Laska 31 January 2007

On the 22 June 2003 a very special girl made her entrance into the world. She was the last born in a litter of five girls and was easily identified by a large white diamond down the back of her neck which also encompassed her shoulder blades.

Laska (far right) at 3 weeks with Mum Kreevanka & litter mates

From the time Laska opened her beautiful blue eyes her human family knew something was not quite right. On the 12 September 2003, Craig Irvine (New Zealand eye specialist for dogs) diagnosed Laska as having uveitis. The uveitis involved inflammation in the front part of the eye, causing massive scaring, gradually clouding the eyes. The inflammation caused a restriction to the supply of fluid which maintains the shape of the eye. As Laska rapidly grew the fluid supply could not keep up, causing her lovely lashes to fold in and brush against her eyes.

Laska at 11 weeks

There were two permanent solutions available, euthanasia or eye removal. Temporary solutions gave time for a decision to be made and brief pain relief for her. Eye removal was decided upon, a chance for a life in a form that now, one may at times forget the existence of her disability.

The surgery was performed on 4 November 2003. I have been told it was heartbreaking to see Laska when she arrived back from surgery – blue eyes gone, eyelids stitched, debraided with bloody tears running down her cheeks. Her family’s first thoughts were ‘what have we done’ as their hearts dropped. Laska was warm and cuddly as always and she gave them a kiss as if to say ‘I’m okay’. The start of her new life had begun.

Laska is very close to her sister Quiquern & loves being part of the pack. At present there are 15 sibes in the Iceberg pack, including Laska’s mum, dad, sister and uncle. Two four month old pups have recently joined the pack (same father as Laska) and Laska’s mum gave birth to another litter of five 3 weeks ago.

Double Trouble – Quiquern and Laska

Mum (centre) and her 4 girls

She is a very friendly, laid back girl who does not like being fussed over. Laska has the most amazing dense coat – I can only compare it to the feel of velvet. She gets around so well without her sight, very seldomly bumps into things. Laska heavily relies on her acute hearing, sense of smell and memory. She finds it very disorientating if she is surrounded by noise.

Laska runs in a sled dog team (she was part of a winning four dog team in 2005). When she runs in the team she listens to the commands given to her and is guided by the other members of the team. She has extra commands like ‘narrow’ and ‘bumpy’ and is extremely responsive to them. She takes everything in her long sure footed stride, a very strong and willing worker.

Laska and friends on the snow

Laska never ceases to amaze me. Her adaptability, self confidence and the trust she has in the people and dogs closest to her is simply amazing. I feel very privileged to have met and spent so much time with Laska, she is without a doubt the most special dog I have ever met.

A truly loving and treasured K9 friend who has no limits

We both love to ask Mama to open the door to let us out and in…

…and out and in.

Mama says Jasper is getting healthier, although he still coughs a lot. He finished up his cough medicine, so now he is just trying to get out all those nasty heartworms. He only has to wait two more weeks before he can get the last treatment. Sadly, he will not be healthy enough for our first big event of the year, the Greater Philadelphia Pet Expo, but spring is coming soon and Jasper will be able to get out to some smaller events.

Thanks to Indy for pointing out that today is Spay Neuter Day and to Army of Four for finding these awesome graphics. I am adding this one to my sidebar as a year-round reminder to talk to your humans about this procedure for your health. We at MaPaw, like all animal rescuers, hope that ultimately there will be no need for rescues or shelters because there will be enough homes for every pet.

Hi Puppies, it’s me, Chena. I’ve been quietly hanging out in my foster home and letting Mommy and The Scary Man take care of Jasper since he’s having a hard time. On Jasper’s good days he likes to help me follow Mommy around the house. When she does laundry, we all pile into the laundry room. When she cooks, we all crowd into the corner by the stove. When she goes upstairs to change out of her work clothes, we all follow her upstairs and get under her feet. Sometimes she puts up a gate so we can’t follow her. That is not playing nicely.

Anyway, I wanted to tell you about a family I met this weekend. There’s a couple living in Delaware with an Alaskan Husky named Kenai (pronounced KEY-nigh.) This couple used to live in Alaska just like I did. They even have a picture of the two of them in their wedding clothes standing by the Chena River. While they were there, they got an Alaskan Husky puppy who they named after the Kenai Peninsula. Now Kenai is two-years-old and full of Husky energy. Kenai’s mom said she started looking for a sibling for him online. She saw my name on MaPaw’s website with the words “Alaskan Miracle.” There was no picture or description yet because that was shortly after my last Mommy died and I wasn’t ready to find another family yet. Even so, Kenai’s mom was excited to have found an Alaskan Husky in Pennsylvania and she thought I might me the perfect addition to their family, so she applied and waited until I was ready.

