Thursday

Sweetheart is doing well, no problems with the incision site.  She is due to have her stitches removed tomorrow.  I am going to see if I can remove them myself tomorrow and if I am not able to, then I will take her to Dr. Kolar's Saturday morning.

Saturday I will be at the Shawnee Mall in Shawnee Oklahoma from 1-4 for our first greyhound show and tail event of 2011.  I am going to bring Sweetheart so she can get used to different environments.  If any of you are out and about and in the area, stop by and say hi!

Friday, February 4th at 7:00 p.m., the Oklahoma Baron's hockey team is having a Miracles on Ice game that will benefit local non-profit groups like Fasthound.  For every person that designates Fasthound as their chosen charity group, the Baron's will donate $4.00 directly to Fasthound!  Paul and I are going to try to reserve a block of seats for anyone interested in joining us to watch the game.  Tickets run $12-$36 per person.  The block of seats we hope to reserve will be priced at $21.00 per person.  If are you interested in helping Fasthound and joining our volunteers for a fun filled evening of hockey, let me know.  You can mail us a check for the $21.00 ticket or donate the price via paypal and designate on paypal that it is for the Baron's game.  Remember, in order for Fasthound to receive the $4.00, you must tell the ticket agent or mark on your ticket that you wish Fasthound to benefit from your purchase.  

I need to take some pictures of Sweetheart so that you all can see her.  She hasn't changed any since the last pictures/video but I know how everyone likes pictures of the wild child!  She continues to be a complete wild child outside and in the house.  Poor Cleo can't shake her.  They were playing the other night in the house and Cleo had had enough and got a little rough with Sweetheart.  Sweetheart screamed like a wounded animal (I checked, no scrapes, bites or blood) and ran away.  HEHE, serves her right for not letting Cleo move an inch without gnawing on her.  :)

The end of the work week is almost here.  I am so ready for the weekend!  Hope everyone had a good first week of 2011!

Jess

Obedience

Well, it's official, Sweetheart is enrolled in obedience class.  Class starts Friday January 14th at 8:00 p.m.  The first class is for humans only. The class lasts for seven weeks.  I am taking her to Positively Canine in Oklahoma City.  What is so funny is that the owner and instructor have been following Sweetheart's blog for a while.  I asked my friend who takes her greyhound there for classes if she is the one who told the owner about Sweetheart and the blog.  My said she wasn't, that the people at Positively Canine knew about Sweetheart before she told them.  I am constantly amazed at what a small world this is and how many people the little Peanut has touched.  

Wish us luck!  I hope Sweetheart isn't too surly with the other dogs in class.  Socialization with other dogs outside our home and in different environments is definitely something she needs.  I don't want my dog to be the class reject!!  I guess I could always play the cruelty card and say she deserves special treatment :)  Just kidding.  No special treatment for her.  Well, maybe I could get her some sliced cheese if she does well.

Hope the first Monday of the new year was a good one for everyone out there.

Jess

Year in Review

2010 was quite a year for me.  I would have never guessed some of the things that happened would have occurred.

In 2010, I watched a friend fight cancer and ultimately die from it.  My grandmother was diagnosed with cancer and my father had a heart attack. I traveled to Key West, New Orleans, McKinney Texas (twice) and Escanaba Michigan.   I rescued and helped rehabilitate a little greyhound named Sweetheart and I started a blog that has been viewed worldwide.

When I read all of these things, I think, wow, what a year.  There were bad things that happened and there were good things that happened.  Even though there was quite a bit bad, I tried and still try to take good from them.  My friend suffering and dying had the biggest impact on my life and continues to do so.  While I am still sad that she has died, her struggle and death have changed me for the better.  I see things differently and don't worry about little things and live more in the moment.  I try to let my family and friends know I care about them and try not to leave things unsaid.

My father having a heart attack and my grandmother being diagnosed with cancer was a shock.  The heart attack more so.  However, I am lucky in that I have a great relationship with them both.  I am very thankful that each of them are doing well and continue to hope treatment goes well.

