he is home from the hospital. I suppose he is weaker overall and is not supporting as much of his weight with his front legs. His back legs are useless, but they were before this bout with pneumonia. He has the Hartman Harness on all of the time. Before he went into the hospital last week I could easily just grab the HH and get him up and he’d trot outside to do his duty. It was almost effortless Now the back part of the harness hardly seems to fit…it moves up too far on his belly instead of staying further back. So it’s like I’m not getting the right kind of leverage. Sam weighs 90lbs (he should weigh 75 lbs and we are working on this…) My back is really hurting me when I pick him up now and afterwards too. This is going to be a big, big problem if I cannot find a solution. I really don’t know what’s going on. Maybe he is just weaker overall? He still has a fever (104.4 F last night) hopefully that will end soon and perhaps he will have more strength?

Separate problem: He doesn’t want to eat any kibble or canned food but gobbles down cooked carrots, banana, watermelon, ice, and dog biscuits. He can’t live on this stuff alone any suggestions on something more substantial to try?

Some good news – there were firecrackers in our neighborhood last night and Sam didn’t pay any attention. Despite his age (11 ½) his hearing is very acute. I got him on Aug 26th last year so this will be our first July 4th together.

Thanks very much.

Cynthia

The Change in Diet

2005-07-02T21:57:00.000-07:00

My food preferences have changed dramatically. Before I got sick, I would eat anything, including stuff that most would call inedible (e.g. banana peel).

But now I don't want to eat my regular kibble or even the special canned food. I will eat cooked carrot, banana, watermelon and dog biscuits. I'm drinking a lot of water too.

I still have a fever -- tonight it is 104.4 F even though this morning it was lower at 103.6 F.

And I hardly pee at all and no poop since yesterday noon when I was at the hospital.

Mom is worried about me but I feel I am making steady, if very slow, progress.

The Blog of Fang the Comics Dog

2005-07-02T12:02:00.000-07:00

Fang, the adorable doggy in the Duplex comic strip, has a blog.

Read about Fang's blog.

The Watermelon Treat

2005-07-01T23:06:00.000-07:00

Mom made herself a plate of watermelon. I gave her my "feed me now!" look so she tossed me a piece. I caught it and gobbled it down. She gave me about 10 pieces. Mmmmmm good. Guess I'm feeling better!

I live to eat.

The Hospital Stay is Over

2005-07-01T18:33:00.000-07:00

I'm home!

I sure haven't been feeling good. I still have a fever (104 degrees F) so I feel hot but Mom put a fan on me. Mom says she has to go buy a thermometer and take my temperature 3 times a day.

My hospital stay would have been fun if I hadn't been sick. My nighttime doctor was Dr. Rogers and my daytime doctor was Dr. Shandro. Both of them were very kind to me and helped me a lot. The vet technicians were cool too although they wished I would pee and poop outside instead of inside my little hospital cubicle. I was so tired though I didn't want to get up and go out to do my duty. Mom came to visit me twice a day and sometimes she brought Peggy. I was always surprised to see them. Then, thank goodness, I got to come home tonight. I'm resting in my favorite spot in the family room now. I've got to take two kinds of antibiotics each day for 2 weeks and go in for another chest x-ray in 10 days. But, these are only small annoyances.

By the way, the food at the hospital was great. Mom bought some so that I can eat it at home. There is always a silver lining to every cloud.

More blogging tomorrow and thanks for all of your positive thoughts.

Sammy

The Medical Miracle

2005-07-01T12:41:00.000-07:00

This message is written by Cynthia, Sam's pet guardian.

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Sam is better and will be coming home later this afternoon! He still has a fever but he is gobbling down his food and his oxygen intake is completly normal. His platelet count is also normal. The vets cannot explain why it was so low yesterday.

Thanks for all of your support, kind words, positive thoughts and prayers.

Sam is eager to blog about his hospital experience; stay tuned for the details directly from him.

Cynthia

The Update on Sam

2005-06-30T20:49:00.000-07:00

This message is written by Cynthia, Sam's pet guardian.

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Your comments and emails are so kind and mean so much.

San is still in intensive care and will remain there all night. The best guess on what is wrong with him continues to be aspiration pneumonia.

