Juno Rescued Beagle

Let the healin begin… Easy for u to say cause yur belly wasn’t cuts open top to bottom! Ouchie….

Home Sweet Home

All I thought when I waked up was, I’m hungry n I wanna go home. Everybodies at the hospital was so nice to me, sayin what a good girl I was. So why don’t u feed me?

I finded out after I made morning piddles for them outside that I was waiting for Mommy to come with my own homemade foods. She said, no no no, nothing but the best for Juno girl. I doesn’t know why she had to wait til forever to come but she finally did. The nurse brought me n a food bowl out to meet Mommy. I had so many wags for the food bowl that I didn’t even see Mommy, all I saw was the bowl. Musta been a good sign cause the nurse n Mommy both laughed. The nurse said go slow, feed her only about 3 spoonfuls right now. I ate that in less than two seconds n then asked for more. Mommy said no Juno yur vowels have to get use to food again. Oh Mommy, my vowels luvs yur food n they r very use to them. More food please. I gave my best wags but they didn’t work. Sigh. The nurse said to leave the leftovers cause the sturgeon said I would eat every few hours. I luvs him.

We spended some quiet time together where Mommy poked n peeked at my belly. She didn’t touch it n that was good cause it is my ouchie spot. Even though it hurt it kinda felt better at the same time. The nurse comed back n said that the sturgeon would call Mommy later. I guess that is who made my belly ouchie but better. Hospitals can be very confusing places where they put you in a cage n stick you with sharp things then kiss you on the head. I spended all day waitin in the little cage until Mommy came to get me. They talked n talked n said do this…don’t do that, no jumping, no running, to playin, no no no no blah, blah, blah….feed her every few hours until her body gets use to two meals a day… .WAIT WHAT? Every few hours??? Faint!!!

We left the hospital n while tryin to load me gently into the car I found an only halfway chewed dog cookie on the ground. Mommy pried open my mouth n said, “JUNO, for pete’s sake, can we get out of the parking lot before you get yourself into more troubles?” I looked at her thinkin, “What a silly question to ask a beagle.”

When I gots home Raven was happy to see me n Maya wanted to only smell my belly. I was tired n just wanted to sleep in my own bed, after a little snack, of course. Doctors orders!

In two weeks I will go n have the 15 staples removed from my belly. Once they r gone I can run n play n jump n dig again all I want. Until then I has to be quiet n not run. I go out only on the leash next to Mommy. She won’t let me play with Maya or Raven. Maya doesn’t understand, she’s just a baby, n keeps tryin to play knock over yur big sister when we go outside. Mommy yells at her, not with the umbrella in her hand! She also blocked up the deck so Maya can’t squeeze under any more. Mr. Groundhog is gonna be mad when he can’t find his place to hide from us. Good thing cause Maya would prolly end up followin him anyway.

I get to go to work everyday with Mommy n sleep under her desk, go for a short afternoon walk to get my strengths back n get to have a break time snack n a lunchtime too!! I like eatin very few hours n hope that after I am all better we can still do that. I hope that never ends. Dr. Ying says she is still worried about me cause I still wanna eat everything in sight n I get anxious at mealtime. She said there r more test to see if I have other things wrong with my vowels or my digestion. I got a B12 shot on Wednesday cause it was a little low n since then I am feelin much better. While I finded my way out of the woods for eatin a toy my problems don’t seem to be over. Mommy took all the stuffy toys away incase I decide to try ot eat one again. Yesterday she caught me tryin to open a box of donated dog food for the BeFreegle Foundation Freegles. I tol her I wanted to make sure it was okay for them. She made mad eyes at me n then I made sorry eyes at her. She put the box in the other room where I not allowed.

The other day I finded out that some of my friends have started a fundrazr for me n an online auction to help pay for my hospital bills. Mommy says that it costs five years of cookie money for me to stay alive but that she would do it in a heartbeat cause she luvs me lots.

Thank u to all of my friends who have sent me luv, positive energy, light and prayers. I even had a cat named Vincent Van Cat prayin for me. He thinks it’s cause of him that I’m doin so good right now. I told him he can come to visit me n I can show him I “‘preciate his prayers but Raven will chase him n bark at him til he’s hidin under the sofa or climbin the curtains. Mommy said Vincent should just stay home n that I can say thanks u from over here.