Last weekend I travelled to a park between my foster home and Kenai’s home to meet him and his parents for the first time. I noticed Kenai is tall and slender like I am. He and I both have long legs with big paws for gripping and running in snow and ice. He seemed friendly, although a little overwhelming at times. I’m sure I could get used to his boisterous personality. Of course the humans all insisted we stay on our leashes, which made it difficult to play. After we got tangled a couple times, we went for a nice walk and I spent a little time meeting Kenai’s mom and dad. They seemed like really nice people. They have a fenced yard where Kenai and I could have a good game of chase. I’m anxious and excited. I hope they liked me and want to adopt me. I loved the first mommy who adopted me, and I love my foster Mommy and The Scary Man, but I would really love to have a family of my own again.

Last night, in preparation for my possible new home, my foster Mommy tested me on something that used to be a real challenge. Since I like to follow foster Mommy around the house, I used to panic when I couldn’t be near her. If she left the house or even just took a shower with the door closed, I would be so frightened about being alone I would knock over the trash, pee on the floor, and eat things I shouldn’t eat. It’s embarrassing to admit, but I can talk about it now because I’m so much better. My first Mommy really helped me learn that no one is going to abandon me. So foster Mommy went to the grocery store without making me go to my crate. She tricked me by leaving a few times and coming back in after a minute or two. Then I thought she was just taking out the trash, but she was gone 45 minutes and had groceries when she finally came back. I was a little nervous, but my foster siblings all seemed relaxed (sound asleep) so I held in there and waited quietly. I passed! I was a good girl the whole time. Foster Mommy says if I can last 45 minutes, I can probably last any amount of time, but she’s still going to advise my new family to leave me in a crate when I have to be alone. That’s okay with me because I feel safe in my crate. Anyway, cross your paws for me that Kenai and his family like me and adopt me.

Hi Puppies, Magnum here to update you all on Jasper’s progress. After two weeks and several cheeseburgers Jasper gained three pounds, bringing him up to 40 pounds, which is enough to begin heartworm treatment. He spent Thursday night at the vet’s office and has been very sick since then. The vet also found intestinal worms and began treatment for those so Jasper should not have so much trouble gaining weight now. Mama said he is not getting any more cheeseburgers now, just kibble, chicken, and rice. I got some chicken and rice in my kibble too, so I am a pretty happy boy. As you can see, Jasper and I have warmed up to each other. Mama says when he was fussy with me it was just because he was sick and scared about living in a new pack, so I am trying to be understanding. Since the vet visit Jasper spends all his time sleeping. He is taking some medicine to help him cough less and we are running a humidifier in the kitchen where he spends most of his time. His fur, which was very crunchy when he first arrived, is getting a little softer now. He needs a lot of rest now, but we are all hoping he begins to feel better soon.

Happy Valentine’s Day!

Hi Puppies, today is a great day to give extra fuzzy hugs to your people and your siblings. Also, claw them and sleep on their heads to fulfill Doodles dream of honoring our leader Queen Meeshka. Today I will post about some people and puppies who recently found love.

A wonderful family who lives in Pittsburgh, PA had some extra love to share and decided to find some puppies who really needed extra love. They knew they were Siberian Husky people, so they called and visited rescues and shelters, trying to find Sibes who were looking for a new family. First, they found Gabi, who was a little frightened by all the new surroundings. The family was gentle and patient with their timid, little girl. They were thrilled to have her, but thought she needed a boisterous sibling to help her be more social, so they continued their search.

Meanwhile a very handsome young Sibe named Cosmos was waiting in his foster home in MaPaw. Cosmos had a very sensitive tummy, so his foster parents tried and tried to find the right food for him so that he would not have an upset tummy. He enjoyed playing with his foster siblings and telling long, woooowoooowoooing tales to his foster family and everyone in his training class. Although he was friendly and playful, other people passed by him without a second glance.

One person showed an interest but then met him and, upon seeing his beautiful rust tone, said he was not red enough. Humph! Cosmos had learned excellent manners at class and found a food that agreed with him. All he needed was a family. The family from Pittsburgh came across Cosmos in their search and wanted to meet him.

They drove several hours across the state to introduce Gabi and Cosmos in his foster home. Cosmos could barely contain his excitement and greeted Gabi with many wooowooowooooos. At first she was unsure, but Cosmos’ exuberance soon overcame her shyness and she ventured out to meet the new people and puppies. Her family said they had never seen Gabi be so social. Cosmos seemed to know it was his big day and gave hugs to his new family. After Gabi and Cosmos had some play time, they all piled in the car to go home.

