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 Mr. SpotBorn November, 1995It has been said that Mr. Spot had better outlive me (Elaine), because I will not survive his loss. Spot came into our lives one day in May, 1996 when we had our back yard gate open in order to lay some new sod. We found out later that he had been living with some students who were renting a house up the street from us. At the end of the semester, the students removed his collar and moved away, leaving him to fend for himself. Spot was infested with fleas and ticks, so we cleaned him up, got him neutered and we tried to find him a home. He proved to be an independent sort though, because Spot showed everyone that he can jump a 6 foot fence with no trouble at all. He escaped his new home and was brought to the shelter by the dog catcher. When I heard about his escape, my friend Kim and I left work and searched for him everywhere. When we found him at the shelter, I paid his ransom, brought him home and swore that we would never part again. Spot no longer jumped the fence once he reached his older years. At 13, he could still jump into my lap when I was sitting in my recliner as long as the foot rest was not too high. He liked me to scratch his back while we watched TV. At 14, we discouraged him from jumping as he could injure himself. Spot developed Cushing's disease around age 12, and has been on medication ever since. He continues to have good days and some not so good. He still tries to play take-away with Pedro. I appreciate every day that I have left with him. We did not expect him to outlive Shadow, much less Rocket, but Greg named him "Mr. Timex - takes a lickin' and keeps on tickin'".  Maxx-a-MillionBorn August 26, 2001Elaine was visiting the vet with Shiner in November, 2001 when she saw a family with a baby golden lab pup as they exited the exam room. The mother appeared to care for the dog, but the father was vocal about his distaste for him. They posted an adoption request on the vet's bulletin board because they could not care for him any longer. I made the "mistake" of telling Greg about the man who was not kind to the cutest puppy in the world. They had named him "Cupcake" - imagine! Greg called the vet and got the adoption information from the bulletin board and presented Maxx to me for my birthday. Maxx has never forgotten the cruelty he suffered at the hands of that very bad man. He continues to dislike large men when he first meets them, but after a few minutes, he warms up to them. Maxx came into our lives as our dear Shiner was leaving us. We used to think that we rescued Maxx, but the truth is that he rescued us. He seems to have a lot of Shiner's traits in addition to a few unique ones of his own. Update, 2009 - Maxx has assumed the role of pack leader. At fairly regular intervals each night, he goes out into the back yard on patrol. He circles around, barks at something that moves in the grass, then comes back inside. We nicknamed him "Scout." Maxx also likes to drag towels, blankets, and whatever else he can find, out through the dog door to the backyard where he stacks it in his "pile." When something is missing in the house, we go look for it in Maxxie's pile. He especially likes soft fabrics because he will suckle on them.  IsabelBorn November 5, 2002The Next Generation - Our First Grandpup!Isabel was born on Election Day - about an hour after the polls closed. Update, 2009 - Isabel is still going strong. She lives with Meg, Brian and two cats, but she still loves to come visit us at doggie camp. She loves to swim, and her favorite toy is a squeaky ball with feet.  Bridget BardotBorn October, 2003Woops! We did it again!Greg went to Petsmart to buy some dog food and fell in love with a speckled face that reminded him of Shiner, so naturally, she came home with him. We soon discovered that she does not resemble Shiner in any other way. Bridget is playful and loves shoes - especially their taste. She ate my favorite Anne Klein shoes, among others. She tears through the house and jumps over coffee tables and even sofas. But when it comes time to jump into the car to visit the vet, she pretends that she forgot how to jump and we have to give her a boost. She attended the Canine Good Citizen class, but she could never master the "STAY" command. She is our rebel. Update, 2009 - Bridget is sweet and requires a lot of attention. She typically pushes her way into the mix when someone else is getting pet.
PedroBorn March, 2008He followed me home. May I keep him? Yes.Driving home after a long day at work, I almost ran over this little guy. He was wandering the neighborhood and heading for a busy 4 lane road. He looks like a cross between a Dachshund and a Chihuahua. I never thought I would get so attached to a little dog - he weighed 11 pounds soaking wet while our other dogs are all over 50 pounds. Dr. Matthews at Kyle Animal Hospital said that Pedro is the luckiest dog in the world. Actually, I think we are the lucky ones. Greg and I went to Petsmart and bought little dog toys and we had to re-think backyard safety. It's amazing what little spaces he fits into. We taught him how to swim and how to find the steps to get out of the pool, but we still need to watch him closely. Update, 2009 - Pedro is now over 20 pounds, small in size, but he thinks he is a big dog. I take him to as many places as I can. We have been to the car wash together and shopping at the Banana Republic. Everywhere we go, people stop and smile at the cutest little guy in the world.
Pedro is the little guy in the front. Shadow is the one in the pool who dives under the surface to retrieve the toy. Spot is the one who takes the toy from Shadow when she arrives at the steps. Bridget is the loopy one who runs back and forth.