My fundrazrs r running for a couple more weeks if u wanna help me to pay off my debt so I can have cookies again before 5 years from now. Otherwise please send cookies, I’m famished.

Luv n Wags,

Juno

Juno’s Fundrazr Page

Juno’s Online Auction

In the dawning hours of Sunday morning, I lay in a state halfway between both worlds for exactly two seconds before it all came back to me, sitting bolt upright as the events of only a few hours earlier hit me. Like a wave of nausea if came over me. Fear and panic. I nervously checked my cell phone to see if I had somehow missed a call from the hospital. Nothing. Considering that I slept with the phone on the pillow beside me, I should not have been surprised. Exhale.

As I got out of bed, bereft of our normal Sunday routine of cuddles and belly rubs, my body felt as though I had been hit by a bus. Aching head to toe yet numb with fear, I knew the I had to take care of Raven and Maya before I did anything else. Raven, usually bubbly and full of life at that hour of the morning was oddly subdued as we made our way outside for out morning routine. Maya, oblivious to everything except a rouge leaf that tumbled across the yard in the wind, for once did her business without hesitation. As I fed them breakfast the phone rang, I’m fairly certain my heart did not skip a beat but hammered wildly inside my already aching body.

Slightly breathless, I answered on the second ring. It was the hospital. Juno had an okay night but was clearly still very uncomfortable. A new critical care vet introduced himself and got quickly to the point. X-rays taken just a short time ago indicated that Juno’s stomach was still rather large considering the lack of food and water in the past 24 hours. All signs pointed toward an obstruction and he recommended exploratory surgery that day. Not feeling equipped to make this decision alone I asked him if we had time for me to consult with Juno’s regular vet, who is part of a small group of vet’s and have special Sunday hours for their regular patients. If Juno was stable enough to wait then I wanted to get a second opinion, especially in light of last nights critical care vet having a different feeling on how Juno would be feeling come morning. Without a moments hesitation he not only agreed that we could wait but offered to call and consult with her. Not knowing if she would be on call this Sunday I said I would have her call him.

The minutes ticked by painfully slow as I waited for noon to roll around. At exactly 12:02 pm I called our vets office. Dr. Ying was not in but as I pleaded my case they called her and within ten minutes she was calling me. As I answered the phone I completely broke down. I didn’t know what to do. They wanted to do exploratory surgery but there was no guarantee they would find anything. She could have an inflamed belly because of the vomiting. She could have several obstructions, there was no way to know unless they cut.

I have a very healthy distrust of most medical professionals because I believe that our bodies and the bodies of all creatures have an innate ability to heal themselves without the intervention of modern medicine, which can at times make things worse. I also know that there are circumstances where all the homeopathic remedies in the world can’t fix what’s ailing you. This was an extremely important decision and I did not feel in the emotional state of mind to make it without someone with more medical experience than me who I trusted with my little girl. I could think of no one other than Dr. Ying. From the day I met her she has been so gentle and kind to Juno. She has a vested interest in helping Juno to stop itching. She has gone out of her way to help my little girl and because of that, I trust her implicitly.

Dr. Ying offered to call the critical care vet to discuss Juno. Thirty minutes later I was on the phone with the hospital giving my approval for them to perform surgery on Juno. They offered to email me the forms for approval to perform surgery, an offer I quickly refused. If they were cutting my Juno open stem to stern I was going to hold vigil and pace until they were done.

After the papers were signed they brought Juno out to see me. She got as far as the ER doors as I rushed towards her she flopped over on her back, belly up, determined to not be robbed of her Sunday morning belly rubs, she demanded them right there on the floor of the animal hospital. It was clear from the reactions of the staff that my heart was not the only one my little girl has stolen. We get that a lot though. She’s beautiful, inside and out. She does not discriminate, your hand or mine is as good as the next when it’s belly rub time, but I do believe that she was telling me something by her aptly timed flop over!

