Pup of the Week: Paco

The small, brown body of Paco, our friend from Italy, was lifted by Enzo’s escalator to the mountaintop overlooking Rainbow Bridge.  Most dogs arrive at the Bridge standing proudly, all their strength and power being returned to them the further they rise.  But not our Italian friend sweet Paco.

I have never known a dog who fought so hard, who gave every ounce of his strength, to stay with his mom.  Our friend Willie, who had battled cancer for years before crossing the River of Life, came to be known as the dog who said no.  I thought that I would call Paco the dog who said no, but I would cleverly use the Italian word for no.  I was disappointed to learn the Italian word for no is no.

And Paco said no a lot.  His heart was failing, he needed several shots a day.  He had numerous attacks when he could not breathe.  His mom gave him oxygen until the crisis passed.  She would never give up on Paco and Paco would never give up on her. His mom left work to be with him in case he had an attack.  Day after day we prayed that Paco would be granted one more day and each day Paco managed to survive.  

When Paco’s mom dismissed her final class from school for the year, she counted on having a last summer with Paco.  When she got home that day Paco was lying next to his food with no desire to eat.  His mom did everything she could to find that spark in Paco which had rallied him so many time before.  But the spark was gone.  Paco had no more nos left. He was ready to pass over.

We got him to the mountain top.  He could barely stand.   Leo helped me ease him down to the cool grass.  Slowly, Paco began to recover:  All the illness left his body, and his youth was restored.  He stood up, surprised he could breathe easier, and he had no more pain.  “I need to get back to my mom,” he said.

I told him he didn’t have wings yet, and he wasn’t ready to fly into the sun, but our friend insisted.

“I was very sick before I came here but I did not want to leave Momma.  She was doing everything for me:  She was keeping us together, no matter how hard it was.  I was so happy to be with her, even when I couldn’t breathe or eat.  I knew she would save me.  But the doctor told her she was selfish keeping me alive.  Now she thinks she made me suffer for her needs, which is the furthest idea from the truth.  She thinks I hate her, and I love her so much.  I must go back. I must!”

Leo and I exchanged a look.  I nodded. Leo told Paco to get on his back.  He would fly Paco to Italy to see his mom.  Hopefully, Paco’s mom would sense his presence and stop blaming herself.  Leo was sacrificing time with his mom, but Leo is our Lionheart and he would do anything for a friend.

They flew away together and did not return for two days.  I was very concerned.  Italy is a big place, and Leo was not familiar with Italy.  Late on the third day they returned.

Paco told me his mom was a little better.  He was planning on spending all his time with her.  Leo asked him to sit down.

“Remember what your Mom said?” Leo asked. “She said it helps her to think of you at the Bridge running and playing.”

“But I don’t feel like running and playing,” Paco said softly.

I put a paw on his shoulder.  “Do you want your Mom to sit and cry about you every day or do you want her to be happy again?”

“Of course, I want her to be happy,” Paco said.

“And she wants you to be happy and playing.  It is going to be hard, for her, and for you, but your mom wants you to enjoy yourself, so you need to play.”

Paco agreed.  We ran with him, but after a few steps he stopped and lay down.  I needed help.

I contacted Sheriff of Fun Benjamin.  He began to give Paco lessons in fun and he is picking it up quickly.  Just a few minutes ago Paco passed me barking and nipping at Smoochy’s heals.  Later he went swimming with Willie.

Paco’s mom, you wonderful lady, who devoted your life to Paco, know your boy is happy and know he visits you often.  He is working very hard on having fun, and he wants you to work very hard on being happy.

We know it is a harder road for you, and people don’t have sheriffs of fun, although they should, Paco is praying that you will be happy again someday and all we angels are praying as well.

Now I am going to join Paco in playing.  It is time for fun.

