Seamus…who will always be famous

I was getting good at blogging semi-regularly there for a bit and then…well, then life did what it does (which, in case you’ve forgotten, is “knock me upside the head”!!).  So here’s an update:

Daphne is recovered from her surgery and appears to be doing very well. We’re still waiting for the pathology report (anybody remember “waiting for the fall issue of Vogue” pathology report in the book??).  We don’t yet know whether she needs any additional treatment and naturally we’re hoping she does not. She continues to be a wonderful, easy going dog who charms everyone she meets…except Percival.  They have not been as charmed with each other as we initially hoped. Currently though, they seem to acknowledge that the other one isn’t going anywhere and they may as well tolerate each other. There have been brief moments of near play, but then one of them will get snappy or just generally grumpy and walk away. We think that actually neither one of them knows how to play with another dog, so it’s going to take a little time.

Percival is adjusting. But it’s been a rocky road with lots of ups and downs. He’s an adorable, sweet boy who loves to play with his toys and cuddle.  But…he’s also a puppy in many ways and his time in a lab has definitely traumatized him.  I alternate between having so much empathy for what he must have been through that I want to just give him love and attention (and pretty much anything he wants–which is in fact constant love and attention) and knowing that despite what he’s been through, he too needs structure and rules. He is every bit as stubborn as Seamus (and if you don’t think that makes me love him more, well, you need to go re-read the book!!), but his particular issues are different. Except for one…and we’ll get to that. His issues are primarily that he insists on sleeping in our bed—way under the covers, and as close to Chris as he can possible be (in fact, if he could sleep on Chris’s face and neck, he would; trust me when I tell you he’s tried. Chris is just rather fond of breathing and thus objects). Daphne does not like this one bit and Percival doesn’t like it one bit in the morning when Daphne jumps up on the bed and lands on him (she can’t see him, because he’s burrowed so far down, so understandably it comes as a huge shock to all beagles and humans alike). We can’t crate him (remember he spent 1 1/2 years in a cage being tested on by a lab…he does not have good memories of confined spaces).  So this is a challenge. The other challenge is that he was housebroken and fully understood that he was to do his business outside (and he learned a doggie door in about 5 minutes). But then he changed his mind. And now he will go for a long walk with Chris and then come back to the house to do his business. It’s a bit crazy making. But we’re working on it.

The other issue–the one that is reminiscent of Seamus–is that we learned that he has separation anxiety. He spent a day and night at doggie day care for the first time yesterday. He was fine during the day, but at night (he was in a “suite” not a crate) he shredded his bed and then chewed on his own paw. They had to bandaged both back paws to protect him from himself.  This is going to be a process with Percival, but I feel so bad for him and what that night must have been like for him. I feel like the worst beagle mom ever!  Perhaps it would have been more comforting for him to have Daphne there, but I was worried that in a strange place they might go back to fighting with each other (of course now I think that no, it would have perhaps bonded them more). Seamus needed people around him at all times. We’re hoping Percival just needs to know that he’s safe and has a permanent home. And of course, we’re hoping to teach him that that is indeed the case. So we’ll stick to a routine, give him some structure, tons of love and guidance and keep working on these issues. No one said it was going to be easy. 

And on another update, not a day goes by that I don’t think about and desperately miss Seamus.  I have not adequately responded to the many cards and gifts that were sent to us at his passing, and that is because I fall apart every time I try to do that.  I hope you all know how much it meant to me that you cared so much for Seamus too.

To end on a more upbeat note, today I received my first royalty check for the book. The check was larger than the original advance from the publisher (a very good thing in the publishing world) and a pleasant surprise since it’s a check only for sales of the book from October to December 2012.  Again, I owe a huge debt of gratitude to all of you for your support of our little book. Seamus’s inspiration lives on.

Thanks, all.

I’m getting really tired of these posts. And angry. But, here we go again.

The team…springing into action again

My vet called Saturday night (he’d been out of town; and he’s a friend) with Daphne’s biopsy report. The lump on her chest was cancer. A mast cell tumor–exactly what Seamus had the first time. The whole story in the book. And there it is. Again.