Sam has not gotten worse, but neither has he improved. I went to see him twice today and he was happy to see me although he is clearly uncomfortable and not a happy camper. He ate two large bowls of food today. His temperature is hovering around 105 degrees. He had a bad urinary tract infection which I didn’t even know about but he is on mega doses of antibiotics so that should be resolved. An ultrasound was done as there was a concern about his spleen and liver but all looked fine. His platelet count is very low which has the vets mystified. It was fine 2 months ago. They don’t believe the platelet problem is related to the pneumonia. If it goes much lower he is at risk for internal bleeding.

I plan to visit him at 9am tomorrow morning when visiting hours start. I hope very much to bring him home tomorrow.

Thanks again for your wonderful comments to this morning's post and for caring about my big baby Sammy.

Cynthia

The New Bout of Pneumonia

2005-06-30T03:14:00.000-07:00

This message is written by Cynthia, Sam's pet guardian.

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At 10pm Sammy was fine and ate his bedtime snack. AT 12:30am he woke up whining, which is typical, means he wants his midnight snack. But he wouldn’t eat the snack – a behavior which has never, ever happened. He was also holding his head up a bit (he can sit but he usually lies down) and breathing kind of hard. I took him to the emergency vet and after Xrays and blood work the vet determined that he has pneumonia/infection in one lobe. Sammy also had a fever of over 104 degrees. The vet believes this pneumonia came on very suddenly, maybe caused by aspiration of food that went into the lung. The cure for a normal dog is morphine for the pain, oxygen to help with breathing, antibiotics to work on the infection, and surgery to clear out the lung. Sammy is not a candidate for surgery (because of his degenerative myelopathy) so the possibility of recovery is poor. Since he has been so happy lately I just couldn’t bear to let him go right then and put him in the ICU. If he is going to get better it will take 12-24 hrs. More likely he will get worse and just go downhill.

I know I should have just let him go. I don’t want him to suffer. If he is not clearly improving by noon tomorrow I won’t allow him to suffer any more.

However, the vet said that even though the probability of recovery was low, she felt he had a chance, that he was strong and stoic and had a very powerful drive to live. I agree. I think despite the odds against him that he will improve. If he gets better I should be able to bring him home tomorrow afternoon. He loves to be at home.

Cynthia

Photo: Kodi and Buffy at Aunt Cindy's house

2005-06-27T09:43:00.000-07:00

When I go swimming on Friday's Buffy spends the time with his (and my) buddy Kodi. Here the two of them are looking out the window for Mom's car.

Photo: Kodi and Buffy at Aunt Cindy's house

The Photos of Dogs Tied to Things

2005-06-26T21:23:00.000-07:00

Wow, just discovered this wonderful photo blog of San Francisco dogs tied to things. It's pretty interesting. Looks like SF dogs have a good life even if once in a awhile they are stuck outside instead of getting to go inside. Generally they seem to be on a walk and their person has gone into a store, probably to buy them a treat. As of this post, there are 197 dogs, in nearly as many photos, patiently waiting outside for their human to come and fetch them.

Dog Blog: "As I walk around San Francisco, I encounter dogs tied to things, take their pictures, and offer them up to the world with whatever commentary springs to mind. Enjoy."
-- Jon, the dog blogger

Here's a few of the photos:

The Favorite Place

2005-06-25T11:39:00.000-07:00

One of my favorite places -- the back seat of the car. I just finished my swimming lesson and I'm patiently waiting outside Aunt Cindy's house for Mom to take me home and feed me my dinner! Aunt Cindy took this photo.

The Swim Routine

2005-06-17T20:46:00.000-07:00

Just an update about my swimming. I go every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday for my swimming lesson. I'm doing well. I swim three times at each swim session. Each swim is about 6-7 minutes so I swim a total of 20 minutes or so. Connie, my swim instructor, says that I'm a good swimmer. I get my back and front legs going pretty good. Of course the whole time I am trying to get away from Connie and over to the stairs so that I can get outta there! I don't like to swim! But what can I do when Connie plops me in the water? I don't have a choice -- gotta sink or swim!