The staff approached me several times asking if we were done cuddling. I think it was either the look on my face or Juno’s that sent them away without another word. I had no idea what the next few hours would bring. I was warned of all the possibilities of what they may or may not find when they opened her up. In all honesty, I was not prepared for any of them.

I suppose when a reluctant family is not ready to send their loved one to the OR the hospital sends out the big guns. The surgeon came out of the ER and joined us on the floor. Juno of course asked for belly rubs. She has a few rules but the belly rub rule is king. You may not sit next to the beagle unless you rub her belly. That’s just how it goes in the life of a beagle.

He was kind and patient as I asked questions and he answered them. He was genuinely curious about her background and told me a story of the beagle colony when he was in vet school and how he helped them to be adopted after their studies were over. We spoke about Juno’s procedure and how sweet she was. He explained about the procedure he was going to perform and that she would be in surgery for about 1 – 1/2 hours. He stood up and gently tugged the leash from my hands. Before I let go of her leash, I asked him if he had a good nights sleep and if he ate a good lunch. I offered to go get him something nutritious before her surgery. He laughed and declined my offer but did reassure me that he slept very well the night before and that Juno was going to be fine. He promised to call the moment they were done or if there were any complications. As he walked into the ER with my little girl I put a white light around them both and waited.

Paul and Deandra, my rocks throughout, tag teamed me and said they were starving and would I help them find a coffee shop. They knew I had eaten only toast in the past 24 hours and no doubt wanted to nourish me. The staff all assured me that if anything happened while I was gone the surgeon would call me immediately.

Ten minutes later I was sitting in a booth with a steaming hot bowl of soup and a big crusty hunk of bread. I choked it down, bit by bit, knowing I wouldn’t be worth a damn if I didn’t take care of myself. As we finished up, I found myself alone at the table lost in my thoughts. The vibration of my phone on the table snapped me back to reality. The caller ID registered the hospital. A quick calculation and I realized we had only left 45 minutes ago. In a split second my head was pounding as my heart racing and my soup threatening to make it’s way back up. There’s a problem. Why would they be calling me so soon? I nervously answered as the surgeon happily announced himself on the other end. “She’s all done. In and out. She’s resting in recovery right now.” I couldn’t believe my ears! He said it was a very easy procedure and that there was indeed a blockage, a linear blockage. A piece of fabric from a toy attached to a piece of string and on the other end another piece of fabric. One end was in her stomach the other in her intestine. It was stuck, she never would have passed it. Had we not acted when we did I would be writing in memoriam right now and not in celebration of her recovery.

I asked if I could see her and he said it was not a good idea. She was too out of it and my being there would only excite her and they wanted her to rest. Call often and anytime to check on her, he said. We will see you in the morning. Oh yes, they would, but at that moment I was being sent home, Juno was not the only one out of it. As my head hit the pillow for a short nap at 7:15 pm that night I was feeling a bit more confident that things were going to be okay. My eyelids felt like leaden weights and as I let sleep overtake me I promised myself that as soon as I woke up I would call to check on Juno. Little did I know that my nap would last 9 hours and take me straight through to the wee hours of Monday morning. A brand new day, a day for the healing to begin.

(to be continued)

Please consider helping Juno with her medical expenses. Click on her photo to be taken to her Fundrazr page.

Oh hi from the next day of my recoveries n Part II of my story about how I got linear obstructions or the day the Freegles made Mommy crazy! Where was I???? Oh yeah.

Poof she was gone!!! Mommy called and called. She ran inside n got a flashlight, checked on me n ran back outside. MAYA!!! MAYA!!! MAYYYYAAAAAA!!! Nothing. Rain was comin down in buckets. Nick, Paul n Deandra all came to help. MAYA!!! MAYA!! MAYA!!!! Nothing. It was like poof she disappeared. Mommy tried to look under the short deck but since it’s so low to the ground n only the groundhog lives under there she didn’t think Maya could have fit. She shined the flashlight n didn’t see anything but leaves. They looked and looked all over the yard wonderin if she somehow wiggled herself thru the fence. Which, by the way is not a very smart kinda thing to do on a night that the floods r comin. If yur gonna try to have an a’venture best to go when the sun is out n yur belly is full. I guess Maya isn’t as smart as me. Once she grabbed a piece of naan off Mommy’s dinner plate n instead of swallowin it right there Maya decided to bring it back to her bed to enjoy it slowly. Well guess who took it back n guess who got nothing?! My little sister has a lot of things to learn about stealin n swallowin food n also about runnin away!

