RUMORS JUST PLAIN HAPPEN- AND THEY CAN BE DEVASTATING... SOMEWHERE ALONG TEH WAY SOMEONE SAW THE WHITE OF HOODSIE'S COLOR AND SAID WHITE DOGS CAN BE BLIND AND DEAF-- WHICH IS CERTAINLY TRUE-- ARIOT IS DEAF AND DOESNT SEE 100%-- I HAD NO IDEA THAT IN THE BACKGROUND, STAFF AND VOLUNTEERS WERE PASSING AROUND THAT HOODSIE HAD A PROBLEM WITH HIS EYES BECAUSE HE WAS WHITE. I KNEW AND HEARD NOTHING ABOUT IT UNTIL I HEARD HE WAS GOING TO BE GIVEN AWAY--- WHOA !!-- HE IS ONE LOVELY FRIENDLY PUP AND SHOULD BE A NICE SERVICE DOG FOR SOMEONE. I WATCHED HIM- AND NEVER SAW A REASON TO QUESTION HIS SIGHT OR HEARING-- BUT MAYBE....... SO I BOOKED HIM WITH A CANINE OPTHOMOLOGIST-- UP AT BULGER... 20 MINUTES AWAY-- SHE DID PRESSURES AND TEAR PRODUCTION AND FUNNY FLASHLIGHT THINGS- AND DECIDED HE WAS A BEAUTIFUL PUP AND SHOULD MAKE A WONDERFUL SERVICE DOG. SO LETS GET OFF THAT RUMOR AND GET ON WITH HIS CAREER.
$190 LATER .. I WAS WORRIED THAT THIS DR... THAT I DID NOT KNOW---- WOULD TRY AND TAKE HIM FROM ME AND DECIDE TO MUZZLE HOODSIE TO EXAMINE HIS EYES-- IF THAT HAD BEEN THE CASE I WOULD HAVE LEFT... HE IS A BIG GUY.....BUT PERFECTLY BEHAVED, I WAS PROUD OF HIM.
BULGER HOSPITAL IS OUR NEXT CLOSEST- AND IS A 24 HOUR EMERGENCY HOSPITAL.. I NEVER KNEW-- TEHY HAVE 2 DISTINCT SECTIONS -- A REGULAR VISIT AND TEH SIDE DOOR EMERGENCY-- SEEING AS I ONLY HAVE BEEN TO THE EMERGENCY 24 HOUR BIT- I NEVER REALIZED HOW BIG IT IS-- AND THEY ARE MOVING TO A BIGGER PLACE 2 MILES AWAY ON 114 .
THE WAITING ROOM OF AN ANIMAL EMERGENCY CLINIC HAS TO BE ONE OF THE WORST PLACES-- WITH TERRIFIED PEOPLE SEPARATED FROM THIER CRITICALLY SICK PETS. WE ARE VERY FORTUNATE TO STAY WITH OUR DOGS AT DAH...
**
I Have been a loyal supporter of SDP since 2012. I started watching when I would get home from work and
it is a great stress reliever. Being a dog mom myself I enjoy watching all of the puppies and big dogs every day.
Mail call for sometime was without sound and the antics everyday would bring a smile to my face and usually laughing
out loud watching and imagining what the words were that went along with the picture but that all changed when SDP
was hooked up for sound. Carlene and staff share a lot of knowledge everyday with the Camera People during mail Call and the Doggie Daily.
One of the things I learned about through Mail Call was bloat in large dogs. Having a large breed dog myself I had never heard of this.
Carlene explained what to look for and how important it was to have immediate medical attention. One evening about two years ago
my mastiff Elvis eight years old at the time came over to me trying to vomit and his belly and sides were very swollen and I knew at that moment he was bloating. A phone call to emergency vets and a very tense drive to the emergency hospital it was determined that he did
in fact have bloat. I was told a lot of dogs do not survive bloat because people just don't know about it. I told the vet I had learned about it
on a web-cam for Service Dog Project on Explore.org. Because of our getting him to the vets within a short time of the onset of bloat Elvis
survived and came through surgery with flying colors. I am sure the only reason he survived was the talk Carlene was having at
Mail Call on bloating in large dogs. I would have waited until morning to see if he felt better but he wouldn't have survived the night.
So thank you Carlene for all your knowledge you share every day. I don't think you realize how important you are Carlene in so many peoples lives.
The joy these dogs bring to so many from recipients and CP's clearly shows every where you look.
I did have the pleasure a few years ago to visit the farm on a Sunday. I got to meet a lot of staff and volunteers and a personal tour
with Annie. The love in her voice for this magical place was so very clear in everything she showed us and the love she showed for all animals from chickens, donkeys and dogs was amazing,
I will continue to support SDP anyway I can and will watch as I have for the last seven years every day and look forward to watching many more matches of the puppies I watched being born until they are matched with their forever partners.
Thank you for sharing your lives and knowledge to everyone.
With much gratitude and love,Donna Kenny
