Caring for a Three Legged Dog or Cat
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How is it possible that four weeks ago, today, my beautiful girl earned her wings? It feels longer and feels shorter. It is surreal. It's been a horrific month for me. I have been in hibernation except for going to work and going through the motions of 'existing'. I have turned down a lot of invitations from friends to go out preferring to stay in with my thoughts and my bed. There have been intense UPs and DOWNs.
But I have felt Shelby's love and strength all around me. I have felt 'guilt' for 'enjoying' on some level increased workouts since I don't have to rush home after work anymore. I miss her and would give anything to snuggle her ears one more time and give her a booty rub (she loved those).
As I put together her video, I enjoyed celebrating her 'amazing' life. At first I called this the memorial video but then I changed it to "Shelby's amazing life". What a life she had/lived. We had so much fun. So I hope you enjoy my tribute to my silly girl - my "Shelbers" ... my soul mate and the one and only - love of my life.
Shelby Lynne; Jack Russell/Shiba Inu mix. Proud member of the April Angels of 2014.
October 15, 2000 to April 8, 2014
Our story: Broke rear leg in June 2013 - non-conclusive results for cancer so leg was plated and pinned. Enlarged spleen in September 2013 and had it removed and was diagnosed with Hemangiosarcoma and started chemotherapy. Became a Tripawd January 8th, 2014 and definitive Hemangiosarcoma diagnosis. Three major surgeries in 7 months and Shelby took them all like a champ only to lose her battle to cancer in her brain. We had 8 amazing extra months together and no regrets. #shelbystrong #loveofmylife
Alison, this was absolutely beautiful...........sweet Shelby was so fortunate to have you as her mom, but better yet, you both found each other......you and Shelby will forever hold a very special place in my heart......
Much Love,
Bonnie & Angel Polly
Alison that was such a beautiful beautiful tribute to Shelby. I found myself smiling throughout the entire thing. You gave her such an amazing, fun, love filled life. I know it will take time, but I hope one day you'll be able to look back and the smiles will outweigh the tears.
She really did have such a wonderful life and I know it isn't fair that stupid cancer took her from you, but it didn't win. She won, you won. Until the very end, she was a happy girl and the two of you had an unbreakable bond. Forever and ever when I think of Shelby, I will smile.
xoxo,
Erica
Jill is a 9-year-old tuxedo kitty. She was diagnosed with Osteosarcoma in June 2012 on her toe in her right hind leg. Her leg was amputated on 12/12/12 and she completed four rounds of chemo (2 of Carbo, 2 of Doxy) in April 2013. "Like" Jill's facebook page: https://www.fac.....tty?ref=hl Proud member of the WINTER WARRIORS!!!! Her blog can be read at http://jillsjou.....ipawds.com. xoxo
Alison,
This is so beautiful. You can just feel the love in this video. I love the song you picked. Amazing. You & Shelby are truly one. I was smiling through my tears
hugs
Michelle & Angel Sassy
Sassy is a proud member of the Winter Warriors. Live long, & strong Winter Warriors.
sassysugarbear.tripawds.com
07/26/2006 - Sassy earned her wings 08/20/2013
05/04/2006 - Bosch, Sassy's pal, earned his wings 03/29/19 fought cancer for 4 months.
"You aren't doing it TO her, you are doing it FOR her. Give her a chance at life."
I can't believe it either, I'll just never understand how time can go so fast and so slow at the same time.
The video is absolutely beautiful, I love the song you chose, you did GREAT. And I really love seeing all of her costume changes, she had the best wardrobe of any doggie, EVER! There are a lot of sweet photos but my fave pic is the one of her sitting up at the table with the wine glass in front of her, too funny. Thanks for giving us a glimpse of your amazing life together.
{{{{{{hugs}}}}}}
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
This was beautiful Alison. Thinking of you and Shelby always <3
Lots of love,
Anna and Tyson
Absolutely beautiful! I too love the song. She just always looks like she is having such fun in her pictures. Terrific tribute by a terrific doggy Mom to a terrific Shelby! Love from, Lori and Ty
TY GUY, Best Black Lab ever! Diagnosed and had amp in January, 2014. Kicked MRSA's butt. Earned his angel wings on April 16, 2014. Run Free my boy and don't forget a shoe. Ty is a proud member of the " April Angels". Ty sent us Daryl, a Tripawd rescue in Sept. of 2016. Daryl is 5 +or -. We are also Pawrents to Chandler, a Border Collie mix who is 15 and 1/2, Lucy, a Corgi who is 7, 2 minis, 2 horses, and a feisty cat named Zoe. Zoe had a non skeletal Osteosarcoma removed in July 2015. No Chemo, she was at least 16. She is going strong although she is now completely blind. She is now close to 20 and her hobbies are eating and sleeping in front of her personal heater.