After a few minutes of lookin in the yard n checkin the fence n gettin soakin, everyone began to wonder if Maya had somehow gotten through the fence n really runned away. Nick n Paul went one way, Deandra n Mommy the other. I stayed inside makin little vomits. Round n round the block callin, MAYAAAAAA, MAYAAAAA. Nothing. Then all the neighbors got involved n all got soakin lookin for Maya. Maybe we should change her name to Houdini, cause she was just gone.

As Mommy began to make panic noises callin MAYYYYAAA all the sudden Nick yelled, I FOUND HER!!” Yur never, ever gonna believe it but she had managed to wiggle n jiggle herself stuck tight under the deck which is only about 6 inches off the ground. She went it but couldn’t get out. So out comed the power tools to un-build the deck. one board, two boards off n there she was all jumbled up in a tiny spot covered in mud n leaves n now had rain comin down on her head in big buckets full. Did I mention she’s not too smart? She was still stuck after two boards but at three boards off Mommy was able to reach in n pull Maya to safety.

She brought her inside and straight to the sink where Maya, still shiverin from bein cold, wet, scared n a little bit dumb, got a bath. She’s had more baths in the few months she’s been with us then Raven ever got! As soon as she was done n dried off she forgot about bein scared n went runnin all over the house shakin water everywhere. That’s when Mommy’s attention was turned back to me.

During all the hub bubs with Maya I made two little more vomits n now they were the smelliest ever. When Mommy realized they now smelled like poop, suddenly everyone was on high alert again. The TV went off, Maya in her crate, someone grabbed the car keys and I was scooped up in a towel and quick put in the car where I immediately made more vomits. Mommy let Paul drive for about three seconds then said to him, “If yur not going to run red lights to get her there, then let me drive.” There was a change in her voice, which made me feel jumpy inside, n suddenly I was scared. Durin the whole ride everyone kept tellin me how much they luved me n what a good girl I was. Mommy was cryin n tellin me to hold on. Please Juno, hold on.

She drove fast, like the wind, I didn’t know where we were goin until we got there n Paul quickly handed me to Mommy. While Paul parked the car she carried my inside, she was cryin. She had called them on the way so they were expectin us. As the nurse took me into her arms Mommy cried out to first to me,  ”Juno, I love you.” then to the nurse “Please don’t let my little girl die.” And then I was gone, her cry fadin as I was taken into a bright room that reminded me of the lab where I came from. I was quickly put into a cage and a lot of people were lookin at me, touchin me n talkin to me. I was confused cause Mommy was cryin, I was hurtin in my belly n I just wanted to go home. Everyone was talkin nice to me n sayin what a good girl I was. I just wanted my belly to stop hurtin n the vomits to stop. Someone shaved part of my paw n stuck me with a sharp.

The doctor went to talk to Mommy. I’ll let her tell you what he said….

” Juno is a very sick dog right now. We have started her right away on IV fluids to re-hydrate her. A dog can become dehydrated in a matter of a couple of hours of vomiting. We recommend taking some x-rays since you did say that she vomited a piece of cloth at 3 am this morning. Her heart-rate is very high, 240, extremely high even for a dog who is stressed.” I quickly agreed to the x-rays and again said out loud, “Please do not let me little girl die. Whatever it takes.”

Within a few minutes or maybe it was a half hour or more he came back to speak to us again. There are few places in the world where time stands still. Emergency rooms, be they human or animal are such places. He carried himself in such a manner that I could never tell if he was bringing good news or bad. I wonder if they teach that in veterinary school? He ushered us into one of the sterile exam rooms. It was late and we were the only people there and most of the office lights were out. Apparently, everyone else’s dog had the good sense to not eat something they weren’t supposed to that day. He showed us the x-ray with some concern on his face. He went on for what felt like an eternity showing us Juno’s spine and the beginnings of arthritis, her spleen and heart. I wanted to scream, “GET TO THE POINT!!” But somehow I managed to suffer through his anatomy lesson. Our focus was shifted to her intestines, colon and stomach. Areas of concern for both the Vet and the Radiologist who, for a fee, was rousted from her slumber to read Juno’s x-rays remotely. Ah the wonders of modern technology. He recommended another set of x-rays to try to determine if there was something in her intestines or if it was her colon playing tricks on us.

