August 2022
Harmony and Ghost were seized from a hoarder in the Spokane area, along with five dogs of other breeds. We were tagged in a Facebook group about them and I called the shelter right away. They said Ghost had been adopted by an older couple already, but Harmony was still there. Their records show she will be eleven years old later this year. Cheri and Darlene went to look at her, and we told the shelter we would take Harmony despite a mammary tumor. It was a Saturday and they said nobody who could make that decision would be in until Tuesday, August 2, so we waited. When they called us they said the shelter was at twice their capacity and they really wanted to transfer Harmony as soon as possible. Cheri and Darlene picked her up, and as they left they called to say Ghost had come back so they had him too. He was too active for the couple who took him. They each fostered the two, first Darlene and then Cheri, so the dogs would be closer as our daughter Kristina picked them up to bring to us. On August 7 they headed west.
Our vet has a wait of two months to see a dog, far too long for a dog with a tumor. We know two of their four vets are quitting at the end of this month, so we are, practically speaking, without vet care. Fortunately, Erin and Tom have a vet who could see them two days later, so Kristina met them on the way and transferred Harmony while Ghost came here. Two days later, Melissa picked him up and took him to her home to foster.
Harmony not only saw the vet, she had surgery to remove the mammary tumor and spay her. She is back for a short stay with Tom and Erin. We are waiting for the biopsy results, which should be ready in a few days. When she has healed enough to travel, we hope to take her here to foster.
Meanwhile, Ghost has been renamed Cooper and is awaiting his neuter surgery in about a month. He was described as seven or eight months old, but after having him a few days between us, we think is between one and two years old. Still young and puppy-like, but old enough to neuter. Cooper is a really sweet dog, but complete untrained. He counter-surfs, gets into everything, and isn’t housetrained yet. Knowing Melissa, he will be soon.
Luna is a Sibe/Sam/Mal mix who has been with Melissa since early March. She had a broken leg that wasn’t healed when she first was taken to a vet clinic after being found running. After several vets saw her, all of whom said her leg should be amputated, the surgery was delayed because of a UTI. When she finally went in again, they determined the scar tissue was holding things together so well she could keep her leg. As one of the vets said, she may not have full use of it, but three and a half legs are better than three. The woman who first tried to take her couldn’t handle her, so she came to rescue. In the intervening months, Luna has healed and runs and plays without problems. We also did a DNA test on her, and she is roughly half Siberian Husky and a quarter each Samoyed and Alaskan Malamute. We have been waiting for just the right home, and recently she went “on trial” to a previous adopter. So far, so good.
Bella celebrated her twelfth birthday last month. She recently went back to the vet for a re-check, and although her thyroid tumor is slightly larger, it is not growing very fast. The high dose of thyroid meds is working, and she will continue on them indefinitely. Her breathing has become a bit more raspy, but she seems to enjoy life and is running and playing with the other dogs. Time will tell what happens.
Tessa and Sophie have their ups and downs. For quite a while they would come back in the house whenever we let them out, but we had company recently and it spooked them somehow. On the day of this writing, we let them out in the morning and they wouldn’t even come in for their dinner. We hope they will come in at bedtime. We don’t know what is going on in those minds.
