My thoughts on Pitbull Awareness Month. It feels like we have to come to the conversation with all the ways Pitbulls are great. Other dogs don’t have to come to a conversation and prove their worthiness. Pitbulls are other dogs. They are dogs. I’m not going into how Pitbull isn’t even a breed, because haters love that shit. Doug is a dog. He ranges from high energy to couch potato in a matter of minutes. He loves food, but his body is not great at digestion. Doug poops from his butt, and pees from his thingamagigy. He loves toys, food, people, food, and sunspot chasing. And food. He has allergies. He has clothing. He has custom collars and comfy beds. He loves car rides. His life goal is to catch the chipmunk in our backyard. If he ever does catch it, he will cry for me to come save him from it. He takes a lot of medication for his various health issues. He is pure joy, in a thick body. His neck waddle hangs over his collar like a beautiful waterfall. He, like every dog in the world, is inherently good. Inherently great even. It is not ‘how he was raised’. He is a dog. When we get asked ‘what is he’ that is what I say, he’s a dog. What we will continue doing, this month, and every month, is supporting rescues who handle horrific abuse cases, of dogs who look a certain way, but again, are just dogs. Those dogs get abused at an alarmingly high rate, by human monsters. And those dogs who are abused, emerge from their darkness, still sweet, still hopeful for love. They are sweet souls , despite their circumstances. Focus less on breeds, and more on animal abuse laws in your area. Dogs are inherently good. People, not so much. #dougisadog #pitbullsarejustdogs #orlandseals #inherentlygood #inherentlygreat #loveliveson❤️ #ilovehim
Neuronal Ceroid Lipofuscinosis is hard to say, and harder to navigate. They should have just called it Fatal Dizziness. Meclazine and Cerenia are the only two drugs available that can buffer the dizziness and nausea, but they aren’t approved for long term use in dogs. So I have to decide which unknown path to take. Stay on the meds, and hope that the side effects of prolonged use is not worse than the dizziness - or take them only on the bad days and watch the dizziness become an uncontrollable thief of joy in between. All the vets have suggested that the end will be when Doug is no longer able to stand up. As if the amount of dizziness leading up to that is somehow, not too much. I’m not sure I comprehend dizziness logic. I have to rethink how we use joy as a compass for Doug. I have to maintain being hopeful for good days, but not so hopeful that I’m blind to how being dizzy may not allow for as much joy to coexist. Doug is my beautiful purpose. No matter what this stupid disease throws at us, I will always scream back - that we have already won at this life. We had already won the day before NCL showed up. And we will still be victorious the day after it ends. Love transcends fatal dizziness. Prove me wrong. On that note, Doug and I are off to deliver some joy to animals in our local shelters and rescues. #bethejoy #ilovehim #loveliveson❤️ #ncl #neuronal_ceroid_lipofuscinosis #neuronalceroidlipofuscinosis
Today is Jakey’s birthday. He would have been 14. I’ve actually spent more of Jake’s birthdays with Doug, than I did with Jake. I wish I’d had more time with him. My love for Jake is wildly different than my love for Melvin and Doug. Not more or less, just different. Taking care of a special needs dog, you know they can’t maneuver their day without you, but they don’t need to know that. So you spend every day making them feel like a superhero, and it’s a beautiful purpose. People used to say ‘poor guy’ when they saw him, but Jake was one of the happiest creatures on God’s green earth. He lived on his own terms and he didn’t compromise for anyone but Melvin. He’s forever my baby, he’ll forever have my heart. #hbd #frenchbulldog #fbrn #fbrngrad #wonkalicious #googlyeyes #loveliveson❤️
Dear sweet boy, me & you are five. I had no idea what to do with you at first, but somehow you knew exactly what I needed. You mended my broken, grief filled heart. You brought laughter, love, and a different kind of tears (why did you have to mouth my feet so much?). You showed me that ‘too soon’ is sometimes right on time. How can I ever repay you? (answer: unlimited snacks and @animalsmatterinc beds). You have been here longer than Jake was, and I will give anything for you to be here longer than Melvin. We have been through two extensive leg surgeries, every digestive issue out there, hyperactivity and anxiety. I try not to worry too much about what NCL will bring, and instead I focus on being so grateful the universe put us together so I can see you through it. You are my wild joy. I have loved you longer than I’ve known you and whatever comes, I will be there, with you, making all snack and life decisions with love. While I wish the world wasn’t falling apart, I am forever grateful for these at-home-months with you. How did we get so blessed? Here’s to five years! Thank you to @rescuepetconnect for rescuing ‘Hooty’. Thank you to all of you for lifting us up on hard days and for always being ready to celebrate my sweet boy. Doug - you and your brothers own my heart, always. Happy gotcha day! I love you. xoxo
