Ahnung's pre-surgery outing!

Ahnung tries on a thundershirt
at Lulu & Luigi

So this weekend my sweet girl and I had a LOT of time together. We were attached at the hip and spent the entire weekend together.

On Saturday, she 'crashed' a Pet Haven new volunteer orientation and was quite the popular girl getting lots of belly rubs and capturing even more hearts ... then we went off to meet my friend Vicki to help her as her rescue (Act V Rescue & Rehabilitation) brought in Athena, a sweet black lab mix with an eye injury from Red Lake Rosie's Rescue [Ahnung got to meet Athena over the fourth of July weekend when she had the chance to visit Red Lake rez .... i'll post a video from photos I took from that weekend at the bottom of this post].

On Sunday, we went to the Richfield Petco to get her a comfy cone ... she said she did NOT want one of those hard plastic cones after surgery. Actually, she wasn't too thrilled with the comfy cone either!! We then went off to Lulu & Luigi to see about getting her a shirt that she could wear after surgery so that she can't lick her incision from her lumpectomy.  She tried a thundershirt on and a blue tank top. She LOVED her shirts!! She also got a white tank top from her Uncle Dave ... she's going to be a styling girl after her surgery!!

Ahnung in our white tank top~!

Next stop on Sunday ... Galaxie Drive-in to get Ahnung a doggie burger!!! I promised Ahnung that I would bring her back from another doggie burger at least 10 more times so she needs to get healthy .... I pray the pathology report that will come in on Friday will tell me that it is either benign or if it is cancer as my vet suspects, that it is at least treatable.

Ahnung is truly a special being ... a wise spirit and an amazing soul. There is a powerful bond between us. I worry that she is taking on my health issues and I want her to know that she doesn't need to do that ... I am the one that's supposed to protect her and take care of her. I am waiting at home now for the call to tell me that everything went well and to let me know when I can pick up my sweet girl.

Please continue to keep her in your thoughts and prayers.

Sporting her blue tank top
at Lulu & Luigi

Give me that burger!!!

Enjoying the Galaxie Drive-In

Beautiful flowers for Ahnung
from my friend Carol ...
she specifically picked orange and green
which are Ahnung's colors :)

Riding out in the car with me
over the weekend ...
and both of us loving it!

and here's the video with photos taken up at Red Lake Rosie's Rescue where Ahnung was first rescued. Ahnung had a chance to go up to Red Lake reservation where she was first rescued in October, 2008 to visit her rescuer Karen Good. She stepped right back into rez dog mode and had the greatest time. I am so grateful she had a chance to go back and visit Karen and her roots ....

The heart breaking side of animal rescue

My friend Laura just returned from a trip up north from Red Lake Rosie's Rescue. She shares on her blog the harsh realities of the bitter winters and how a puppy in the middle of the night strayed away from his litter mates, and almost freezes to death - his still frozen body found at dawn.

It's been a year since my last trip to Red Lake Rosie's. Memories come flooding back of last winter when I first met Ahnung. My first trip was in October with Laura. I returned in November to bring Ahnung back to the cities. By then winter had already arrived with frigid temperatures. The Red Lake Rosie's shelter was overflowing and Ahnung had been moved from a kennel she had in October with her puppies to an igloo and hanging out with the big dog clan. Ahnung and I took a trip to Red Lake Rosie's last December to spend a week up north with Karen and to help her with chores. On my trip last December a blizzard hit, and we got over a foot of snow. Surrenders of dogs and cats continue, chores continue, fighting to keep the dogs and puppies warm continue ... Laura accurately describes what a trip up north in the middle of the harsh winters is like ...

"Winter has come to Red Lake Rosie's. And it has arrived with a vengeance. Temperatures fell to 13 below zero. Chores are done mostly in the dark wearing so many layers it is hard to even move. Water freezes in the dog pails in no time. Short haired dogs shiver to keep their body temps up. They walk on three legs because the snow stings their paws. Calls come in daily telling of more dear ones left at the dump, thrown away like last night's pizza boxes. Kennels are full to overflowing with dogs and puppies fighting to stay alive through the frigid night.

One pup, Clarence, almost did not make it. He strayed away from his littermates during the night and old man winter grabbed him. His still cold body was found at dawn and was rushed to the warmth of the cat house where he was given warm water to get his blood circulating again. Somehow that little guy fought back with all he had left and is now on a slow recovery back to health. That was my first eye opening glimpse into what winter is like on the rez. And it broke my heart. My tears frozen to my cheek. But there is no time for sorrow or pity. Emotions are pushed aside because there is so much work to be done in order to save the rest." [For her full blog posting visit Rescue Buddy Boarding].

Last December I experienced the brutal winter along with Ahnung. Last December, Ahnung was one of the lucky few who no longer had to sleep outside in the frigid cold, huddled up in an igloo next to a fellow homeless dog. We helped Karen with chores during the day ... we were lucky because when we got cold we had a place to warm up and find refuge. At night, we slept in the warmth of the cat house, curled up under blankets. Meanwhile, many others shivered through the night in their outdoor kennels despite all of Karen's efforts to protect them from the unforgiving cold and wind with tarps and blankets. One night while we were there we heard noise outside in the shelter ... Karen couldn't sleep because she was worried about the puppies. At 2 in the morning, windchills in minus 30s, she was transferring one puppy after another to a small kennel where they could huddle up and have more protection from the frigid cold.


Tugged by my heart to do something immediately, I am asking myself to slow down and think --- be strategic, be purposeful and figure out what's the most effective way we can help Karen at Red Lake Rosie's Rescue. I have the utmost respect for Karen and the work she does. I will also be forever grateful for all the animals she has rescued and especially for Ahnung.

Laura in her blog posting is right .... while I sit here in front of my laptop, my pups (Ahnung, Missy and Mister) by my side on their dog beds ... we are warm. Ahnung can sleep soundly without her body jerking her awake from shivering uncontrollably. For a woman who has dedicated her life to eliminating the suffering of animals, it's now our turn, as a community to come together to help Karen continue the absolutely incredible work she is doing.

We will do just that. Somehow. Some way.