 Molly McBurrBorn January, 1990Died March 29, 2005 Our first family dog. She taught us a lot about being responsible dog people, and she paved the way for several more dogs to come. Molly and our (human) daughter Meghan hit it off from the beginning. When Meghan would spend the summers with her dad, Molly stood guard at her bedroom door until she returned. In February, 2000, Molly went to live with Meghan in her first college apartment, and they were roommates until the end. Molly was known as the "fun police" at our home. When she had enough of listening to the other dogs playing with squeaky toys, she would break up the fun, pick up the noisy toy and hide it in another room of the house. In March, 2005, Molly started to have seizures. At first, they were infrequent, and she appeared to recover quickly. Later, the seizures were more frequent and more debilitating. Doctors suspected a brain tumor. Meghan was at her side when Molly took her last breath. We were all very sad to say goodbye to our Molly-girl.  Sadie RoseBorn July, 1990Died November 6, 1995 Molly needed a friend to help her expend her energy in positive ways. She had eaten through the siding of the house, devoured several lawn chairs, a purse, and the last twenty pages of a 700 page novel that Elaine had read through page 600. We met Sadie at the animal shelter and she was cute as a button. She developed a high fever during her first few weeks and we almost lost her. We seem to think that the fever was the cause of some of Sadie's interesting quirks. She had a hard time getting to like new people, but she definitely didn't like anyone who wore a hat. She loved to ride in the car and she knew she was going for a ride whenever she heard us sing "Born to be Wild". In the fall of 1995, she developed a nose bleed and she sneezed nearly constantly. Eventually, she was diagnosed with a nasal tumor, and we lost her soon after that. We learned of Gulf Coast Vet Specialists too late to help poor Sadie.  Tazzer McTavishBorn September, 1990Died December 22, 2005 Tazzer's goal in life was to get everyone in the world to love her and pet her. Taz came into our lives because we went to the animal shelter one day to donate some dog food. We took a stroll through the cages to pet some dogs, and we saw this adorable white snowflake, curled up in the corner of a cage. She had an incision on her belly indicating that she had been spayed. When we asked about her, we were told that the family who had wanted to adopt her changed its mind and adopted a male instead. It broke our hearts to see this adorable pup all prepped up and waiting to go home. So she did - - with us. At age 15, Taz was a content little lady. She never was very needy. She was almost completely deaf and she was beginning to lose her sight. Her quality of life was deteriorating quickly and while she tried to make it to Christmas, we lost her three days shy. While we knew it was the right thing to do for her, it did not make it any easier.  Lacey MaeBorn October, 1991Died March 20, 2004Lacey Mae was Elaine's surprise birthday present in November, 1991. We were on a roll adding to our family of furry friends. Shortly after Lacey came to live with us, the animal shelter called to tell us that some of her littermates were dying of parvo and that we could return her for a different puppy. We could not do that, but rather together with our vet, we watched her closely for the next few weeks, and she survived the crisis. Lacey, at 28 pounds was the smallest of our pack, but she was scrappy and she loved to cuddle and watch NASCAR races with Greg. Lacey was diagnosed with bladder cancer in January, 2002. She underwent chemotherapy and radiation at Gulf Coast Veterinary Oncologists and sadly, she lost her battle in March 2004. Her quality of life was excellent until just before her death, and we miss our little girl.  Shiner BearBorn February, 1993Died February 23, 2002 The Bear - our largest dog weighing in at a slender 90 pounds. We were shopping for dog food one day at our local pet store, and we saw two women with a shopping cart outside the store with a sign that read "Free Puppies." Inside the cart were several beautiful Blue Heeler/White German Shepherd pups. We could not resist that face. Shiner grew very quickly and at 6 months of age, we discovered that she was afflicted with severe bi-lateral hip dysplasia. It turned out that Shiner was a genetic disaster. She underwent two total hip replacement surgeries, surgery to repair her shoulder and later, her knee, and she was on medication for all of her life for a malformed urinary tract. In November, 2001, we learned that Shiner developed a malignant bone tumor - presumably a reaction to one of her hip implants. She might have lived a little longer if her leg had been amputated, but we decided that she had been through enough. We knew it was time to say goodbye when she couldn't wag her massive tail anymore. She lost her battle with cancer on February 23, 2002. While we were grateful that she made it to her 9th birthday, it was nearly unbearable to let her go. She will always hold a special place in our hearts.  Smokey BanditBorn July, 1994Died March 29, 2007
