The Dogs Of My Life ~ Post No. 8 ~ Angel - Part 2

Angel and Bandit (AKA Bonnie and Clyde)

As it turned out, we never found Angel's owner. We lived in the middle of Los Angeles, one block south of Olympic, a very wide boulevard with, this being LA, continuous traffic. A few blocks away were two other wide streets full of cars, always. 

We took her picture and posted it all over the neighborhood, but never found an owner. So she stayed and became my Angel, also called Angel Cakes by me. She turned out to be the sweetest dog ever, so playful, so loving, so funny. It didn't take long for her and Bandit to team up to make our lives just so much more fun. 

This is what Bandit had to say about her in those "poems" I wrote for him:

My name is Bandit

And I am tough

But when Angel plays

She gets so rough

She pretends I'm a sheep 

And bites me so hard I could weep

Instead I lick my wounds to the bone

And have to wear the dreaded cone

Angel was so much fun and she made me fall in love with the German shepherd breed. Of course, with all the dogs Errol kept finding, I would never have a chance to choose a specific breed, but still, I think they are just wonderful dogs. 

Living in the Canyon

And when they run! Sheer beauty in motion. I loved to watch her run once we moved here to the canyon. 

Angel was about eight when we moved. I'm so glad she got to spend her senior years here.

She was the sweetest, kindest dog who cared for everyone in our family. In addition to the other three dogs, we had two cats and two birds. Sindbad is the cat in the picture below.

As she got older, she became the matriarch of her pack. She took good care of all the dogs that arrived after her and helped to raise Samson to be the dog he is today

Angel died in May of 2012. This is what I wrote on my blog:

After a rough night, Angel died early this morning. We buried her in the yard next to her beloved Bandit, with the scent of lilacs floating through the air and turtle doves flying low above. 

Angel was 13 years and approximately 7 months. She came to our Los Angeles house in July 1999, and refused to leave; she has taken care of all of us ever since. Angel had discoid lupus that only affected her nose. Other than that, she was never sick a day in her life, she didn't suffer from age-related arthritis, she could jump, run, play, and guard still. I am devastated and will take a few days off from blogging to take care of myself and spend time with Samson who was so attached to her. She raised him and taught him all he knows.

When we told our vet what had happened, he diagnosed her sudden illness as bloat. Something we were soon to experience again, but at that time had never known a dog to suffer from.

Angel was our vet's first patient at our Veterinary Hospital and I know she had a special place in his heart. He always tried to help her with her fears, her shaking and shivering every time she had to come to see him. 

Angel was my love, my protector, my very, very special friend. 

The Dogs Of My Life ~ Post No. 8 ~ Angel - Part 1

Finding Us

In the early summer of 1999, I was diagnosed with breast cancer. It was found early via mammogram and I was scheduled for a lumpectomy at the beginning of July. This was to be followed by six weeks of radiation, later an extra week was added, and then five years on the drug Tamoxifen to prevent a recurrence. 

The night before my surgery, Errol and I stood by our gate saying goodbye to Glenn. Our Los Angeles house was close to the sidewalk with steps leading down from the gate. 

The steps outside our LA house

A couple walked by, followed by a German shepherd dog. The dog saw us, ran up the steps and sat down outside the gate. Errol called for the couple to get their dog. "It's not our dog, it has been following us," said the man. We all looked at each other and the dog, like what in the world do we do now?

I said, "Glenn, do you want another dog?" "No," he replied. And then made a fast exit, leaving us to figure it out.

Three pets per household were allowed in Los Angeles. At that time, we had: Sundance, our disturbed Doberman, Sashi, our loner Siberian Husky, Bandit, our mischievous hound dog mix, who did not get along with Sundance; Samantha and Sindbad, our two cats; Tweetybird and Pippi Birdie, our two parakeets. 

I was having cancer surgery the following day, had to be at the hospital very early. Then radiation, not as bad as chemo, but no piece of cake. 

Angel as a young dog

And here is this adorable dog, wearing no collar, looking a bit thin, but very well taken care of. 