Pup of the Week: Building a Wall for Paco, Josie, Smoochy, Macdougal, and Junior

My good friend Ladybug and I have been working on a secret project.  Each morning we begin construction on a great, big beautiful wall.  And each evening after we go to sleep The Big Guy knocks it down with a giant wrecking ball.
But we are still building the wall.  Why you ask.  We are building the wall to keep out the unwanted:  All dogs on the mortal side: Especially our dear friends.
We build the wall for Paco.  He has serious breathing issues.  His Mom is afraid to go to work.  Every time she leaves Paco she wonders if he will need medicine after he has an attack and she will not be there to administer the drugs.  And she is afraid of the day the medicine won’t work.   We want Paco to have a lot more days with his Mom on the mortal side. So we build the wall for Paco.
We build the wall for Josie.
She had two terrible attacks from an undiagnosed infection.  She spent many nights at the doctors.  Finally, after an array of tests, a tumor was detected.  It had perforated her colon causing the attacks.  In a way, the perforated colon was a blessing.  If that had not happened, the tumor would have remained undetected.  Josie had the tumor removed.  They are awaiting the results of the biopsy.  She may still have to undergo chemo.  So we build the wall for Josie.
We build the wall for Smoochy.

He escaped a sure trip to the Bridge in March.  But his bone cancer had turned him into a tri-paw.  His happy gallop is now a slow limp.  But Smoochy is determined to stay with his Mom as long as he can.  To help him we build the wall for Smoochy.

We build the wall for MacDougal.

He has been suffering from vomiting, back issues, mobility issues and to top it off a tumor on his bottom.   He has endured every test known in the medical world.  He has been shaved, poked, prodded, and ­probed.  Among his diagnosis have been cancer, gall bladder blockage, and other diagnoses which the doctor dismissed as quickly as they diagnosed them.  Now the doctors have settled on acid reflux.  The doctors could not decide if the tumor on his butt was cancerous and wanted to be more tests but after a month of Mac undergoing a myriad of tests his Mom decided no more tests and is concentrating on giving Mac the best days possible until it is his time.  To ensure it is not his time we build the wall for MacDougal.
We build the wall for Junior Johnson.

  The doctors diagnosed Junior with lymphoma.  His Mom is hoping it is a bad diagnosis.  Junior has undergone an operation to remove the tumor, and his Mom is waiting to hear from the vet about the next step.  She is very worried about her special boy.  So we build the wall for Junior.

We build the wall for every sick dog, every senior dog, every dog living heartbeat to heartbeat.  We know the Big Guy will keep knocking down our wall, but we will never stop building it to try to ke­­­ep dogs and parents together for many more days.

Break is over.  Time to rebuild the wall.

Pups of the Week: Paco, Smoochy, Hannah Banana, Bella, Hattie Mae, Rabbit and Whitley

I am asking for prayers for some friends.  I am among an army of angels waiting to fly these prayers up to the Big Guy so pitch in with prayers for the following friends.

 

You should know Paco by now:  My dear Italian friend.  Last week I wrote about Kiera whose name, thanks to Angel Apollo, disappeared from my list of new Bridge members.  Paco’s name has not appeared on my list because Paco fights every day to keep his name off that list.

He has been suffering from serious respiratory attacks.  Poor Paco has gone through several of these in the last month.  With each attack his Mom becomes more concerned that she is witnessing his final breaths.  She treats him with Lasix which has stopped the attacks.  She just wants more time with her little man, and that is not too much to ask.  A little more time.  Please say a prayer that gets lots more days in the Italian sunshine.

This week we received a terrible shock.  Our friend Smoochy has bone cancer in his leg.  He is a big boy and the doctor does not think it is advisable to remove the leg.  So now his beloved Mom Kay must “keep him comfortable.”  She loves Smoochy so much.  (Everyone who has ever Smoochy feels the same way.  He is the Sweetest boy.)  