See what I mean about being pissed? The “good” news is that the vet got clean margins on the tumor excision–and hey, you read the book right? So we’re all experts on what “clean margins” mean. It means, we hope, there is no cancer left behind in the body. At least not that we can see. We’re ordering a more extensive pathology report to get the grading, etc. in order to determine whether anything more needs to be done. There may not be anything else needed. Mast cell tumors are the most treatable cancer in dogs. But it’s still cancer. Seamus’s was considered high risk because of its location. Daphne’s was in a “better” spot. That’s about all we know right now.
Remember when Seamus passed the bully stick/ baton to Daphne? Let’s hope he passed on his cancer fighting mojo, too.  Because this team is back in action. We’ll fight this one, too. We’ll beat this one, too. Daphne Doodle Butt, I think we can all see now, came to me for a reason and we’re not going to let her down.
Ironically, today I head into UCLA for my own oncology check up. Yeah, I’m a little freaked out about it this time. I’m a little (a lot) sick of  hearing “I’m sorry, but it’s cancer.” But after my check up and lunch with a friend, I’m headed to the holistic pet nutritionist who just happens to also be in L.A.  Keep us in your thoughts. I’ll keep you posted when I know more. In the meantime–pet your puppies and check for lumps. Cancer is a sneaky bastard and you need to be vigilant for your babies. And to help you with that–here’s what a cancer lump can look like:

Just to the right of the center of her chest–mast cell tumor.

Everybody thought is was a “fatty tumor” but I insisted on having it removed. I don’t trust lumps. You shouldn’t either.

First, we’ve been experiencing a little of Percival’s PTSD from his horrible early life in a research laboratory. Percival has night terrors. He wakes up inexplicably in the middle of the night frightened and barking–and he was also de-barked by the barbaric lab so the bark is really like a seal’s bark. Needless to say, it wakes and frightens the entire household, especially considering his favorite spot to sleep is on the bed, next to Chris. When Daphne rushes to Percival (in the dark) to see what’s happened, it frightens him more and he growls. Then she barks, then he snarls and it just escalates until we’ve had to pull them apart by their collars. Not pretty. They are both trying to figure it out and we will work it out, but in the meantime, we’re missing out on a little sleep. They seem fine and playful with each other during the day, so we know this is temporary. And Percival’s foster  mom tells me that the  night terrors decreased greatly once he was settled in with her and we expect the same here. We’ll do what it takes. (And if anyone needs evidence that I’m willing to do whatever it takes to help a dog, I submit Exhibit A: a little thing I call my memoir, “The Dog Lived (and So Will I).”

Then this morning, tired, and off our game, we took Daphne in for her spay surgery and to have those lumps removed. The vet also asked if he could do an x-ray since he felt some small hard lumps in her belly area. Since we know nothing about Daphne’s past, this seemed like a good idea.

Dr. Davis (my vet of 20 years now; you read about him in the book) called at 3pm to tell me she’d done fine in the surgery and was coming around. But…(there’s always a “but” isn’t there?) he didn’t like the way two of the lumps looked, so they were sent for biopsies. We’ll know the results on Tuesday. What we do know now though is what those small lumps Dr. Davis felt were. Some fookin’ as&$#@* had shot her full of buckshot some time ago. 10 pellets could be counted in the torso x-ray he took–and they’re scattered about, not all concentrated in one area (which likely means she was far away when shot).  This explains why she occasionally yelps when picked up in a certain way or touched in certain areas. There didn’t seem to be any rhyme or reason to it so we figured they were more like warning yelps. Well, they’re not. It happens when we touch her where one of the buckshots is lodged. They’re too deep in (and embedded)  to be removed and don’t seem to be causing her pain at this point (short of what I just mentioned), but man oh man does it make me angry someone did this. It’s amazing that Daphne is as sweet-natured and trusting as she is.

