December 2021
The last report of 2021 begins with a new dog in rescue. Her name is Shadah, and she came from a home in Eugene that didn’t want her anymore. She is eight years old and began peeing on the carpet, so the owner called us. We convinced him to take her to a vet first, where she was diagnosed with a UTI (big surprise) as well as a skin problem. After treatment he called and still wanted us to take her, so Shadah has moved in with Melissa. No matter how much we know her life will eventually be better, Shadah doesn’t understand that yet. Melissa said Shadah went out in the yard, over to where the car was that brought her, and sat and howled. When she went back inside, she sat by the window waiting. Things like that are difficult to watch. At eight years old, we’re undecided about getting her spayed. Melissa will talk that over with her vet and we’ll do what is best for Shadah.
Bella has been here since September, and we took her for a check-up to our vet. While she was there, the vet found a lump on her throat that he thought might be a goiter. We took her back for an ultrasound a few weeks ago, and it’s some kind of mass on her thyroid. Since first being diagnosed, the mass has grown noticeably and feels like half a baseball. Bella is going to see an oncologist next week and we’re crossing our fingers it will be good news, but we very much expect bad news. It’s growing too fast for something benign. If so, this will be a harder loss than most because Bella has become a real part of our family in a short time. She is friendly and loves attention, and it only takes a glance her way for her tail to wag. She is at least eleven years old, so the decision what to do will be a matter of balancing age, prognosis, and cost.
Tessa and Sophie have been going through a phase where they don’t want to come indoors. For days at a time they come in when called, and then they decide they are afraid of the door. Kathy has been walking them two or three times a day recently, and we only let them out off-leash after dinner because they always come inside at bedtime. It’s the kind of problem we have been fighting since they got here almost four years ago. When inside, they have been making little bits of progress. Both of them will take kibble from my hand sometimes, although Tessa hangs back. Sophie is more than happy to be next to me if food is imminent, but I still can’t touch her except when she is in her crate at bedtime or in the shower stall where they both hide. Kathy has much better luck getting close. It’s nearly a certainty that they will spend the rest of their lives with us. As you can see, Tessa’s new hobby is excavating holes in the yard.
Laddie has been placed on a “test drive” with a family in northern Idaho. Although he gets along with all the people very well, his prey drive is making things difficult with their cat. We’re waiting for a decision. Meanwhile, Kona has settled in with Melissa and Terry and we’ll see what happens.
Progress continues toward turning over rescue to Erin, Tom, Hans, and Holley. They get copies of emails I write about rescue, and Holley has been responding to online ads about dogs; she has checked most services for at least 15 years, sending listings to the Samfans rescue secretary to distribute to all the Samoyed Rescue groups. Tom and Erin have joined SCA so we can continue to be listed on the SCA and AKC website after Kathy, Melissa, and I are gone. It’s surprising how many details there are. I’m more than confident our dogs will continue to be cared for well into the future.
You might remember Freya, the dog who came from a backyard breeder’s daughter. Freya is the one who had entropion, a condition where the eyelashes grow inward, rubbing on the eyes. When Melissa saw her she called and we decided on the spot to break one of our firmest rules; we offered money for a dog, something never done before or after. She had surgery for the entropion and became a happy dog. Because of her first years she has always been timid, but the home we found was perfect. Anita, her mom, has been nursing her through a diagnosis of liver cancer, and it looked like surgery had caught it. Unfortunately, the cancer has returned, with new nodules that are inoperable. Anita and Freya have been some of our favorites over recent years, and we hope you’ll join us in sending all our best wishes and positive thoughts that Freya stays happy and comfortable as long as possible.