I hate the term “Keep him comfortable.”  A parent always keeps us comfortable.  And no parent needs to be told to love their beloved pet every day, or to count every day as precious.  The doctor needs to say “go home and pray for many more comfortable days” and I ask you to do the same.  Pray for many more comfortable days for Smoochy.  His family and friends would have a hole ripped in their hearts if anything happened to him.  He  is one precious pup

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Last night I found out that our dear friend Hannah Banana has to have a mass removed.  I don’t know where it is located, how big it is, or how serious it is.  I just know I hate to hear “has to have a mass removed” as much as “keep him comfortable.”  Hannah helps her Mom run the http://www.iloveyourdog.net/ page where you can buy, or gift, reasonably priced pet toys and home made treats and where Hannah and her Momma Kim give part of their profits to unrescued dogs.  She is the most special best friend in the world, warm and giving, and we need prayers that she comes through the operation safely and all tests come back negative.

Our wonderful friend Bella, who does such good work visiting the elderly every week and has so many humans who count on her companionship, is going through stomach problems again.  Last year she had to have emergency surgery because, after weeks of tests, the vet discovered that Bella had a bit of stuff bunny stuck in her intestines.  So far all her tests have come back clear but Bella is showing the same symptoms she showed this time last year and Mama Susan is very concerned about her baby and she would greatly appreciate your prayers, as would I.

 

Speaking of tummy troubles our great friend, advisor, fashion designer, seamstress and inspiration Hattie Mae has had tummy problems this week.  Her Mommy is hoping that it is just a food problem but whenever Hattie isn’t feeling well we put on extra angels because we know we are going to be overwhelmed with prayer requests and we encourage them.  We want Hattie to be 100 percent OK.  

Angel Apollo’s newest rescue, a puppy named Rabbit, might have Parvo.  He has been with Apollo’s pack less than a week.  Once Apollo’s Momma Kim fosters a dog that pup becomes part of her family so Apollo needs prayers for a new family member.  I know you will come through.

Finally we must mention our friend Whitley from the Whitley Westie blog (http://whitleywestie.blogspot.com/)  Like many of our friends she has had problems with her legs lately, first her back, and now her front.  Her Mom had her outside to do her business.  She was wearing her sling.  While she was there a man drove by and saw her then viciously informed Whitley’s Mom that she should do Whitley a favor and put her out of her misery.   You can imagine how much that hurt Whitley and her Mom.   It makes us howling mad.  Whitley’s Mom shot back what she called some HBO words and good for her.  We need you all to send some hugs Whitley’s and some prayers that her legs get healthy enough that she runs down that man and gives him a good bite on the butt.

Paco is our October 11, 2015 Pup of the week

Seven years ago I met my good friend Paco.  He was two years older than me.  Two years after I made my journey to the Bridge Paco is still going strong.  Yesterday he celebrated his 17th birthday with his Mom at his home in Bologna Italy.

Paco is another miracle dog.  His heart has been failing for a long time.  His vet didn’t think he would make it to 17.  But Paco’s Mom has had a very hard year including the loss of her Mom and Paco has judiciously metered out his heartbeats so he can stay with his Mom for as long as possible.  

Paco is one of my all time favorite dogs.  I enjoy using obscure pop culture references in my writing which usually pass right over poor Paco’s head because he was raised with proper culture and etiquette.  He politely asks me to explain the joke and then laughs even when he doesn’t think it is very funny.

Kind, supportive, compassionate and loving Paco is truly one of the best friends any pup could have.  If you asked any of his friends they would tell you the same.  Our love for Paco leaps over that tiny ocean like it was a puddle.  There is not a day that goes by that he isn’t in our thoughts and prayers.

Seventeen years ago Paco was born to Robinson and Sara two dog friends of Paco’s brother Snoopy who had crossed over the Bridge before Paco’s birth and now runs a wonderful Italian Bistro on a beautiful cloud named “Snoopy’s.”   When his Mom and grandma saw Paco for the first time they fell in love with him.  But, as often is the story with dog and Mom love there were obstacles.  Paco was promised to someone else and went to live with another woman.

It didnt work out between Paco and his first Mom.  No one knows why but I think it is because Paco knew he was not with the right Mom.  When the right Mom found out that the wrong Mom was looking for someone to take Paco she stepped right up and a decade and a half love story began.