She’s home with me now, groggy and on pain meds. Her belly has stitches from the spaying (and yep, she needed it…5 years old and not spayed and suddenly homeless on the street means she may well have been used for breeding), her chest has stitches from the big lump removal, and her right side has stitches from two other lumps being removed. My poor girl!! I’m lovin’ on her a lot and she’ll get a reprieve from Percival tonight. Only the third night of their courtship but she and I will be downstairs on the couch and Chris and Percival will be upstairs on the bed.  We’ll all get through it and back to the happy times very soon (assuming all is well with Tuesday’s biopsy report).

Here’s my girl sleeping it off in her inflatable “cone.”

It’s helps to snuggle with stuffed friends…even awkwardly.

Please keep Daphne and Percival both in your thoughts. And please, for the love of all you hold dear, shop cruelty free. Think of Percival the next time you want to buy a product from a company that tests on animals. It’s not worth it. It’s really, really not. (Check out Leaping Bunny if you want to check on which companies are cruelty free.).

We all thank you.

And then there is the fact that for years now, Chris and I have had a name picked out for the next male beagle to come into our lives.  So, Ladies and Gentlemen, allow me to introduce you to  PERCIVAL RAMONCE “THE COMET” RHYNE-KERN.

Percival Ramonce “The Comet” Rhyne-Kern

Right. I need to explain. There’s a story. I swear.

Back when Chris and I were first dating it was summer and he lived in L.A. and I lived in Riverside. Thus geographically challenged, we had several dates at Angels baseball games. He’d drive in from west LA, I’d drive in from Riverside and we’d meet at the game (remember, I wasn’t “dating” him…we were just fooling around; me driving myself meant we weren’t dating!!).  Chris frequently wore an Angels jersey to the games. The name on the back of the jersey was “Percival,” for Angels pitcher Troy Percival, who just happens to be from Riverside (Chris did not know that he’d be dating/ fooling around with a girl from Riverside when he bought the jersey). After one game, Chris and I walked out to the parking lot together and then kissed goodbye before we walked to our separate cars. As I walked to my car, two young men started chatting me up about the game and soon I realized one of them was actually flirting with me. I was 41 years old. Chris was 29, these men were probably his same age if not younger (can we all say “ego boost” together??).  The one flirting then said “So are you headed over to The Catch?” (a renowned post-game sports bar) and his buddy playfully punched him in the arm and said “Dude, she was just kissin’ on Percival!!” That made me smile and laugh (and feel wildly flattered like only a middle aged woman could). Of course I had to tell that story to Chris. Who also laughed, mostly because I did not in fact go to The Catch. (Who are we kidding…I was the catch!! ). And from that day on “Kissin’ on Percival” became a regular saying around our house. And obviously it needed to be our next dog’s name.

Then, sometime later we were (okay, Chris was) watching college football and there was a player on the University of Texas’s team whose first name was “Ramonce.” Not Ramon. Not Romance. Ramonce. For some reason (there may have been margaritas involved) I found this hilarious and a perfect name. We know someone named Ramon who we refer to as “Sexy Ramon” (because he is) and this name seemed to just encapsulate that. We somehow (there may have been margaritas involved) decided that “Percival Ramonce” was an even better name for the next dog.  So we could be kissin’ on Percival Ramonce. (Maybe we need to cool it with the margaritas…but it’s too late now).

And of course there’s “The Comet.” See, Chris really likes the name “Comet” for a dog. And I would too if it were referring to a comet. I am okay with “The Comet” as a nickname because it sounds like a sports-y kind of nickname and makes me think of a comet not Comet, the reindeer. Hence the middle middle name “The Comet.”

And that, folks, is how Percival Ramonce “The Comet” Rhyne-Kern came to be. Because it was meant to be. There is a lot of kissin’ on Percival going on. And, Percival is already adjusting to his new moniker. He’s being very sportsmanlike about it.

Hazel (l) and Dewey (who is allegedly half cocker…but mostly beagle).

This was extra special for Daphne because Hazel and Dewey’s mom, Beverly Thomas, is the one who saved Daphne from that nasty shelter so she could make her way here. Daphne had a rollicking good time all day and was very good leading the Survivor’s Walk with me as my co-Grand Marshall. I know, what a day, right?

Busy, busy!

And then we drove home.

Oh, no…wait…there was one more stop. FOR THE FINAL ROSE CEREMONY!!!