More waiting, pacing and worrying. I stood at the ER door watching. I couldn’t see Juno but I knew which side she was on. I wanted them to see me each time they passed from one side of the ER to the other. I wanted them to nod reassuringly when they looked at in my direction. They never did. Juno was their only patient so I was reassured that all hands on deck were taking care of my little girl. Still, I was uneasy, after all, no one loves her like I do and no one nodded, not even slightly. At some point the nurse came and handed me Juno’s collar. It was my lifeline to her and I held it tight while I waited.

As the second series of x-rays came out the doctor was a bit more hopeful and reassuring. He did not feel that, from what they could see on the x-rays, Juno had any blockages but they needed her to spend the night anyway. He said they would reevaluate her in the morning with another series of x-rays. I died a little inside worrying what Juno was thinking. Did the clinical setting bring back bad memories for her? Was she as scared as I was? Would she feel as though I had abandon her by leaving her for the night.

They allowed me to see her before leaving for the night. It broke my heart in a million pieces to see her hooked up to the IV, alone, scared and in pain. How I wish I could have taken it all away from her. How could she possibly understand any of it?

He promised she was in good hands. Maybe this sounds silly, but I wanted his reassurance that if I went home that she would make it through the night. He smiled for the first time all night and said he was fairly certain she would still be there in the morning. He’s a doctor, I get that, so he reassurance left space for something I can’t even begin to mention here. I was looking for a 100% guarantee and he wasn’t giving me one. I didn’t cry until I got outside, forever grateful for Paul and his girlfriend, Deandra. There to hold me up, I don’t think I could have gotten through this without their love and support.

The rain had let up as we drove home in silence. At 3 am we arrived home, almost exactly 24 hours since Juno had vomited the first time. I fell into a dreamless sleep willing the universe to let my baby live to see another day.

(to be continued)

Click on my photo to be taken to Fundrazr

This is the story of how one smallish beagle went from good girl to havin surger-knees all in two days time. It’s a longish story with a big cast (well not too big but a lot of troublesome Freegles) who all took a turn to make Mommy crazy all in one day. This is Part I.

Yes, I think it all started with a little itch. Then the itch gots bigger n bigger until it was everywhere. Day n night itchies everywhere. I went to this vet n that one. Take this meditation, no now take this one. It made me dizzy n sad cause nothing worked…. Until one day a miracle came along. A brand new meditation especially for doggies who itch all the live long day, like me. So we tried it. In exactly one hour I stopped itching n for a few weeks I was a brand new doggie. My red belly healed n my hair started to grow back. And then the hungry hungry hippo in me came out.

I’ve always been very famished all my life but all the sudden it was way worse. Mommy says I have to admit to tryin to eat all the poop in the yard, cause that’s part of my 12 steps to recoveries. I don’t even know what that means but it’s true, I eated poop and I liked it. All the while Mommy chasin me all over the icy backyard to stop me. Both of us rushin to get to a fresh one before the other. I won a lot of times but then I got yelled at. But Mommy didn’t understand why I was doin this all the sudden. When it was time for noms I would start to pant n drool n act like I never ate anything ever! She gave me more foods but that didn’t make me less hungry, it only made me poop more. Reduce, reuse, recycle! So she cut back my new meditations n called the vet.

Dr. Ying, who is the nicest vet in the whole wide world, said to take that smallish doggie off all meditations right away. For two weeks Mommy watched me like a big hawk, followin me all over the yard sayin in her meanest voice ever, “Don’t even think about it!” as I tried to look at my sisters when they made poop.

I got stuck with needles n gave blood n had tests n more tests. My liver n my kidneys n my billi-rubens are all normal. From my bloodworks I was a normal doggie but even Dr. Ying said I was acting different. Did the new meditation cause this? Did it make an underlyin condition pop up n say okay here I am? Or is it something else all together?