Alison, this is beautiful. What a perfect tribute to the FUN life you and Shelby made and enjoyed. I love all her costumes, although some of them she didn't seem to fond of! She loved you, being with you, and that beach. The sun on her fur and watching the world? Bliss! You gave that to her. You honored her in life and in this video. Marvelous job. She really had the best life ever.
~ Katy & Jackson
ACL tear in right hind leg 12/5/12 and scheduled ACL repair surgery 12/21/12. Pre-op xrays revealed osteosarcoma. Amputation 12/28/12. Chemo (carboplatin) started Jan 10, 2013 and ended on April 5, for a total of 5 doses. He handled carbo like a champ! No side effects. We started metronomic therapy at his third chemo and have been also doing some holistic treatments. He's a lively, playful 10 year old huskie-boarder collie and a very proud member of the Winter Warriors! Our love. Our funny little guy!
Alison this was BEAUTIFUL! I love this song, what a great tribute song for Shelby! Oh the fun you guys have had together, the costumes, the dates, the wine, the beach...absolutely beautiful!!
HUGS
Mom to Tripawd Angels Jake (2001-2014) and Rosco (2012-2015) and Tripawd Tanner. “Whatever happens tomorrow, we had today; and I'll always remember it”
THANK YOU ALL SO much from the bottom of my heart... "FUN" ... seems to be the best word you all have used to describe our life together and oh the fun that we had. That she sparkles in the photos and shines and is HAPPY ... that is all a mom could ever want for her child - fur baby or not.
Thank you for indulging me and allowing me to share a bit of her life with you all. As bittersweet as this was to make, it brought me such joy remembering all the good times (and yes, she often had the look of - oh here we go again with these outfits). But she was such a good sport.
And that this brought joy to our Tripwads family ... I know this much ... Shelby would have loved each and every one of you and your dogs too!!!
Thank you again! XOXO for fur-ever!
Shelby Lynne; Jack Russell/Shiba Inu mix. Proud member of the April Angels of 2014.
October 15, 2000 to April 8, 2014
Our story: Broke rear leg in June 2013 - non-conclusive results for cancer so leg was plated and pinned. Enlarged spleen in September 2013 and had it removed and was diagnosed with Hemangiosarcoma and started chemotherapy. Became a Tripawd January 8th, 2014 and definitive Hemangiosarcoma diagnosis. Three major surgeries in 7 months and Shelby took them all like a champ only to lose her battle to cancer in her brain. We had 8 amazing extra months together and no regrets. #shelbystrong #loveofmylife
Hi Alison
FINALLY got to see your video, YAY! We're traveling in the RV again and the park wifi has been S.L.O.O.O.O.W! To use an expression I believe I learned from you - it has been making me bat sh*t crazy! (love that, haha)
Your tribute to Shelby is FABULOUS, good job my friend! It was so upbeat and happy, I really enjoyed the whole thing. My favorite parts - the Carnival or Mardi Gras celebrations with Shelby wearing all the beads, Shelby in Santa attire chilling on a beach bench (love) and the 2nd to last photo of you and Shelby in which she her face is tucked under yours. OMD, I have to admit I let out a wail when I saw that one. So touching, I hope you have that in a frame somewhere in your home!
You are soooo loving and were sooooo good to her, what an incredible life you shared. I bet Shelby is bragging about you all over the Rainbow Bridge and I know, I just know she'd be so honored and so very proud to see you bless another fur baby with an equally incredible life. I mean really! Not doing so is like having the yummiest treats on the planet and only sharing them with one person. Nope, none of the rest of you can have any! Whaaaat?! As much as your heart hurts right now, that's not Alison. What would you do with all that love inside you? It would be oozing out your ears and nose, overflowing onto the floor. Hahaha. When you're ready, which I suspect isn't really all that far away, I know Shelby will be bouncing up and down with excitement at the bridge. Look look look, Mama is doing it, she's ready. She's opening up her heart to another fur love. Yaaaaay! Of course, I just want all you fellow angels to know that I'M THE ONE WHO PICKED OUT the newest member of our family. I would never leave something that important to chance. EVER. I picked the pup who needed mama most and would love her back. Ok, and the pup I liked best. That's only fair, it's my family tooooooo. Yay mama, I'm so happy!!!!
