Yesterday was Lilly's first birthday ! It also marked her 4 month anniversary since we rescued her.

As I have always done, my dogs birthdays are special days. Once my favorite pet store opened, her and I climbed in the car. She even got to ride shotgun !
I was a little concerned that it might not happen due to her being unsure of herself and a bit reactive in some previous attempts at meeting people ( I would love to get my hands on the people that "raised" her before being rescued). Anyway, I did not need to worry. She stood in the car until I got her leashed and only hopped out when I told her "OK". She met a young woman in the parking lot that thought she was the most beautiful dog she had ever seen. Lilly just calmly walked over and sniffed her and loved the pets and attention. Then it was into the store ! I could see there were like 3 customers and 2 staff. I tightened my hold on the leash. I didnt need to. She was great just checking out the store and the smells. She didnt growl or carry on with any sort of naughty behavior. She was a good sweet dog. We looked at toys, since that is one of the reasons for going. She was quite discerning and chose a Kong Teddy Bear, which she carried everywhere until we checked out. We also got 2 of their fresh made dog cookies, the main reason for going to this store. We got 2 so Boomer could have one...birthdays are shared ! She ate hers in the car, then fell asleep for the ride home with her head on her teddy. At home she played gently with teddy, so I left her with my wife and took Boomer for a walk at the park. All was good as she slept most the time we were gone. Just before noon, we piled them both in the car and embarked upon the next birthday tradition...going for a cheeseburger !! Lilly and Boomer split one (I cut it into 1 inch bites) and my wife and I split one. Then we had a big walk at a different park to aid digestion. It was a nice warm day 75 degrees ! So, we spent the rest of the day until sunset just sitting around playing with the dogs.
It was a great 1st birthday for Lilly ! She was so happy and just loving life and everything.

We almost missed it as both my wife and I are just getting over a nasty bout of covid. This was our first foray out into the world again. What a great day it was !

Matt, you have before and after pics?

My Staffie was 50# and had every parasite a dog gets except for heartworm. Vet said it was more worms than fecal material, he is pretty anemic. Wife tells them draw blood to see how anemic, so we can track progress, nurses. Couple hours later, they call back, he needs a blood transfusion, $750. Hour ago, you did not even think we needed a blood draw. How about iron supplements, what is the dosage? No, I can't cut it in half, how about I give it every other day, that will make constipation less likely too, nurses. He rapidly improved, hair stopped falling out, coat actually looked like dog hair. 10 years later, 100# and looks like he could be pulling a wagon.

Have before and after pics in this thread, I think. In the before pics he looks like a cartoon dog, head too big for his body. I wonder how big he would have gotten if he was not starved first 11 months of his life.

Alabama rescue mutt experiencing Moab
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No, sorry....I do not have any before pics. I didn't think about it at the time.

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That is hilarious!

One of Richard Stine's pieces.

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I need to upload pictures of our crew. We have a two year old maine coon, a yellow lab mix (mastador?), and two other cats. They all get along. Our maine coon is the opposite of clumsy, a gymnast who can walk across the most cluttered area without knocking anything over.

Just picked this guy up tonight after our Moab vacation didn’t go to plan…

I think he’s happy to be back home.

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Getting chilly!

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Got the boys out for some bird work. Ollie was awesome as expected. Little brother Bo found a bird but was like ‘yeah whatever let’s keep sniffing around’

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We had to say goodbye to our Boston, Gus on Monday. 12 years old and had back problems that lead to his hind legs not functioning any longer. He was struggling and was on more meds than my wife and I so we made the tough decision.

We bought his meds and food from Chewy.com. and was on their auto-order program. My wife called them and told them we didn't need their service any longer and they credited back the cost of our last order of meds/food which was about $200. The next day we received a flower delivery and a sympathy card. We were blown away by this.

Sorry to hear about Gus. Pretty amazing service from your food provider!

Last Saturday I had the pups into the vet and we tried the Limbrella shot on our thirteen year old border collie. Will see if this proves to be as effective overall as a monthly shot to relieve arthritis pain. She does seem to be moving a lot easier over the last week. Will keep you posted.

RIP Gus

Your people loved you and miss you. You shall remain in their hearts and thoughts forever. Run free Gus !

Paul so sorry about your pup . But when they suffer its time . Never easy . And it doesn't surprise me about Chewy , all our dealings with them have been positive .

Sorry for your loss, URY914.

That’s why I voted not to get another dog…didn’t want to have to go through what’s necessary when the time comes, it’s like losing a family member. Apparently my wife’s vote counted more than mine:

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Sorry about your little Gus, Paul. Most of us understand how tough the decision is....but in the end it's the greatest act of love you can possible do.

Like Matt said....Run Free Gus.,...Run Free....

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