First thing, check to see if male or female. It was a female. She had been spayed. She was very young (later the vet estimated about eight months). She seemed to have been very well cared for, but she had no collar. 

I told Errol I couldn't cope. I would have a fit if we took in another dog. I knew she had chosen us, or so it seemed, but still. I was overwhelmed. 

Errol took her to the pound. A while later, he came back with the dog in tow. Errol said, "she started to shake so violently when she heard the barks from inside. She shook and struggled to get away from me, to just run away again. I couldn't take her in." 

Errol promised to look for an owner, I said I would take her picture so we could post it around the neighborhood once this surgery was over with. 

Then we looked at each other, the dog and I. I felt she belonged with me. Maybe an Angel come to look after me. Help me through this ordeal I was facing. 

But much as I like the concept of angels to protect me, I'm also a realist and of course I knew this was a lost dog, a dog that I would have to feed and walk and take to the vet. With cancer, no matter how small the tumor, how early it was found, there's always fear of what will happen.

I felt I needed all my strength to fight this uninvited cancer.

Not the ideal time for yet another lost dog to come and live with me. 

But we had bonded, whether I liked it or not. 

Part two will follow soon.

Thank You

Thank you so much from all of us to all of you who left such heartfelt, kind, and thoughtful comments and emails after learning about Angel.

Yesterday was very difficult for Samson. He was so attached to Angel, she was his mommy, his playmate, his best friend in this world. He wouldn't eat, drink water, use the bathroom, nothing. I was very, very worried. But then this morning he was happy going on his walk with Soldier; he ate all his dinner and did all the normal things that dogs do. 

Since Samson grew up and wasn't fixed in a timely manner, not until the other week, actually, he could not be trusted with Soldier and did cause that awful injury to Soldier's back. Because of this, we are keeping them separate, except for their walks. So Soldier didn't spend as much time with Angel as he did earlier. He hasn't looked for her and doesn't seem to miss her.

Before my husband rescued him, as he was on his way to the pound, Soldier had been tied to a dog house for the first seven years of his life. I think he feels he's in heaven already, living here with us. As long as he gets to walk, eat, get petted, and spend time with my husband, he is one happy dog and pretty oblivious to what else is going on around here. 

 

My husband and I are, of course, very sad, but we're focusing on keeping Samson happy and occupied. And it helps us a lot. And look, we have two wonderful dogs that need all the love we can give them. 

We will miss Angel, who did more for us that I think we will ever know. She truly took care of us, worried about us, watched over us. For the first 10 years of her life, she never really slept, always one eye, or one ear, or something was awake and watching over us. Why she did it or saw a need 

for it, I don't know, but she always watched over us. As she got older, nature took over, and she finally slept. And she so deserved to.

Again, thank you so much for your friendship and caring. I will visit all your blogs to thank you again, but that will take 

a while.

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Finally, on a completely different subject (as life goes on) I'm thinking of opening a photo blog. Just a few photos, no text, except a title or explanation, for each post. I had that thought a long time ago and I have a second blog that is not open right now. The other day, to take my mind off things, I created a new template that will show off photos better than this blog. I also decided to use Picasa for now, because so many photos are there already, so I have begun to figure it out. A friend gave me Photo Shop, but I haven't installed it. My computer is old, the speed is slow, so Picasa seems to work pretty well. But I am open to any suggestions.

I'm thinking I could post some old photos, there are tons of them, some very interesting, like all those clouds for example. I have many new followers who have never seen them and those of you who did, a couple of years ago, have probably forgotten all about them anyway.

I would love some feedback from those of you who enjoy taking photos for your blogs. Thanks! 

Angel 1998 - 2012

After a rough night, Angel died early this morning. We buried her in the yard next to her beloved Bandit, with the scent of lilacs floating through the air and turtle doves flying low above. 
Angel was 13 years and approximately 7 months. She came to our Los Angeles house in June 1999, and refused to leave; she has taken care of all of us ever since. Angel had discoid lupus that only affected her nose. Other than that, she was never sick a day in her life, she didn't suffer from age-related arthritis, she could jump, run, play, and guard still. I am devastated and will take a few days off from blogging to take care of myself and spend time with Samson, who was so attached to her. She raised him and taught him all he knows. 

