Straydog UPDATE posted WEDNESDAY 8/6/03 at ~5:30 p.m. CT

Bill Arnold's Daily Straydog Log

WEDNESDAY AUGUST 6 2003

A Note from Bill ...

     Junior and I are on our way back to Texas from my (and Pat's) Oberlin High School reunion (class of 1958). The motel Bill, Jr. and I are staying in tonight doesn't have phone service in the rooms, so I've had a difficult time borrowing a phone line to get onto the Internet. So today's update from Erin and Shannon at Straydog will be postponed till tomorrow night.

     Today we stopped at a lake where Pat and I and the kids spent a one-week vacation back in 1972. Erin was 15, Stacey was 13, Junior was 10 and Joe was seven. Pat and I were both 32. The place brings back a lot of good memories, but it was difficult trying not to think about now being without her.

     I need to thank my daughter, Erin, for filling in for me at Straydog during this trip, during which I've continued to edit and post the daily update, and I'm right in the middle of the next Straydog print newsletter, which we will be mailing out soon to all our contributors. The rest of the team at Straydog has also done a great job in my absence per reports from both Erin and Shannon. Thanks so much for letting me get away this past week.

Shannon's Wednesday report ...

Mandy gets a dog sitter!

     On Monday we mentioned that if someone was interested in Mandy and we had enough dog sitters, we would take her to adoption day. Today we got a special call from someone who volunteered to be Mandy's dog sitter! Mandy will now get another opportunity to find her forever home thanks to Gayle! Now all we need are enough volunteers so we can take Benny, Rudy, Willie and Pierce too, our youngest dogs here. Joel, who will be coming to Adoption Day again, wants to bring Heather very much, and he offered to take care of her at the PetsMart store, so we will try to bring her too.

Update on Heather

     Heather is such a beautiful, healthy and sweet two-year-old German Shepherd mix. She really needs a person because she is so jealous when her kennel mate, Boomer, gets attention from the caregivers.

Fuzzy isn't eating again

     We talked to Dr. Aiken today and she gave us some more ideas about Fuzzy's condition. We are trying Pepcid AC because Dr. Aiken mentioned that it could possibly be a stomach ulcer. While we are trying new things, Fuzzy is enjoying being a house dog, sleeping on the bed at night, and walking around with Blackie when it doesn't get the other hospital dogs upset. She seems to love the attention, constantly wagging her tail at us, and touches us with her paw so very gently when we are close to her. Poor Fuzzy. She is the sweetest dog, and we hope that we can get to the root of her problem soon.

New volunteer, Melanie, helps out this afternoon

     A new volunteer is helping out in 109 degree weather! Melanie emailed us that she lived in the area, loved dogs, and wanted to help as much as she could. She works full time, is in the Army Reserves, and will still find time to spend a few afternoons a week out here until she goes on Active Duty in a month and a half. Toby sure was glad to meet her!

Sally and Alice see the vet for tail checkups

     Joel took Sally and Alice to the vet for a recheck on their tails. Sally's tail is a little inflamed where the stitches are, but Dr. Morton said it looks fine. Alice had a bit of drainage happening, but he thinks both tails are healing fine. He'd like them to be on antibiotics for three to four days, and the stitches will come out in a week.