Rescuing Sweetheart and caring for her these past four and a half months has been very very special for me and will always be so no matter how long I have her.  I am thankful for Dr. Kolar and staff. I am thankful for Lester for being so suppportive during her recovery, especially when her leg smelled like rotten meat!!!

I never thought I would start a blog, it was never something that even interested me.  Thank you Courtney for urging me to do so.  I never thought that Sweetheart's blog would become such a hit all over the world.  Wow, talk about exciting.  I feel I have made some good friends through this blog and I realize that the world is really small after all.  I would love to be able to visit each and every one of you in person to say thank you for supporting Sweetheart and listening to my worries and stories.

I hope every one of you had a good 2010.  Tell me a few things that touched your life in 2010.  I would love to hear about them.  Email them or post them as a comment.

I am looking into obedience class for Sweetheart.  My friend has suggested a place in Oklahoma City to take her and I just need to pick a date and time and start the process.  If she passes obedience the next step is therapy dog training.  I hope very much to do this.  I really want to do it and not just talk about it.  Perhaps everyone out there following this blog can hold me accountable and give me encouragement to do see it through.  :)

Thank you to everyone who has followed this blog and continues to do so.  It has meant a lot to me that so many strangers from all over the world care about this little girl.  It is truly amazing and a great gift!

Happy 2011.  I hope the new year has been good to you already!

Jess and Sweetheart!

Thursday

I took the day off today.  Sweetheart was outside on and off during the day and did great.  She is moving around good and trying to gnaw on Cleo when they are outside so she is almost back to normal.  I sort of like her being subdued :)

I emailed Channel Four last night.  They did a story on Sweetheart September 2.  I asked them if they wanted to do a follow up to show she is completely healed.  I haven't heard back from them and am not getting my hopes up but I thought I would give it a shot.  Their website is www.kfor.com if you want to go on there and send them an email if you would like them to do a story.  Who knows, maybe they will.

Today was a gorgeous day in Oklahoma.  72 degrees.  Tomorrow a bitter cold front is coming through and the weekend is going to be cold.  Oh well, at least we had a gorgeous day and I enjoyed it very much.  The dogs enjoyed laying around in the sun.

Jess

Peanut is home

Yes, Peanut.  Sweetheart has several nicknames and the one we use the most is Peanut.  All of my greys have multiple nicknames.  Half the time I wonder if they really will recognize their 'real' name since I am always using nick names.  :)  Do your greys have nicknames?  If so, share them with me in a comment to this post.

Anyhow, Sweetheart is home.  Les picked her up about 3 today.  He said she was really excited to see him.  She ran down the hall (on leash) and bounced all around him in the lobby.  That made him pretty happy :)  Les got her home with no problems.  She is pretty subdued this evening.  She has gone outside a few times this evening and is walking around just fine.  She is holding herself a little stiffly but not too bad.  She isn't having any problems jumping on the couch or leaning against me for hugs.  :)  Right now she and Cleo are passed out on the couch.  I am going to make sure she and Cleo don't play too much outside for the next few days.  I do not want her to pull any of her stitches.  She doesn't have to be on any antibiotics, I am sure she is disappointed because that means no cheese snacks twice a day.  Dr. Kolar cleaned her teeth and Dr.Kindi told Les that the blood work results should be ready tomorrow or early next week at the very latest.  I am really really curious to see how much her blood work has changed from August 13th to now.

Sweetheart's stitches will come out in 10 days.  If they aren't in too tight I will just take them out myself.  However, if they are tight and sunken in any places I will take her to Kolar's.

I am so very relieved that she sailed through this spay.  This was the very last thing she had to do to be fully recovered.  I cannot believe that it has only been four and a half months since we rescued her and she is almost 100% back to normal.  Some days it feels like I have had her for 4 and a half years, not four and a half months. She is so special and I am so thankful I have gotten to experience every step of her recovery.  I highly recommend that if any of you ever get the chance to help a neglected or abused animal that you do it.  The rewards are worth it a thousand times over.