And then this past Saturday comed along. It was 3 am n all the sudden I feeled sick in my tummy. Mommy scooped me up n brought me outside where I throwed up. She looked at it n poked it with a stick. (n she says I’m gross!?) There in it was a piece of cloth. She looked at me and said, “Juno, what is that?” I have always luvs all kinds of food but for the first time ever I eated somethin that was not food. I was sorry but I’m so so hungry even with all the foods I get. Mommy was mad at me for wakin her up, for eatin somethin not food and for makin her stand on the freezin deck in her bare feets. Now she knows how I feel in the snow. But she picked my up n kissed my head n said we should go back to bed.

Now Saturday was a very big day cause my foster sister n Freegle, Sunshine was goin to her new foster to adopt home in a far away country called Long Island. We all got up that mornin n I eated my breakfast with all the other dogs, watched Sunshine get a bath, said goodbye to her n went to take a long nap. Mommy was gone for about 100 days on an adventure where Sunshine kept throwin up n peein in the crate in the car. Prolly cause she got a bath that she hated. Mommy said she arrived in her new country like a train wreck or maybe it was a wrecking ball. She was scared of the new place n new sounds n had to be practically carried into the house. She smelled like pees n vomits but her new family said, oh that’s okay we will luvs her anyway. I’m sure Sunshine will luv them back so long as they never, ever put her back into a car that makes her go vomits n pees. Her new foster Mom n Dad have a lot of experience with Freegle kind of dogs n have two Freegles from another lab. Sunshine is in good hands n is gettin use to her new country a little bit at a time.

After Mommy kissed her goodbye she had to drive all the way back to our country in the pouring rain on a road called the LIE, with giant potholes n trucks that want to be in the same spot that you are in. She said she risked her lifes and limbs to get home n a little while before she got home Nick called n said, “Juno barfed twice in the house.” Mommy wondered if someone at home wasn’t watchin me good enough n let me eat poop but Nick said, no no no, when he let the dogs out, Juno n Raven peed n Maya tried to eat a rock, but that was all.

When Mommy got home I was lookin very sad n feelin poorly. She took me outside n let me make more vomits. There was no more cloth but it was yucky brown n smelled so bad even I didn’t want to eat it. I went back inside n layed down shiverin n sad. She fed the other dogs but not me n that made me even more sad.

While she fed the other doggies I made two more tiny vomits n didn’t want to go outside anymore. So Raven n Maya (who is a brand new Freegle from a lab in Colorado n got her freedoms in January of this year n still doesn’t know many things, like I do about the outside world) went outside to make business. Mommy was carrying her umbrella cause it was rainin very hard. Maya never saw an umbrella before.

All of the sudden Maya decided to run into the corner where there was a huge muddy puddle. Mommy ran after her in the dark (still carrying her umbrella) n said, “No Maya, out of the puddle!! Go, or you will need a bath.” Maya got scared of the giant umbrella monster chasin her n ran past Mommy and disappeared…. poof, gone!!

(to be continued…)

If you would like to contribute to help with my medical bills for my critical care n surger-knees, which were over $5,500 click on my photo below. We appreciates all yur helps cause even though my surger-kness r over I still have somethin wrong that the doctors don’t know yet. They said maybe Cushings or somethin intestinal… So once my tummy cut is healed I has to go back for more tests so I never ever eat cloths or poops again. Thanks u for luvin me n for all of yur good thoughts, prayers n positive energy. I want to be healthy so I can continue to dig in the garden n make troubles again.

Luv n Wags,

Juno

Click on my photo to be taken to Fundrazr

As we make our way home after a long days work, my trusted companion beside me, I take stock in the day and thank the universe for all of the new friends we met. And as we drive in silence, she sleeps; dreaming of belly rubs and the smiles on childrens faces. She feels your sorrow when you are sad because of where she came from. If she could talk she would ask you not to be sad but to rejoice that she has had the opportunity to know life as just a dog. To know the joy of digging a hole deeper than she is big, to learn the the middle of Mom’s bed is the best place to sleep and to know that children are her favorite people because they are her size, their hugs are warm and wonderful and of course, because many of them smell like food. I think about how you listen as I tell you her story, show you are tattooed ear, her battle wound from a previous life. I too, do not want you to be sad for her, I want you to tell your friends about her and of the other 64,000 dogs used in research annually. Each and every one can go on to live life outside the lab if given the chance. They too can be a faithful companion and trusted friend.