Paco was a Pocket sized dog when he moved into his house.  He used to disappear up his Mom’s sleeves when he was scared.  He was named for a brave, sweet dog his grandma admired in a book.   Soon Paco found his energy and could play all day long.  His Mom took that energy and harnessed it towards competitions.  Soon Paco was winning agility competitions and awards for being obedient and pleasant.  When he won his final agility competition he got a big write up in his local paper.

Now in retirement Paco lives life like a good Italian dog enjoying ricotta or mozzarella cheese and ham, even if these treats do have pill in the middle of them.   He still misses his Grandma very much, and she is with us at Bridge waiting for the day, far in the future, she hopes, when Paco will join her.  Until that day arrives Paco and his Mom stayed snuggled together loving  and supporting one another.

it would not surprise me at all if they were still sitting together 17 years from now.  Paco and his Mom are unbeatable team.  Unbeatable at loving one another.

May they have many more years.

Finley, Angel Brody, Paco and Goose are our May 17, 2015 Pups of the week

Oh the problems we angels have.  Last week we wrote about Willie feeling guilty over his Mom’s breaking her leg.  This week it was Brody who was afraid he made a mistake.

Brody chose Finley to move into his house and take care of his family.  Everything was going perfectly.  Finley fit in with the family like a duck in water.  Mom Candice loved him.  The kids loved him.  Everything was going perfectly  And then one day last week  Mom Candice felt a hard lump on Finley.

Hard lumps are never good.  Parents hope for a cyst but fear the worst.  Mom Candice made an appointment with her vet.

Meanwhile Brody was as worried as Mom Candice.  He knew his Mom had been through too much:  More than most woman could handle and she could not take something happening to Finn.  “I checked everything,” a worried Brody said.  “How he was with kids, cats, Mom.  If he was gentle, sweet, loving.   They all came back as yes.  But lumps?  I didn’t check him for lumps.  Who check for lumps?”

I assured Brody that no angel can check for lumps on another dog.  We aren’t allowed to touch the mortals and even if we were the lump was covered by fur.  Plus it may not have been there when Finley got Brody’s stamp of approval.  But Brody spends his whole day watching over his family.  He’s a worrier and worries worry.

The next day, when Finley went to the vet Brody became even more nervous.  The vet took tissue from around the hard lump but did not get enough to make a determination.  Both Brody and Mom Candice spent the entire day of fretting, thinking of one another, and praying for Finley.

The results were good news and bad.  The good news was that it was not a tumor and not cancer.  A sigh of relief could be heard from Arizona to Italy.  The bad news is that the doctors don’t know what the hell the hard lump is.  Could be a BB, could be some vegetation that got under the skin, could be a meteor, and it will probably have to be removed.  But whenever it is not cancer it is good news,  So we tip our tail to Finley, send Mom Candice kisses on the breeze, and buy Brody a beef beer to calm him down.

I also need to recognize our friends Paco who scared his Mom beyond scared.  He suffered an episode that left him paralyzed lying is his own urine.  Paco’s vet suggested he be given a cortisonic pill.  Miraculously Paco was soon up and walking around.  He has a vet appointment on Monday to find out what happened.  He could use some prayers.

And finally we must recognize a giant of a dog who got his wings this week.  Goose spends his time in Blogville writing the wonderful Gospel of Goose blog.   This week the train to the Bridge came for him and he made his journey to his final home..  A sweet Pastor’s dog Goose is overqualified to be an angel,  While we will miss his wise and kind words; the compassion he displayed and the love he spread to everyone in Blogville, and his Mom will miss her best friend, mortal dogs now have an angel watching over them full time.  One of the sweetest angels of all.

Before he went to the Bridge he took his last mortal blog and left us with these parting words:  “Live each day to the fullest, for it is a gift.  Love often, growl less.  Take time to smell the roses.  Let those who surround you know they are loved.  Life is beautiful my friends, so see it, share it, create it.  Oh and this one last thing, STICKS!!!!  If you see a stick in need do me a favor, help it out.”