The final rose ceremony was, appropriately enough, at a fundraiser for Beagle Freedom Project held at Verdugo Bar. Daphne got a private little party with both her bachelor boys, and then the fun began!

Daphne (L), Rizzo (M) and Comet (R)…(OK, they’re beagles. It’s hard to get a romantic photo of beagles especially with food nearby!!)

Rizzo was looking his usual handsome, debonair self. And he certainly had his fans in the audience.

But Comet was no slacker in the fan department either, and he brought the “cute” along with “handsome.” Our girl had a tough, tough decision to make.

She talked it over with her mom, whose sage advice was “Go with your heart, girl. We’ll love whoever you love.”

“I love him, mom. I really, really love him.” And with that, the final ARRROOOOOSE went to Comet!

The engagement party began!!

The guests toasted (and loved on) the happy couple

Comet contemplated giving up his beagle bachelor ways

Daphne Doodle Butt drank (okay, ate) herself under the table (but look at that happy face!!!)

Family engagement photos were taken (humans are me on the right, and Vanessa, Comet’s foster mom on the left)

Vanessa “may” have gotten a little teary eyed when it was time for the happy couple to depart but as the expression goes, she’s not losing a Comet, she’s gaining a Daphne Doodle Butt…in law. (And if that’s not the expression, it really should be.)

Rizzo was a true gentleman and congratulated the happy couple. In keeping with Bachlore/ette show tradition, it seems quite obvious Rizzo should be the next Bachelor searching for love. How about it? Let’s find Rizzo his perfect love match– a home with his forever family!!

Our little lovebirds are now home “opening” their gifts (poor, poor squirrel; and you should see the tyrannosaurus).

We don’t call her Daphne Doodle Butt for nothin’!

 We hope you enjoyed this season of the Beaglerette and our most exciting AAARRRROOOOOOSE ceremony ever!!

(In my next post, I’ll let you know what Comet’s new name is. And the story behind it. You knew there was a story, right?)

While Comet played the debonair, urban, sophisticated dude, Rizzo was clearly the down home family man. He had several foster doggie brothers and sisters there for the meet and greet which took place in the yard of his foster parents beautiful home in Pasadena.

“Welcome to my home, Daphne. We’re a fun loving group here!”

Rizzo was a bit shy at first and maybe, being the family man and all,  wondering why he was separated from his buddies (if you look closely at the picture, you can see that the other dogs were in the house…looking out the windows of the french doors!). But he was adorable! So cute…and tinier than we were expecting (Note Daphne’s Rubenesque size by comparison).  But they did not snarl or bark at each other and seemed to get along fine. Daphne was eventually overwhelmed by Rizzo’s large foster family (fair to say she’s gotten used to being an only dog in just 3 weeks!). She ran and hid under the table and then behind dad’s legs for a bit. Then Rizzo’s playful ways won her over and they commenced a dance…of sorts:

Rizzo and Daphne

Rizzo proved to be a high energy, lovable little dude. He’s obviously bonded with his fosters (animal and human alike) and proved he was a family man. We’re leaving this up to Daphne of course, but I must say… I was loving little Rizzo. He’s quite the charmer.

Will Daphne feel the same?

She’ll be making her decision soon.

“This is a big decision. Any advice from you all? I can’t believe I’ve fallen in love with 2 beagles. I can picture myself with both these boys. And I’ll have to break the heart of one of them. But one of them…he’s my soulmate.”

Comet pulled out all the stops in planning their date, opting for a sophisticated, elegant and debonair approach to wooing his girl.  He even went so far as getting a  commercial sponsor for their date– special thanks to  Merceds Benz of Calabasas where the date took place! Comet was out to impress with the possibility of a drive in these fine vehicles. What dog wouldn’t want to hang her head out of a Mercedes window?! This was their very fist meeting:

A sniff and a kiss

They sniffed and played a bit–Daphne seemed more excited to meet Comet than we’d seen her with other dogs, but, as you can see in the photo, her hackles were still up a bit. They had a little time romping on the grass:

Comet was a little concerned he’d have to go in the car (which he doesn’t like) but Daphne was game.