Shadow DancerBorn August 1997died July 9, 2009 Greg and I were out for a neighborhood walk one evening in May, 1998, when all of a sudden out of the bushes came this adorable pup who appeared to have misplaced her tail. She fell in place between us and walked with us all the way home where she helped herself to a BIG drink of water. She wore no collar, but she appeared to be well cared for - no parasites, fleas or ticks. We made signs and posted them in the neighborhood, and we brought one of our signs to the animal shelter in case her owner ended up looking for her there. After about a day of enjoying her quirkiness, we silently hoped that the phone would never ring. It didn't, so we got to keep her. She loved everyone, but she was most partial to men. She was definitely Greg's Shadow. Shadow loved to lie on the floor directly under the footrest of my recliner. So many times, I would unknowingly lower the footrest on her shiny black head. On weekend mornings, she had a habit of barking at 6:30AM to make sure I wasn't late for work. I told her time and time again that I didn't have to go to work on the weekends, but she kept forgetting. Shadow also loved to swim and play the pool game. She would dive head first and swim under the water to retrieve the toy. We played with her on the Sunday before she died. She jumped in a couple of times to retrieve the toy, but she did not have her usual enthusiasm. Bless her little heart. At her 2008 annual physical, the vet noticed something on her EKG. We took her to a local cardiologist who took extensive tests, but could not find anything definitive. She said the next step was to send Shadow home hooked up to some type of heart monitor and we were to watch her closely and keep a log of all of Shadow's activities. One jump into the pool would end that project, so we decided not to put her through it. She still ate well, played and did not appear to be in any pain or distress until a few days before she died. When she stopped eating, we knew it was not good news. In a state of denial, we thought something was obstructing her esophagus, so Greg took her to the vet for tests. Our vet referred her to a specialist in San Antonio who noticed her heart was enlarged, and recommended that she stay for a couple of days on IV heart meds. On the morning of the 9th, after going outside with her tech, she went back into her cage, put her head down on her paws, and gently passed away. He told us that she had had a good night and was showing signs of responding to the meds. Wouldn't you know it? We are heartbroken not to have been with her at the end. As painful as it is to lose a pet, the joy they bring during the course of their lives is well worth it. She had 12 great years of fun - we are grateful for all of the time that she had.
 Rocket RamjetBorn circa May, 2002Died January 22, 2010
In the summer of 2003, Rocket passed his Canine Good Citizen Exam! Update, 2009 - Rocket is a joy. He won't swim in the pool, but he loves to have us splash him when we are in the pool. He doesn't like anything new in the house. We bought a dining room set and for days, he would not go near it. Suddenly, Rocket stopped eating and the look in his eyes showed that he was not well. After two days of not eating, we enticed him to eat some canned dog food that we had left over from when Shadow was sick. The next day, Greg brought him to the vet who found that Rocket's bladder was very full - no wonder he wasn't feeling well. He was able to relieve the pressure with a catheter, but a sonogram revealed a cataloupe-size mass in his pelvis. We weighed our options and decided to have surgery - if the doctor found that it was a cyst, he would remove it and all would be well. If the mass was cancerous, then the doctor would euthanize him without waking him up. We got to see him before his surgery and he was happy to see us.We were rewarded with soft nuzzling, moist kisses and a wagging tail. We walked him around the clinic and when he saw my car, he headed for it. The next morning, I was at work, but Greg was with him before he was anesthetized for surgery. It wasn't long before the doc came out shaking his head with the news that he found Rocket's bladder was black with cancer, and he had let him go. The outpouring of sympathy from our family and friends has been very comforting. I think back to a time when Shiner was diagnosed with osteo sarcoma, our vet said to me that dogs who die of cancer are the ones who had excellent care throughout their lives. They didn't get heartworms because their people took precautions, and they didn't get hit by cars because they had a safe place to live. I recall that conversation now with great comfort.
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Mr. SpotBorn November, 1995It has been said that Mr. Spot had better outlive me (Elaine), because I will not survive his loss. Spot came into our lives one day in May, 1996 when we had our back yard gate open in order to lay some new sod. We found out later that he had been living with some students who were renting a house up the street from us. At the end of the semester, the students removed his collar and moved away, leaving him to fend for himself. Spot was infested with fleas and ticks, so we cleaned him up, got him neutered and we tried to find him a home. He proved to be an independent sort though, because Spot showed everyone that he can jump a 6 foot fence with no trouble at all. He escaped his new home and was brought to the shelter by the dog catcher. When I heard about his escape, my friend Kim and I left work and searched for him everywhere. When we found him at the shelter, I paid his ransom, brought him home and swore that we would never part again. Spot no longer jumped the fence once he reached his older years. At 13, he could still jump into my lap when I was sitting in my recliner as long as the foot rest was not too high. He liked me to scratch his back while we watched TV. At 14, we discouraged him from jumping as he could injure himself. Spot developed Cushing's disease around age 12, and has been on medication ever since. He continues to have good days and some not so good. He still tries to play take-away with Pedro. I appreciate every day that I have left with him. We did not expect him to outlive Shadow, much less Rocket, but Greg named him "Mr. Timex - takes a lickin' and keeps on tickin'".
Pedro is the little guy in the front. Shadow is the one in the pool who dives under the surface to retrieve the toy. Spot is the one who takes the toy from Shadow when she arrives at the steps. Bridget is the loopy one who runs back and forth.
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