What can I say? I'm just passing along what my Angel JG reports back from the bridge.
Paw love,
Claudia and Angel Jersey Girl the narc
Oh Claudia! Yes that is a phrase I use often!!! (more than I should for sure).
Thank you for your kind words and perspective. It's true - I have so much love to give and it would be a great shame to waste it since I probably have many, many more years to live. I am sure Shelby is telling stories about how her mama would dress her up in costumes for no good reason but then she always got cookies so it made it worth it. Shelby was so loved and she knew it. My hope is that Shelby doesn't send me a yippy/yappy dog as 'payback' for all the costumes, but I suspect Shelby will find a cutie for me. When the time is right... right now, I really struggle with the fact that Shelby was an only child and she loved that and she didn't like to 'share' me with other dogs/people (or even my laptop). It is a human thing but it is very hard for me to wrap my head around the fact that Shelby would want me to love again...
Having lost a parent, I know that my dad wouldn't think that I should go out and get a new dad. But he wouldn't want me to be sad all the time (which, of course, I am not) so it's harder for me to get past the 'replacement' aspect of it. I think that was part of our bond (mine and Shelby's) and so that will be harder to penetrate through. Right now, I know there is no way I could give any love to another 4-legged ... I want to be able to and in my mind I think it's natural that "of course I will have another dog" but in my heart I say 'no way, Jose'.
But I love the idea and vision of Shelby bouncing (she was a bouncy girl) and bragging ... have Jersey Girl tell her to toss me some more rhinestones or a penny here or there. XOXO
Shelby Lynne; Jack Russell/Shiba Inu mix. Proud member of the April Angels of 2014.
October 15, 2000 to April 8, 2014
Our story: Broke rear leg in June 2013 - non-conclusive results for cancer so leg was plated and pinned. Enlarged spleen in September 2013 and had it removed and was diagnosed with Hemangiosarcoma and started chemotherapy. Became a Tripawd January 8th, 2014 and definitive Hemangiosarcoma diagnosis. Three major surgeries in 7 months and Shelby took them all like a champ only to lose her battle to cancer in her brain. We had 8 amazing extra months together and no regrets. #shelbystrong #loveofmylife
Alison,
Just beautiful, filled with love and happiness. What a tribute to be given and what a legacy of love, what a life!
Esther and her Snoop
Alison,
Awww, I get it. Keep taking care of you and everything will fall into place as it's supposed to.
Claudia and Angel JG
Oh Alison. I just keep shakng my head with each picture.......she's just so full of life!! It just seems impossible to believe.....four weeks. She's just still so "alive".....such an iportant part of the community..... she's still with us......always will be.
I LOVE the tribute you put together of SHELBY'S AMAZING LIFE!! Alison, every sigle picture she's just so darn happy. On occasion, she's verty i trospective...as are most Sages. I love the one where she's sitting out side with a little mountain scene behind her and she has a sunbeam of light streamng right down on her. She was born as a beam of light Alison. She came here to share her light wiith you......with all of us!
I cannot believe how well she tolerated beng dressed up! I think she realky liked it! ain every single picture in costume shelooks like she's posing so proudly!
Shelby had the best time being your soulmate Alison! She truly saw YOU as her greatest love too! She is just so blissfully happy in every photo with you.
I lso jist love how she "leaned into you" and "leansed on you" in all the photos you were holding her and hugging her. She truly merged ito one with youi so many ways.
You captured who she is so perfectly. Without question, you two were best friends and she k ew it! She just loved being withnyou Alison! zshe just loved being the center ofyour world.
This video is "pure Shelby"! A glimpse i to her soul thtrough the lens of the camera...--ahe iso proud of the video yu've ut toegether. This truly is SHELBY'S AMAZING LIFE"! The power of love indeed!
You did a beautiful tribute Alison! You captured who sheis...who the two of you are...perfectly.
Sending you so mch love and wishing I coukd help with your grief. zplease keep sharing more of Shelby with us. We iss her too.
Saly and Happy Haannah
Happy Hannah had a glorious additional bonus time of over one yr & two months after amp for osteo! She made me laugh everyday! Joined April's Angels after send off meal of steak, ice cream, M&Ms & deer poop!
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