Next up, Comet lured Daphne to the fanasy suite (i.e. his foster mom’s office at Calabasas Mercedes), which was filled with treats and toys (many of them in Daphne’s signature purple!) Check out Comet’s “bedspread” in the suite:

“This is where I hang, Daphne. Aren’t I cool?”

“May I offer you a treat, Ms. Daphne?”

“Please note the color of the ball, Daphne. I got it just for you.” (And Daphne played with the ball! First time we’ve seen her play with a toy.)

It’s fair to say Comet charmed all the ladies.

Comet the lady killer.

But you decide how the date went. Here’s a video of their first meeting and a little romantic moment in the fantasy suite:

Daphne and Comet at Mercedes Benz

Love at First Sniff- Comet

Tune in tomorrow night for Daphne’s date with Rizzo (aka Beagle Bachelor Finalist #2!) Who will get the AAARRRRROOOOOOOOOOOOOSE???

“I’m running, I’m running for you, Daphne!”

Ladies and gentlemen, our final Beagle Bachelor is  Ricki! Let’s all give a warm AAAAARRRROOOOOOOOOOOO to Ricki!! Ricki was also part of the Mid-West laboratory rescue and is currently in a foster home with Lenny. Here’s what Beagle Freedom Project says about Ricki (also known as Eddie…but that just gets confusing!):

“Ricki is sweet, shy and reserved. At times…

sudden noise can make him skittish and jumpy but he is very trusting of human touch
and interaction. He loves attention and affection but you can tell he is very cautious. He is getting over that quickly though with lots of love. He has his moments of playfulness but is just as happy to rest and relax on his bed.”

Daphne is a pretty sweet girl herself, but there is nothing shy about her. Perhaps these two can give each other more of the attention and affection they deserve. That or Chris and I will each have a beagle glued to our laps!

Ricki–Bachelor #4. Will he lure Daphne in by sharing treats? Tune in Monday!

And hey, speaking of love and affection…anyone wanna party for the beagles? Beagle Freedom Project is taking a page out of the MoveOn play book and organizing a series of house parties on April 27th. Find out more here: PARTY FOR THE BEAGLES!! Maybe you can host a party in your area? Or find one to attend. You’d be with people who love animals and you’d be helping to save some of the thousands of beagles suffering in research labs across the country.  AAARRRRROOOOOOOO to you!!

Well, you’ve met our 4 beagle bachelor contestants and now it’s Daphne’s turn. She had her spa day yesterday (turns out, girlfriend hates the blow dryer!) and she’s looking all spiffy clean, with a luxurious shiny coat and expressed anal glands (what?? that’s important for a dog meeting other dogs!). So we’re headed out to a fun weekend of wine tasting and raising funds for Woods Humane Society at the Wine 4 Paws event. Daphne will be taking over Seamus’s duties at a book signing Saturday from 3 to 4pm at Parrish Family Vineyards wine tasting room in downtown Paso Robles…stop by and see us if you’re in the area! Then on our way back down the coast on Monday….Our little Beaglerette will meet the Beagle Bachelors!! We’ve got a FlipCam and an iPad all set to film the dates.  Who will Daphne pick? Who’s here for the right reasons? Who’s not here to make friends? Will Daphne make a “real connection” on this journey? Will she find her Howlmate?   It’s the most exciting AAAARRRROOOOOOOOOOSE ceremony EVER!!

“How you doin’?”

This handsome boy is Lenny (aka Marvin). Lenny is currently in a foster home with Bachelor #4 (who you will meet tomorrow) and thus these two boys will be having a “group date” with Daphne. Bring your manners, boys!

“Lenny is full of energy and can be found running laps around the patio furniture or kitchen table. He is always up to play and loves a friendly game of tug a war. He loves attention, love and affection from everyone. Lenny would be a really good match for a family with kids. A family that is willing to keep up with all his energy and playfulness and willing to snuggle and love all the time.”

OK, so we don’t have kids, but we do have Daphne and the world’s largest collection of dog toys (even if most of them are missing their squeakers, courtesy of Seamus). In the photos, Lenny seems to be a pretty mellow guy:

Dreamin’ of Daphne

“Welcome to my Bachelor Pad, ladies. Uh, er, I mean Daphne.”