Very wise words.  And living life the the fullest is something Goose and Reese knew how to do, and Paco and Finley know how to do.

January 11, 2015 Pup of the week: Prayers Needed

          I have only one New Year’s resolution for 2015.  Unfortunately it is one I have no control over:  I want to do less swearing in of friends who crossed over the River of Life this year than I did last year.  But I have been inundated with prayers for pups and parents in the first ten days of this year and the only way to make my resolution a reality is to get even more prayers.  I would gladly spend all day flying prayers up to the Big Guy if I didn’t have to swear in any pups or parents this year.  So what we need is prayers.  Lots and lots of prayers.  Especially for the following pups and parents.

          I don’t know how many of my DS friends remember Jake the Shih Tzu.  He has not been very active on the site lately but his Mom is a good friend of ours on The Facebook.  She recently took sick and the doctors began to run all sorts of tests on her and the results were very troubling.  She has a tumor on her spine and is starting chemotherapy.  She has a very long and difficult road in front of her and is going to need every single prayer and good thought so please keep her in your thoughts and prayers.  Just as a parent should never outlive a child a dog should never outlive a parent.  If you would like to send her a card you can send Bentley or Pokey a PM for the address. 

          Speaking of Pokey he is going to be 14 this year and he is slowing down like all older dogs do and needs some prayers to keep the old legs and heart pumping.  And his Mom has had more healthy problems than the population of a small Polynesian island.  Back problems, arm problems, leg problems.  If it supports weight and bends it is causing her pain.  Please says prayers for many more healthy days for Pokey and for his Mom’s pain to ease so she can live the normal life that has eluded her for so long.

          We have been asking for prayers for Nigel for some time now as he still is suffering from a bad heart so please keep them going.  This past week his Dad David spent several days in the hospital with terrible back pain and a high fever that baffled his doctors.  Nigel’s poor Mom was nurse maid to her husband then running home to be nurse maid to Nigel.  As of this writing Nigel’s Dad is back home.  The doctors have determined he has a viral infection of unknown origin and both he and Nigel need some prayers to get, and stay healthy.

          Another pup with heart problems is Paco our friend from Italy.  Each time he goes to the vet we receive news that his heart is growing weaker.  But Paco is a fighter who desperately wants to stay with his Mom, especially at this time when her own Mom is very ill and needs our prayers.  So please included sweet Paco and his Grandmom in your prayers.

          Our friend Max’s grandmom needs some prayers for good health too.  Some of you may remember her as Ladybug’s Mom.  We aren’t sure of her specific medical issues but we know they are serious and any help she can get will be greatly appreciated.

          Our friends Chelsea and Ashton’s Mom took a fall on the stairs this week.  She is from Texas and as you know everything is bigger in Texas so it must have been a bad fall.  Please send prayers her way.   

          Our good friend, the Triple T’s Mom, Aunt Linda, is trying to take positive steps to improve her health by stopping smoking.  This is one of the most difficult tests a human can undergo.  She’s determined to make it but she is going to need lots of positive prayers and pup energy.

          Also needing prayers is Daisy Mae’s Mom who is currently quite sick and is on oxygen.  We don’t know the specifics of her disease but know that she too needs all the prayers and positing pup energy she can get to get over this illness.

          And we still have plenty of pups in need of prayer whose parents are healthy, but very worried about their beloved babies including Smoochy, who is still suffering from MRSA and now has an ear infection, MacDougal and Ju Ju who are still undergoing tests and Sandy who is recovering from a stroke.  I am looking for lots of prayers for all of them.

          Please keep the prayers coming in.  I would rather be flying prayers up the mountain for 1,000 dogs and humans than swear in a new member of the Bridge.

