w w w . S t r a y d o g. o r g U p d a t e
POSTED EVERY DAY AT NOON CENTRAL TIME U.S.A.
Straydog Inc., The Late Pat Arnold's Happy Home for Strays, a No-Kill Dog Shelter
P.O. Box 1465, Gun Barrel City, Texas 75147 * (903) 479-3497 * EMAIL: straydog@straydog.org

Bill Arnold's Daily Straydog Log

TUESDAY JUNE 1 2004

NOON UPDATE

A year ago today at noon, with my consent, the hospital took Pat off life support

      I clearly remember the neurologist's words sometime late afternoon (on Saturday, May 31, 2003) that Pat had suffered a second bleed and the pressure of the blood inside Pat's skull had caused her brain stem to turn down, which had made Pat brain dead. At first I didn't understand. The look on the doctors face made it clear what he was saying, but I had to ask two more questions: Have you ever seen anyone come back after this happens? No. And then my last attempt: Have you ever read in the medical literature of a person coming back after this happens? The doctor slowly shook his head as he said, no. He could see I fully understood him now, and I saw his pain in his eyes, having to tell me what he'd just told me.

      Later that evening my children and I left Pat in intensive care (on life support), and we found a Ramada Inn a few blocks from the hospital (in Tyler), and we all spent the night in the hotel. After we checked in, the kids and their spouses came to my room, and we cried and prayed for a miracle and kept telling each other we couldn't believe this was happening. We didn't sleep much that night, and when we got back to the hospital on the morning of June 1st, Pat was still lying there peacefully, breathing regularly with the life support equipment keeping her body alive. The doctor had come in earlier and had determined that the approximately 10% brain function Pat had had the night before had now diminished to less than 4% so he'd signed the death certificate. No miracle had happened over night.

      We stood holding hands around the hospital bed, talking and remembering and praying for a long time, touching Pat's arms and kissing her forehead and face, talking to her and holding her warm hands as she continued to breath just like a person taking a nap. ... Then we each spent time alone with Mom, and when it was my turn, I promised her things I'd do that I haven't quite accomplished yet, like making Straydog famous enough to broaden the donor base enough to ensure that we will be able to continue to pay for everything. We continue to have to struggle to get through the periods when we run low on operating funds, but I'm working on it, and I will never give up. ... I guess I was last to visit with Pat alone, and then we all went in the room once again and stood around Pat's hospital bed for a few minutes longer, ... and then I finally told them, okay.

 

I had to search all the way back to August of 2002 to find a good photo of Pat smiling.
That's Helen (totally deaf and nearly blind) in Pat's embrace soon after Pat rescued Helen.

 

Thank you, Cher, for the following very kind email message you sent to us yesterday

Dear Bill, Erin , and everyone at Straydog,

My heart goes out to you today as you all continue to go forward in the absence of your beloved Pat. Bill, you don' t have to say anything ... Everyone feels your pain, and I'm sure tears fell today as your supporters read the noon update and each recalled his/her own fond memories of Pat. You may never fully understand why she had to leave ... but, if it helps, there's one thing I know for sure ... I , for one, am a better person for having known Pat, even if it was only through her writing. She awakened in me the need and responsibility to help the creatures God gave us, and if I have managed to develop a fraction of Pat's compassion, I am eternally grateful.

Harriet Beecher Stowe said, "It's a matter of taking the side of the weak against the strong, something the best people have always done." That was Pat...one of the best.

Kindest Regards,

Cher I.

Would Pat be proud of us and happy with how we've continued her mission?

      I certainly hope so! We've sure been trying hard to do everything the way Pat would have done it. All the highlights of everything that has happened at Straydog are readable via the 365 links to the past 365 days (see Previous Daily Updates below).

      How many new dogs have we rescued? How many dogs have we adopted out? All the statistics, the names and photos of the dogs, and summaries of the events are right here (complete and unabridged) on this website. (You can also read all of Pat's daily updates from September 1999 through May 30, 2003 via the same links to Previous Daily Updates.)

      Someone suggested we put together a book. We have! It's published right here on this website. Each of you visitors is either reading our "book" in its electronic form (online) or printing out any parts of it you might want to have on paper.

      And one is never too old to learn to use the Internet. My father is 95 years old, and every morning after breakfast he turns on his computer, logs onto the Internet, checks his email and reads our update in addition to going to his other favorite sites.

      I still cannot understand how we can have 2,500 names on our mailing list (consisting totally of people who have contributed to Straydog at least once), and only about 300 of the 2,500 visit our website every day. Either our hit counter is wrong or 2,200 of our contributors either do not have access to the Internet or simply choose not to visit our website. I would sure welcome any other possible explanation if anyone can come up with one.

Thanks to everyone for your continuing support over the past year

      As Pat said many, many times in her letters to you, and as I have said many, many times on this website and in our newsletters, we couldn't keep this place going without your financial and moral support.

      Please continue to help us.