I wish all of you who take care of kids or critters a very Happy Mother's Day tomorrow.

Angel Says: I Once Kissed a Cow and Now I Kissed a Donkey Too

Angel has always been the first to raise the alarm if necessary, but being a bit chicken, she will have one of our braver dogs take over and chase a potential threat away. Now it seems like she is working on overcoming her fears because earlier in the summer she marched right up to this cow and planted a big kiss on her nose.  I've never seen a cow jump up on all fours before, this one did, and her startled expression was priceless. 

Yesterday, beautiful white clouds hung low on the mountain and as I was taking cloud pictures, one of the old wild burros from the rescue came up to us. Angel has always kept away from the burros, something I encouraged because these two species usually don't get along. But what do I know? Here she just marched up and planted kiss on him too. This didn't seem to bother the burro, but Angel looked like -- did I just do that? And started barking.

This drew the attention of the rest of the herd and as they approached, ears up, Angel decided to retreat.

OK, she seemed to say to herself, enough of this, I'm averting my eyes and moving to the far side of the road, slowly, without losing face, of course. I am a German shepherd dog  after all.

Many of you asked about Soldier. Here he is yesterday. Soldier is the only dog we've ever had that whines. Being tied up to a dog house for the first seven years of his life, he learned how to whine and good for him, I'd say. And now he whines again. When he was really sick, he didn't. So whining means he is feeling better and wants some action, like a walk. There is nothing he likes better than his walks, something can't have now. But he wakes up cheerful, tail wagging. He eats as well as always, the second or maybe third thing he loves best. The other thing Soldier loves beyond words is his daddy. And he gets to spend time with him now, of course. I don't know if he is any better physically. The harness keeps him stable and he can now get up by himself when he sits down in that awkward position. I keep the harness on all the time, since I only use the front part and it doesn't bother him. I will call the vet today and will let you know more later. Thanks for your concern, we really appreciate it.

Happy 13th Birthday, Angel!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, ANGEL!

Imagine that you are 13 years old now. It seems like only yesterday when you came up on the steps by our gate in Los Angeles and refused to leave. That was in June 1999 and the vet estimated you were around 8 months old. You choose to come and live with us and decided early on that you would be the leader of our pack, taking such good care of all of us, but most of all of your mommy. 

\

Many fine dogs have lived with us, but no one so clearly decided to be my dog, to love me and protect me for all these years. You know when I'm sick, when my blood sugars are unstable, you know when I'm happy and we can play, and when it's best to stay out of my way. You have been my rock all these years and I have felt completely safe living here alone, so far from everyone, with not even a neighbor in sight.

I'm so glad you are still healthy, playful, and strong and I hope we can go hiking together for a long time to come. OK, not as far as before, but there are still roads to be explored and hillsides to climb.

Dear Angel, we all wish you a very Happy Birthday! Daddy, Mommy, Soldier, Samson, and Pippi Birdie!

Happy Birthday, Angel Cakes! Mommy Loves You Very Much!

My (our) German shepherd dog, Angel, will be 12 years old sometime this fall.  I picked October 10, as a good day for a birthday.

In the spring of 1999, I was diagnosed with breast cancer. The evening before the lumpectomy surgery, my husband, his brother, and I were outside in the garden of our LA house. That house is right on the sidewalk with steps leading up to a gate and that evening a young German shepherd dog ran up the steps and sat down outside the gate. She would not leave, so of course, we opened the gate and took her in. My BIL has dogs also, and I remember pleading with him to take her home as I was having surgery the next morning. Thank God he said no.

At this time, I had three other dogs: Bandit, our beloved hound dog mix, Saschi, our Siberian Husky/Malamute cross, and our disturbed Doberman pinscher, Sundance. We also had our two cats, Samantha and Sindbad, and two parakeets. All this in a house with a small yard and way over the legal city limit of three pets. And I had cancer and wanted to focus on my recovery, not on a new dog.