This is my only exercise right now. Mom hasn't put me in the cart for awhile. She says it's really hard to get me in there by herself. So, I humor her and go swimming. I like to ride in the car so that part is great. And I always get a few treats at poolside so it's not all bad.

On Fridays after my swim we go visit Cindy and Dick and their doggy Kodi. Buffy comes along to and while I am swimming he plays with Kodi. Buffy is kind of a Mama's boy though and Cindy and Dick report that he spends most of the time looking out the window wondering where she is. I just wait out in the car because I'm pretty tired after swimming. But Cindy comes out to the car and gives me a treat and Kodi jumps in the car and says hello.

The Poem about Sam the Buddha Dog

2005-06-15T21:10:00.000-07:00

Well, I don't know anything about poetry but Mom found this poem in the Woofer Times and she thought it was beautiful. It's about another dog named Sam.

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Finding Sam the Buddha Dog

What about this steady drift
Towards bitterness, Dogen Zenji?

What about the pernicious nature
Of our dissatisfaction,

The poignant and unshakeable
Belief that life can and should

Be better: happier, healthier
More just and certainly kinder?

All this stirs and rustles in me
Like creatures of the night.

I wake up feeling forlorn and
Hungry for the old connections

To my children and my husband
To neighbors and enemies

To relatives, alive and dead
To the beginning and the end

To my pepper tree out front and
To Sam the Buddha dog long gone.

The Saratoga Gardens Tour June 17-19 2005

2005-06-15T09:30:00.000-07:00

Our garden is going to be on another tour, this time one featuring Saratoga Gardens. The tour is a fund raiser for the Saratoga Historical Foundation. If you come by and want to meet me, just knock on the front door and ask for "Sammy"!

CasaTierra Hacienda, Saratoga, CA
More photos

The Saratoga Historical Foundation presents a tour of exquisite Saratoga gardens and points of interest, with the final stop at the astounding CasaTierra hacienda estate. Here will be offered a tour of the 7,532 square foot home; a chance to meander about the 1.2 acres of stunning landscaped grounds; shopping at a boutique with products of various local artisans and merchants; enjoyment of plein air artists and musicians; and drawings for donated prizes.

Refreshments will be available – complimentary coffee cart on Father’s Day for all Dads.

Friday, June 17th, Noon – 4 PM
Saturday, June 18th 10 AM – 4 PM
Sunday, June 19th 10 AM – 4 PM

Tickets $20
Please mail your tax deductible checks, payable to
Saratoga Historical Foundation*
Garden Tour, PO Box 172, Saratoga, CA 95071

Pick up your tickets and tour directions June 17-19th at the
Saratoga Historical Museum, 20450 Saratoga-Los Gatos Road, Saratoga, CA
(Highway 9 near Oak Street)

*Event to benefit museum restoration, education & cultural programs.
For more information call Nancy Anderson 408-867-4383

The Boring Weekend

2005-06-12T21:44:00.000-07:00

Nothing much happened this weekend. Mom has been working around the house. She bought a new drill and now everything seems like it needs a few holes. I was supervising her work in the garage for awhile. I just lay quietly on the floor watching her wave that drill around rather aimlesslessly. Yikes, I began to worry she would drill some holes in me!

The gray cat Misty ran away today after I barked at her. She was outside and she jumped on top of the wood pile because I'm so big and mean. Then when Mom took me into the house Misty escaped! She is never allowed loose by herself outside since she doesn't have any front claws (Mom tells me they were removed by her previous owner...I think this makes her all the more attractive if only I could get close enough to wrap my pearly teeth around her scrawny little neck!). Mom was all upset for an hour calling for her and wandering the neighborhood looking for her. But Misty knows what side her bread is buttered on, and she came home looking for a handout.

I've been having diarrhea again. Now I am on still a new type of medicine. I hope this helps because I make a terrible mess and it's a lot of trouble for Mom to clean up after me.

I'm making little barks right now. The reason is that I need a snack! Mom discovered that I've been gaining weight and she has cut back on my food intake. I love to eat! I need a snack! Woof. Woof. Woof!

No new photos of me but there are some taken by Aunt Cindy of Buffy and Kodi last Friday. See them below.