Each day with her is a blessing and I am honored that she chose me. Her indomitable spirit is what guides us as we travel to spread the word about the need for sanctuary for all laboratory animals. She is my ever faithful, ever hungry and ever courageous little girl… Yes, dog is my copilot.

Copilot Juno – September 2013

Three years ago today we said good riddance to the laboratory n hello to grass n sky n freedom n belly rubs. For three years we have kept in touch. A lot of things can happen in three years it’s a long, long time. Like that’s how long it takes for Mommy to feed me every mornin or about the time it takes for her to get home every day. Cause n I miss her n wish she was here all the days so we could hike n she could give me belly rubs n we could take naps together n….what? … oh…  Mommy says I have digested n have to get to my points.. Sigh… 

Three years ago we didn’t know we could run outside n play n be silly n eat tax returns n flip flops. (Maybe that’s only me.) But now, three years later we know a lot of things. Like too much peanut butter can make u roundish n groundhogs bite back if u try to shake them. They’re also really kinda the same size as me. Maybe I should stick to chasin squirrels n… I knowww my points….

Three years ago we felt grass for the first time n it felt icky on our feet. I still don’t like wet grass but mostly cause it’s wet. In three years we’ve all been learnin n some days there’s still new things we find out. It’s fun to find out stories about my brothers n sisters n know that, like me, they’re just bein dogs. Some like to dance, like my sister Avery, who lives far away but still sends me pictures n stories. She must be as technologically advanced as me! Some, like my sister Lucy love to eat treats n never stop movin at about a million miles n hour. There’s Bella who is the boss of all the other doggies. Good job Bella!! Oh n Harriet, my best friend n sister who knows all the right words to say to convince a fancy hotel to allow her to come with me for a special conference in the fall. Our Mommy’s called it a propelling letter. There’s also Skipper n Justice who know exactly how to be brave now when the garbage truck goes crashin by, well mostly. Let’s not forget Lacey, who luvs luvs luvs gettin belly rubs from everybodies. And of course, Tutti who has had prolly a worser time than anyone. She’s a-ok now though. And Star, my first roommate at the sanctuary. She luvs to curl up n watch TV with her family. Her favorite channel is the food network, I understand. Oh n don’t think I forgot about my foster brother Cooper. He’s livin the good life now far away but he luvs his home n family. There’s also Grace n Sally n Timothy n two Shiloh’s n of course Freedom. Buddy n Princess n Thomas n Bonnie n Madison n Puddy n Fred n Fargo n Livingston n Baci n Buster n Merlin n Clara n Jeter n Boonie n Quinn n Foreman. I know there r more out there but I haven’t found u yet.. I will. 

Let’s never forget Oliver, Walter or Louisa who will all be waitin for us on the other side. We miss u n luvs you a lot. 

The one thing that all us Freegles have in common is food…. No kiddin… well, not really. Sorry Mommy… The one thing u could notice if u looked is that we’re all just regular cuteish  beagles now.  It took a while but we all know that exactly in the middle of the human bed is where beagles are supposa sleep. If u looked at any of us u may never know where we came from. Unless my Mommy grabs you in the ear to tell you my story, you would only notice how cute I am. 

As we being our fourth year of freedom we  think of all the animals still in laboratories n work to help them find sanctuary. We want the labs to know that lettin the beagles go free is a really good thing cause we can learn quick how to just be dogs like all of my brothers n sisters. In year four we promise to work even harder to help other beagles find their sanctuaries n will be callin on all of our friends to help us. 

But for right now Imma just think about birthday cake today n wish happy freedom/birthday to all of my Freegle brothers n sisters. Today is our day so go n run zoomies like the wind, dig a big hole in the garden n make sure u get the biggest piece of birthday cake ever. Keep bein regular dogs n remember, I luvs u all. 