Hi Puppies, Magnum here. MaPaw had a big event last weekend. Volunteers gathered from various points in eastern Pennsylvania to pick up the puppies and transport them to their adoptive homes scattered throughout the area. The puppies were nervous about being apart from their littermates and meeting new dogs and people, but they will soon realize how much love and attention they will receive from their new families. I know I was nervous when I first came to live with Mama and Papa, but now I know they feed me, and I have fun with my brother and sister. Above Jasper checks on Willow and reassures her that her new home will be wonderful. I have to admit, I saw a nurturing side of Jasper for the first time while this little puppy spent a two-hour layover at my house. Maybe he is not as bad as I thought. We will see. Below Moose (now Apollo) gives his new big brother, Rocky, a respectful, if somewhat formal, bow on their first encounter. I guess his foster siblings let him know how to get off on the right paw with the older pack members. That is a smart puppy. I am sure all the puppies will settle in and feel like a part of the new pack in no time.

Hi puppies, Magnum here. Mama wants me to post about Jasper, but he has not been very nice to me so I am pouting and refusing to help. Since I am such a good boy, I have agreed to let Mama post about him. Below is what she says.
This week Jasper has been adjusting to his new family and surroundings. He’s a little intimidated by the big dogs here, but he has warmed up to the girls and even plays with Chena out in the yard. Jasper also took a trip to our vet, who verified that he is heart worm positive. Since Jasper is underweight, a mere 37 pounds, we need to help him gain weight before he can begin heart worm treatment. The treatment is hard on the body, so we don’t want anything else putting strain on his body. He’ll be heart worm free within two months, but then we must continue to nuture him back to health for three or four months before he can undergo surgery to neuter him and close the lid around his missing eye. It looks like this little boy is going to be with us quite a while.

A stray dog wandered up a long, gravel drive in Pittsboro, North Carolina. He heard the sounds of other animals and hoped to find food, companionship, and shelter from the freezing rain. Although he had just one cloudy eye, he could make out the shapes of a garden with dogs, guinea hens, chickens, cats, and goats on the other side of a fence. He pawed to get inside.

The skinny stray had found the home of an italian artist and animal lover, Siglinda. The artist came out of her house with food and a leash, intent on helping the little lost Husky. He was already wagging his tail at the other dogs and did not hesitate to approach Siglinda and take a treat gently from her hand. As she attached the leash, Siglinda noticed a buckle that must have kept the little Husky on a chain at one time. He followed her quietly to a pen where she was able to give him fresh water and food. After that he really wanted to be with her and her dogs, but she was concerned for the safety of her birds and cats. He didn’t like being penned, even though there was a warm, dry place to rest in there.

Later that morning, Siglinda took the stray to Dr. Terll at Hill Creek Veterinary Hospital. While waiting for the doctor, Siglinda took a bunch of paper towels and started to dry the little Husky and take away all the clumps of fur he had hanging all over his body. At one point he stopped her and licked all over her hands and face. That day she found out he was heart worm positive and in need of vaccinations and deworming.

At night the dogs and cats gather inside around the wood stove to sleep. Siglinda lined a big crate with a blanket where the little Husky could spend the night without troubling the cats. All the cats understood and immediately found high places to perch while observing the wild creature Siglinda was holding and pushing into the crate. Siglinda could not close her eyes that night in fear for her cats and knew she needed to find another place for this homeless dog to stay. She sent messages with photos to every person and organization she knew that might help a little Husky in need.

A friend found a place to board the little Husky until they could find a better solution. For the next two weeks, Siglinda received an incredible number of e-mails, and it became clear that groups from California to New York were trying to find a home for this little Husky. Then one morning the phone rang and it was Kathryn from MaPaw saying she had a foster home for the little Husky. From the boarding veterinarian, the little Husky stopped at Siglinda’s home for a kiss of gratitude and farewell before going quietly with another friend to begin his long journey.

Through the entire day the little Husky rode in different cars, stopping at rest stops along the highway to get a breath of fresh air before going off with someone new. He rode quietly, looking out the windows to see how quickly he was traveling from where he had been to wherever he was going. He rode late into the night meeting new people and loading into new vehicles as snowflakes began tumbling from the darkened sky. Along the way some of the people started calling him Jasper, in memory of Jasmine, another one-eyed Husky who had touched so many hearts.

It was after midnight when Jasper reached his foster home. He was exhausted and anxious when he met his foster siblings, who had climbed out of their warm beds to see who arrived in the middle of the night. After a quick sniff of his new surroundings, he went directly to his new crate and sank into his dreams.

_{Thank you to the network of transporters and volunteers who made this journey possible. Special thanks to Siglinda, not only for reaching out to a dog in need, but also for her beautiful messages that were paraphrased throughout this post.}