2005-06-12T21:43:00.000-07:00

Buffy selecting one of Kodi's toys to destroy

2005-06-12T21:42:00.000-07:00

Buffy killing one of Kodi's stuffed animals

2005-06-12T21:39:00.000-07:00

Buffy and his buddy Kodi

The Flickr Dog Nose Photos

2005-06-09T10:51:00.000-07:00

There's a group on Flickr that features dog noses! Buffy and I are now part of the dog nose photo gallery.

The New Harness & The Swimming Lesson

2005-06-03T20:21:00.000-07:00

Exciting news. I have a new harness and Mom is very hopeful this is the answer to all of her problems in helping me get outside to do my duty. It's the Hartman Harness and although I've only been wearing it for 6 hours Mom seems very happy with it. I personally don't even notice that I've got it on, which is the whole idea I suppose.

Also, I went swimming today! Yikes, I thought my water baby days were over but apparently not. Connie my swim instructor was very happy to see me but to be honest, I was not happy to see her. I regret to report that I growled at her when she lifted me to put me in the ugh ugh ugh WATER. I had to swim 3 times, just like before. Awful. But Mom insists. She says both Dr. Pedroia , my neurologist, and Dr. Julie Miller, my vet, say that swimming is good for me. I used to go swimming a lot -- you can read all about it right here in my blog.

Connie and Mom jabbered away like crazy catching up over the last 2 months. Pretty boring for me since Mom talks incessantly about me. One of Connie's doggies has been sick; the other, Chief, was there at the pool. Chief is obsessed with tennis balls. Connie thinks Chief has DM too, he's a long-haired GSD, but he can still walk.

Then Mom went over to Aunt Cindy's and Uncle Dick's house to chit-chat with them. They live right around the corner from the swim school. In fact, Mom had dropped off Buffy with them before I went swimming so that he could play with Cousin Kodi, their chow-GSD. I didn't get out of the car 'cause I was so tired from my swimming ordeal but Uncle Dick and Aunt Cindy came out to the car to pet me and fawn over me. As they should!

Pictures soon Mom is still waiting for the camera connection cable to come back from the factory. Aunt Cindy took some photos of Buffy and Kodi -- they will be posted shortly.

The Game of Catch

2005-06-01T20:53:00.000-07:00

I've been playing "catch" lately with the squeaky toys. Mom throws them and me and I catch them and slobber all over them. I love it when they squeak and squeal because I think I am killing some small defenseless rodent. Fun!

The Perfect Poop

2005-05-31T22:16:00.000-07:00

I did the "perfect poop" twice today! (You can stop reading now if you are squeamish.) I've had diarrhea for a month (hey I can even spell it!) and finally, today, the diarrhea is gone, and in its place are beautiful, chocolate brown, solid and healthy looking poops. This may seem like a minor thing to those of you who have never had a "bad poop day" but Mom says me and diarrhea is a deadly combination. Since I can't walk and go out to do my duty by myself...well, you get the picture.

Speaking of pictures. Oh, dang, Mom's camera connector is still at the repair shop. No photos (yet).

Stay tuned (if you dare...)

The Daily Bath

2005-05-30T20:31:00.000-07:00

Dang it. Mom has decided I need a daily bath to keep my sores under control. So she's got this dumb toddler pool on the back porch and every day she makes me get into it. I don't want to get it, but she drags me in kicking and screaming. So I'm whining and crying and making a scene and she actually backs me in by bringing in my rear legs, which I don't have any control over. Kind of an unfair tactic. Then she washes me off with COLD water. I whine and whine and try to get out but to no avail. I have to stay in that pool for at least 5 whole minutes. Mom seems happy though when she looks at my sores. She says they are doing OK.

And now tonight, after the misery of the bath, I was subjected to having that boys' underwear placed on my legs and behind. At least there is a cutout for my tail. Mom says this is necessary to keep my sores from getting worse. Luckily I don't care what I look like it this ridiculous outfit.

Mom also says I am gaining weight. Heh heh. No wonder because she feeds me 3 times as much as Elsa the Meanie. But now she is going to cut back on my kibble. I hope I still get my daily banana!

Pictures coming soon. Mom is waiting for the eFilm connector to come back from repair.