Ask Aunt Foley

Dear Aunt Foley:  Last Wednesday I was in the kitchen, minding my own business.  There was a roasted chicken on the dining room table.  That chicken must not have been all the way dead because it got up and walked off the table then fell on the floor.   I know dead chickens should not be walking around on the floor so I picked it up in my mouth and killed it for sure.  Then Mom and Grandmom came in, found the chicken in my mouth, and blamed me for knocking the chicken off the table.  How do I prove my innocence? - Paco

Dear Paco:  Oh your Mom and your Grandmom owe you a big apology.  I have heard of these things before and know what happened.  The chicken was dead, but it came back to life.  What your Mom had on her dining room table was a zombie chicken.

Zombie chickens are very dangerous.  A zombie chicken ankle bite can be deadly for a human.  I must admit most dogs I know would have run away and hid but not you Paco.  You picked up the zombie chicken, shook it, and killed it.  And what thanks did you get?

Your Mommy and Grandmom blamed you for knocking the chicken on the ground and yelled at you.  It wasn’t done because they don‘t love you or don’t trust you but because the zombie chickens give off a force field that make humans unable to consider their existence.

But for the rest of us we would like to thank you for your selfless act.  You very well could have saved us all.  I ask all my friends on the mortal side of the Bridge to check any chicken brought into the house and if it smells like juicy chicken it is probably zombie chicken so get it in your mouth and kill it immediately.  Once the mainstream media begins covering the zombie chicken crises you will be thanked.

Paco is our July 10, 2011 Pup of the Week

It's time to use our paws to dry our tears as we leave a good friend behind.   We our a Brigade. Dog soldiers in the fight for the freedom to bark.  We have praised our comrade, comforted his family, and will keep Bo in our heart for a long time.  We will stay in contact with his parents and siblings, giving them a paw to cry on, as we push forwards on our journey.

With each member we lose we become stronger, because it give us another angel on our shoulders.  These angels watch over us to make sure nothing bad happens to us before it is our time.  So let's celebrate a friend who, with the aid of the Bridge Angels, got a good diagnoses and will stay comforting his Mom for many a day.

In June we learned that our Italian friend Paco had a bad blood test.   His liver was not working properly.  In fact there was a chance it was liver cancer.

There was so much going on at that time.  Bo had been diagnosed.  We heard that Saffron might be sick.  We did what we always do.  We rallied to all their sides, but Bo got worse, and we stayed near his side, and Saffron got better and we celebrated.  Meanwhile all poor Paco could do was wait for his tests to come in

Paco said they were waiting for the results of an echography.  Yeah, me neither, must be an Italian thing.  But anything with graphy in it that is not an etch a sketch is bad news.  So we prayed very hard, without being sure what we were praying for except we wanted Paco to be all right.

Poor Paco had to go for a series of ten shots.   And I doubt he got a treat after any of them.   Although I do think people are much nicer in Italy, they invented the sausage which begot the snausage so we owe the people of Italy a great debt.    His Mom was very worried about him, as we all were (I hope he knew this.  There was so much going on with Bo and Saffron at the time, but we were thinking about Paco, loving him, and visiting him in our dreams.)    Finally, on the 7th he had his echography.    I don't know if you know this but humans have to pay when they get graphies done, either through green backs, notes written on little, long note pads, or those little plastic cards with the number that are fun to chew but get our parents so upset when they are found bit, folded, and spindled.    Well we dogs have to pay too.   Since we don't have any of those things they make us pay by not feeding us.  When is anyone going to do anything about the health of dog care in this country? Or Paco's country!  Geez any country!   No!  Breakfast is too high a price to pay.  Paco was so upset at this outrage while he was on the table he was trembling with outrage.    But it was worth it when he found out that there was no cancer!   The liver was inhomogeneous.    No, don't know what that means either but it was because of words like that that I invented Google so go check it out.  He also has a small heart problem but nothing that should be a major concern.

So our Paco is going to be with us for what should be a good long time.  And I bet you the Bridge Angels had something to do with it.   So as always a tip of our tail to our angels, thank you for helping Paco, you too Bo. 

For being the first one helped by our new, stronger, Bridge Angels, and being just about the sweetest dog we have ever known, Paco is out July 10, 2011 pup of the week.