Lenny, and all the beagles at Beagle Freedom Project would also like to ask you for a small favor. If you could, please click through this link: We Owe Them and sign your name to a letter from BFP.   Beagle Freedom Project has sent a letter to every laboratory in the United States that uses dogs in testing and proposed that they participate in BFP’s retirement, rehabilitation, and re-homing campaign. In this letter BFP offers to do everything for these dogs so as long as the laboratory releases them at the end of their experiments. Beagle Freedom Project will provide legal contracting, transportation, top-notch medical care, rehabilitative services, temporary foster homes, and permanent adoptive families. BFP will pay for everything and we will bend over backwards whether it be for 1 dog or all 70,000.

Please sign your name to the letter and join in the request. Lend these beagles a hand? And, um…a signature?

Thank you.

Comet plays with a toy in Daphne’s favorite color! Is he trying to win her over with toys? Smart move, Comet!

Comet was part of Rescue #9 by Beagle Freedom Project in December, 2012 (hence the reindeer name…though Chris prefers thinking of it as a shooting star name). Here’s the bio Comet submitted to us (perhaps with a little help from his foster mom…but I don’t know, he looks like a pretty clever guy):

“My name is Comet and I was rescued December 10th, 2012 by Beagle Freedom Project. The night I was released I ran to my foster mom and jumped up on her and that is how I ended up at my current home.  I was only known as 1800192 before that night but my foster mom had the privilege of pulling a tag out with my name on it that my hero Shannon Keith had ready for us. My foster mom says I am very special and even though her job was to help me learn what love and freedom was all about she says I helped her. She was very sad the week I was rescued because my foster grandma who I didn’t get to meet passed away 4 days before so she says I was there for her through a difficult time also. I am very friendly and have to stop and say hello to everyone both human and non human. I am also very gentle with kids and elderly people who seem to love me a lot. I am full of energy, love toys and my favorite tug of war with my foster family but also like to just curl up and watch TV on the couch or bed. My foster mom says I can also be very stubborn when I want attention and will throw myself on you and not move until I feel I have had enough. I hardly ate before but now watch out because I will try and get in your face as you are eating and take a bite, also for the first time I stole some trash (my foster bro is showing me what I’m supposed to do). I was debarked but that has not stopped me. When I want to play with my foster brothers and sisters and they are ignoring me I bark(they say I sound like a baby seal and it scared them at first) and for the first time last night my foster mom didn’t put my food down fast enough so I barked. I don’t know why but she was so happy. I do a little tigger the tiger dance also for food and my foster mom loves it. I get along with all of my foster brothers and sisters and play with them all even though it has taken a while for my foster bro Bandito (a very spoiled beagle mix who is a total momma’s boy) to warm up to me and cuddle but last night for the first time I laid face to face with him and cleaned his eyes and nose. I still get scared at some loud noises but act more curious now. I love going to work with my foster mom where I get to greet everyone that comes in the door and then lay down on the couch. I also love going on walks and hikes and having beagle parties with my friends but I HATE the car. I am getting better but it still scares me. I can’t wait to meet Daphne!! I just LOVE the ladies (both the 2 and 4 legged ones) everyone says I am a flirt but I’m ready to be a one woman man (one of each kind that is).

Love,

Comet”

Ready to snuggle!

I love this photo of Comet, not just because it’s adorable, but because he’s wearing a purple tag…which is not only Daphne’s color, it’s the exact same tag I got for Daphne. Comet is really heating up this competition!

Comet wants to “Chew up” the competition!

Little Comet has one other special thing going for him.

This is not the greatest picture (it’s hard to get 3 beagles in one photo!), but this is a photo of Seamus, Bogart (also from the Beagle Freedom Project) and Comet all together. We did a Words, Wine & Wags event for Beagle Freedom Project in January and Comet and Bogart were our special guests. So for a few hours one day, Comet and Seamus met. And you know I love that.

Seamus (L), Bogart (middle) and Comet (R) getting rowdy at Words, Wine & Wags