Archive for August, 2010

October 1, 2005 – August 29, 2010

I lost a treasured friend today
The little dog that used to lay
His gentle head upon my knee
And share his silent thoughts with me.
He’ll come no longer to my call,
Retrieve no more his favorite ball
A voice far greater than my own
Has called him to His golden throne.
And though my eyes are filled with tears,
I thank Him for the happy years
He let him spend down here with me,
And for his love and loyalty.

Saying goodbye to a Faithful Friend is difficult.   Chance was a loyal companion, a best friend and a giver of unconditional love.  Chance was an amazing little man, he had the will and the strength to live, and he overcame and survived so many battles he endured during his short little life time.  Sadly, on August 29, 2010, after a long, courageous battle with kidney disease, our friend and family member, Chance, passed away at home in the loving arms of his mom & dad.

For the 20 months while in our care, Chance stole our hearts and he stole the show.  His never give up attitude and energy level brought smiles to all that knew him.  From the very first day of meeting him, we left that interview showered with his love; we knew in our hearts that he had picked us to be his parents.  And we would in return love him unconditionally, and protect him always. 

Chance would play ball for hours at a time, only taking breaks to splash around in his pool or to mine for smooth stones.  While playing ball, he always had to perform a show, with his leaping like a fish on a hook ball or his great surfing style as he slid across the grass.  It was always a show!  A show that made us smile from ear to ear every day, A show we never got old with, A show that we are going to miss so terribly so, A show that will forever be in our hearts & memories.

At bedtime he needed to sleep on 2 pillows as near to your head as he could be.  He was mama and daddy’s pillow buddy.

Chance will be sadly missed and will remain in our hearts forever.

We thank Wishbone for allowing us to adopt Chance.  And would also like to thank all of the many wonderful doctors who took such great care of him, from the beginning and through the end. 

We also send our sympathy to Jeff and Karen, the foster parents that loved him as we did.

Sincerely,

Brian and Stacy

Thank you all so very much for all your kind words and continued thoughts and prayers for Chance while he continues to fight this horrendous chronic kidney disease, that he never deserved to have.

Chance is an incredible little man, he has such an amazing strong will to survive and is trying his best to fight this horrible disease.  During the past few weeks we’ve had some good days and also a few not so good days.  Yesterday was a GOOD Day!  It was nice to see him smile and be so happy to go for a car ride and to also play with his toys outside with his big brother Keith!!  He’s by far not out of the woods yet, but at this time we are all just taking it one day at a time…thank you all again for your continued support and ongoing thoughts & prayers for our little man…

Love,

Mom & Dad

As of today, August 18^th  

Chancey is home from the hospital.

As we had mentioned last week, Chance was not doing very well due to the chronic kidney disease he has.  His blood levels took a huge spike, which was ultimately causing him a loss of appetite, energy, nausea & weakness.  He had stopped eating and had lost a considerable amount of weight.  We rushed him down to the MSU hospital last week in hopes of one more miracle.  While at MSU all last week, he was receiving IV hydration to flush his kidneys and a blood transfusion to help lower BUN and Creatinine levels. However, with all the best doctors and the best medications given, the values of his blood chemistries have continued to rise, sadly indicating that he has entered into the final stage of renal failure.  Our hearts are breaking, knowing that our time with him is very limited. 

We brought him home yesterday afternoon.  And on our way home, we decided to try one more option, Holistic Medicine.  We met with a great doctor who practices in Holistic veterinary medicine.  She offered up some great advice and suggestions for us to try.  She along with all the MSU doctors has agreed that Chance has a VERY STRONG WILL to SURVIVE.  They all indicated that with levels like his, they are surprised to see that he was able to still walk thru the doors on his own, let alone have the energy he has in his condition and still play for hours on end with his favorite squeaky ball throughout the week and yesterday!  He was ecstatic to see Bronco & Bear, and big Brother Keith last night….not to mention the happiness to be back in his own bed again J 

We are still praying he has one more miracle left in him.  He is truly a little angel, and we are so blessed to have him in our lives. 

So, please keep those prayer chains going for our little man!

Love,

Mom, Dad, Bear, Bronco, Keith & Chris

Here is the latest update we have on the little man as of this afternoon….today makes day 2 on IV fluids which are being used to help flush out the toxins.  The chronic kidney damage that he has, is taking a big toll on him.  They drew more blood this morning and found that there was a slight decrease in his bun, creatinine & phosphorus levels.   However the levels are still quite high…too high, which is also causing him to have high blood pressure too.   And although all the levels are extremely high, he seemed to have a bit more energy this morning.  And the drs were nice enough to take him off his IV for about an hour so he could have a little play time with mommy & daddy.  Attached are a few photos of the little man from this week

We ask for your thoughts and prayers and hope for one more miracle, to be able to have him come home from the hospital very soon.  Bear and Bronco are missing their baby brother too

Sincerely, Chancey’s Mom & Dad

Mason, a gentle 12-week old Blue Nose Pit Bull puppy, may have had a rough week, but one local person or family has the opportunity to give him a happy ending. 

Although he’s a good-looking puppy, his story is not quite so picture perfect. An alert neighbor’s call to Michigan Child Protective Services (MCPS) regarding suspected child neglect at a nearby home led to the discovery of Mason, whose ears had just been cut off with scissors by a family member. After the MCPS investigator arrived at the home to check on the children, she heard from the toddler child what had happened to the puppy as well as the puppy crying. The investigator later called the Allegan County Animal Control (ACAC), to report the incident of the puppy. ACAC responded quickly and found that Mason’s ears were in deed removed and infected, so took steps to remove him from his situation. Mason was brought to the Allegan County Animal Shelter, where the owner surrendered Mason to ACAC. Wishbone Pet Rescue has since taken him into their rescue for complete medical care and eventual placement in a safe home.

Wishbone is an all-volunteer nonprofit group concerned with the health, treatment, and quality of life of the many pets in this West Michigan community. Based in the Saugatuck area, Wishbone provides rescue and rehabilitation services to animals in need, as well as public education about subjects such as spaying and neutering, breeding and abuse and neglect such as what Mason has endured. 

“Despite this traumatic experience, Mason is recovering well and has a sweet, friendly demeanor, with all the puppy energy that a young dog like this should have.” said the Wishbone Volunteer/Foster Parent. “We gratefully thank the concerned neighbor who cared enough to take the time to call about the suspected child neglect. This helps our children and families, as well as their pets.” 

To all of Chance’s dear friends who have cared so deeply for him over the past several months.  Chances BUN levels have taken a dramatic spike, causing him to have a lack of appetitie, and loss of energy.  We ask that you keep him in your thoughts and prayers.  An update to come later.

Mom & Dad