Luv n Wags,

Juno

Happy Birthday Juno ~ July 2, 2013

Kids are my most favorite people ever and not only cause they smell like food. It’s because they have angel hearts kind of like dogs do. Hearts filled with love and hugs, exactly what a beagle of my size needs.

This mornin an important email came to our house. It said, hey you guys get that cute beagle back to Newtown CT for a memorial event marking the 6 month anniversary of the bad things that happened there. In case you missed my blog about Newtown, my visit to one of the schools there in January of this year was to help their angel hearts stop hurting so much.

The last time we were there I could tell that their tiny hearts were sad and a little bit scared too. I helped them by sitting close to them and letting them squeeze me til I could barely breathe. It’s okay I like hugs like that; I never had them before in my last life and can’t seem to ever get enough of them now.

Sometimes bein an ambassador has to go in the back seat cause someone needs a therapy dog more that they need educations about animal testing. Most of them don’t know about where I came from cause when I am a therapy dog we don’t tell them. Sometimes they see my ear tattoos and ask why I have them. We tell them that I got them from a different place before I came to my forever home; a place where I learned how important it is to be brave. When I go I’ll tell them that sometimes it’s hard to be brave when you’re scared, I understand. It’s okay, us dogs are going to hang around until you feel safe and brave again.

So on Saturday June 15th please remember in yur own hearts to think of all the peoples in Newtown.

Luv n Wags,

Juno

Juno’s First Therapy Dog Visit ~ June 2011

As we prepared to bid goodbye to 2012 and hello to a new year full of promise and adventure a message came to us marked urgent. Less of a message and more of an invitation. Because sometimes the best medicine for a broken heart is the love of something soft and fluffy, the presence of Raven and me was requested to help our neighbors heal their broken hearts. These hearts were not just ordinary hearts but the hearts of some really special children facing the difficult and maybe even scary thought of going back to school this week.

As I sat in the car during the long ride I simultaneously dozed and got my ears scritched by Mommy.  We arrived midday in a freezing and blustery parking lot. As I got out of the car I smelled the other dogs right away. But my nose smelled something else too, sadness, overwhelming profound sorrow. As my bandanna was secured around my neck I went to work. In this world there are lots of working dogs and each offers such a valuable part of themselves to their humans, none more important than another as we each serve our own purpose.

As we were buzzed in through the locked doors a small rush of children were suddenly surrounding me. “Oh, she’s so cute.” “Oh pet her ears, they are soooo soft.” “Boy or girl?” ” What’s her name?” “How old is she?” “Why did you name her Juno?” “What do these numbers in her ear mean?” The same questions over and over. Mommy happily answered each one as I sat quietly allowing all of the children to fight their way to see me, pet me, hug me and allow me to heal their tiny wounded hearts. When I woke up this morning I had no idea what an important day it was for me. And as I was petted and scratched and yes even some tail and ear pulling I found out one thing I will never forget. One heart was back for the very first time today. As we shared a special moment and they hugged me tight I felt something almost desperate. I did the only thing I know how to do, submit and be loved. As they left the room an adult pulled Mommy aside. “They have lost someone dear to them and are back today for the first time. You have no idea how therapeutic that moment was they just shared with your dog.” Such a young fragile heart to be broken into so many pieces. Mommy sat on the floor for a  few minutes alone with me, face buried in my soft scruff, digesting what she just heard. Today we learned that not all of our adventures are easy.

We left later in the day as the sun began to set over the mountains with promises to return. The gratitude from all was overwhelming. I wanted to say no no no it is us who are grateful. Thankful that by virtue of our presence we made today just a bit more bearable. We will be back until their hearts are healed and they can get through their days without us. For some we know that there will always be a piece of your heart unable to heal and for those we will just sit and let you love us.

As I sleep soundly I dream of all the children, their squeals of delight over all the dogs. I also dream of a day when we can all be safe and accounted for no matter where we go. And as my dreams fade into the background and I awake slowly I still see the face of a child, the one child I was sent to today, special delivery.

Luv n Wags, 

Juno

Angels Among Us  2012