But right then and there, I had some kind of insight and decided to make lemonade of the lemon that had just arrived. I felt very strongly that this dog had been sent to look after me and as my husband posted signs and walked her around the neighborhood, I hoped that an owner would not be found. And no one ever was.

I named her Angel, and I was right, she came to look after me. For the past eleven plus years, this dog has never left my side. She is 12 now and every time I get up and leave the room, she gets up and leaves the room. This is a tribute to Angel on her 12th birthday:

She is Protective

Angel in 2006. She always positions herself facing away from me toward the door. And not until recently have I seen this dog sleep. With both eyes closed. All her life she was always alert, protecting me and her family. 

She barks and puts on a fierce guard dog show. She still has excellent hearing and is always the first to alert. And that goes for anything that moves or makes a sound, including the wind. She still hasn't figured that one out.

She is Kind

Looking after Soldier during a thunder storm.

Sleeping with little Samson.

Kissing her beloved Sindbad.

She loves to Play

Who stole Mommy's shoe, is a favorite. 

She loves to Run

Sniff

And play in her Kiddie Pool

She will stand in it for the longest time.

She Climbs

Angel is a rock climber; she will climb as high as I let her.

Climbs and Sniffs some more.

Christmas is a favorite time of the year.

She likes some people, Rachael is one of them. 

She is not much for being petted, hugged or kissed. She is scared at the vet, she is terrified of moths, and she doesn't like flies. You can see her nose is red. After we moved up here, she got Discoid Lupus. It is only on her nose and I manage it with homeopathic remedies. It looks kind of bad, but she is doing very well, much better in all-around health than when she was on Tetracycline and Nicacinamide. 

And here she is today, anticipating her birthday cake!

As most beloved pets, she has a few nicknames: Angel Cakes, Missy, Missy Cake, and Come when I call you, will you!.

Happy Birthday, Dear Angel, from Mommy, Daddy, Soldier, Samson, and Pippi Birdie!

Angel and Me Nodding Off

I got home from town a while ago. Boy, this one-armed steering is so tiring! I saw my doctor who said my hand and fingers are very inflamed, so she prescribed anti-inflammatory medicine and sent me to the hospital for X-rays. They took ten or more of my hand and fingers and it feels good to finally get it looked at. My doctor also said she thinks the orthopedic doctor doesn't do hands! At least he could have told me to take some Alleve or something. I mean, am I supposed to know all this? I'm learning though. Those guys are not getting the best of me!

While in town I wanted to go to the Humane Society for Soldier's license. They are open on Mondays only for that. I kept his rabies certificate in my purse all week, so I wouldn't forget it. Then I decided to switch to another purse right before I left and put everything in the new purse -- except -- the rabies certificate. Ideally, when you get old, you shoud keep your wits about you...if that fails, you need to keep your sense of humor. Just saying.....

Anyway, the vet is not far from the doctor, so I called and they said just come in, it will only take two minutes to get a copy. Well, when I got there, the place was overflowing with people, cats, and dogs. So I spent about 40 minutes there, but I had fun. I ate my lunch: crackers, sun-melted cheese, and cookies. Some cute little kids asked for cookies, so I shared while all the dogs looked on longingly. I met the cutest dog, a Pomeranian, named Sunny. His owner had shaved him and he looked just like a little fox....so cute. I also met two Scottish folds, those cats with ears folded over. And some really nice people too. Then it was off to the Humane Society, then to drop off the prescription, then to the little hospital for the X-rays, then back to Walgreens to pick up the medicine and on home.

I nodded off on the couch for a while. When I got up, I happened to look at Angel. It was so hot in the living room by then and she was trying so hard to stay awake. I felt we were on the same page, exactly, so I got the camera and sat there, smiling, as my girl tried so hard to stay awake.

She's feeling sleepy,

oh, so sleepy,

can't keep her eyes open,

nodding,

nodding off.

In the eleven years Angel has lived with me, I've never, until recently, caught her napping on her self-appointed job as my protector. She always slept with one eye open and both ears alert, facing away from me. But now, at almost twelve, age has caught up with her. I just wish she'd understand how much she deserves a good snooze, my sweet dog and protector.