I plan on enrolling her in obedience class (if there is still a spot) Monday.  The vo-tech was closed for the holidays this week so I wasn't able to do it.  If I don't get her into this class I will try to get her enrolled at a different vo-tech.  Either way, she will be in obedience by April at the very latest.

I will try to get some pictures of her soon.  Thank you all for following her spay saga and giving me your encouragement!  I was a worried 'mom' for the last few days.  :)

Oh, and I haven't checked yet to see if Dr. Kolar lined up her spots after the spay.  :)

Jess

The day after

Called Dr. Kolar's and Sweetheart is doing fine this morning.  They are going to give her a bath before Les picks her up so she will be nice and clean.  I am sure that will last all of an hour or so.  Once we let her outside she likes to run around and then dig and lay in the dirt holes. 

I really need to take pictures of the landscaping Cleo, Journey and Sweetheart have done to the backyard lately.  It is quite impressive.  It sort of looks like they are waging trench warfare out there.  I gave up on having a nice backyard many years ago.  My main goal is not to break an ankle or leg when I walk in the backyard.  Ahh, fun with greyhounds.  :)  I figure mowing this spring should be nice and challenging.

Hope everyone is having a good day.  My four day weekend starts at four this afternoon!

Jessica

Spay Day update

I talked to Lynn at Dr. Kolar's and she said that Sweetheart made it through the spay just fine.  She is actually fairly awake and is doing well.  They drew blood on her so that we can see how much progress (hopefully) she has made since the first blood work that was done in August right after her rescue.

Dr. Kolar is keeping her overnight.  Les will go and pick her up tomorrow, probably late morning or early afternoon.  I would much rather her stay there a little bit longer tomorrow just to make sure she is doing well.

Jess

Spay Day

Today is finally here.  Spay Day.  Lester is taking Sweetheart into Dr. Kolar's this morning about 8:30.  Dr. Kolar normally keeps them overnight after a spay or neuter to make sure nothing goes wrong.

The house is going to seem kind of odd without her there. 

I think I have pretty much made the decision that I am going to adopt her.  She has really recovered nicely and her personality is quite darling.  She loves to play and has really started to become a snuggle bunny.  I suppose I am somewhat selfish in wanting to keep her.  I just cannot stand the thought of her going to yet another home where there is no guarantee she wouldn't be hurt again (even though we screen our adopter's thoroughly). 

I am going to enroll her in a large dog obdeience class at the local vo tech (if there is still room in the class).  The class will start sometime in January or February.  I hope she does well in it.  My ultimate goal will be to have her certified as a therapy dog so that I can do visits to hospitals, nursing homes and such.  I would love to be able to visit a cancer treatment center to be able to cheer up those patients going through such a traumatic experience.  I would like to do that in honor of my friend.  However, I may get Sweetheart in class and find out she is a total goof and totally untrainable!  Who knows.  Either way, I will love her no matter what.

Hope everyone is doing good.  My Dad continues to do well and for this I am very thankful for!  Hope everyone is having a good week.  I am treating myself to another four day weekend starting Thursday.  What the heck, you only live once.  :)

Jess

Sunday

Thank you to everyone for their thoughts and well wishes for my Dad.

He came home Christmas Eve and is doing well.  He is taking it easy and making a real effort to stop smoking (hard for him to do after 50, yes 50 years of smoking).  I know he can do it, it will just be difficult.  He will go in for another stent within the next 3-4 weeks if all goes well with his recovery from the first one.

I hope everyone had a nice holiday.  Mine was nice, especially since my Dad came home.

Sweetheart is doing well.  Playing like a wild woman and making us laugh and laugh.  As you all know, she goes in for her spay Tuesday.  I am trying to give her extra tummy rubs while her tummy is still pristine.  :)

I will update everyone on how she does after her spay.  I hope all goes well, I am going to be nervous until she comes home.

Merry Christmas Eve!

All of us at Fasthound would like to wish all of Sweetheart's fans Happy Holidays!