Zoe By My Side- Our Journey with Cushings

Before I finish her story tomorrow- a not so great video but you see Zoe in action

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4taodMJAuz0

I hope this works:):)

I cant stop laughing at it. My girl:):):)

How cute! She's telling you to get on with the show already! :p:D:p That would be quite similar to Squirt...right up to the jumping part at which point she would have gone under or around! :p

I love the video of Zoe and Koko!!! They are soooo adorable!!!

I watched that before I even started reading Zoe's story, which I am very much looking forward to.

How such a little girl could have such a huge impact on people all over the world, well, that is mainly thanks to you Addy for sharing her with us and telling what is going on so well. You have a way with words, thats for sure.
I'm going to save the story for tonights read. :)

love
Sharlene

Fab video. Patiently waiting on the next instalment of Zoe,s life :)

Addy:
I so enjoyed seeing your babies together. It is wonderful to have video of Zoe so you can still look at her. They are too cute together. Blessings
Patti

After days of practicing "Zoe and Jump", graduation day approaches. I enlist hubby's help to take the final video. :):) The goal was to have them jump in sync- they were a tad off:rolleyes::rolleyes:

As you can tell at the end of it by my laughter, I am getting much more pleasure out of the exercise than hubby or the dogs!!!!! But that was life with Zoe, lots of laughter and then lots of tears.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FJ4SqQ5UsZc

The video is ADORABLE!! Thanks for sending me off to bed with a smile. :D

Wanted: one loving fur ball to become a forever friend to sad, anxious human.

My current antidepressant, anti anxiety drug is a small, furry, twenty pound Lhasa Apso named Zoe. I like to tell people how I rescued Zoe from Animal Control. The truth is we rescued each other. I spent a year searching for a dog. Having never lived without a pet, the house seemed so empty and still. I figured I needed a different kind of pet, one that would not be a constant reminder of Tinker and Princess. A dog seemed to be the perfect solution. But was I really ready? Do we ever really know for sure? The only time I am ever really sure about anything is when I making a decision at work. For some reason I cannot adapt that skill to my personal life. It took me 3 months to pick out hardware for my kitchen cabinets and they weren’t REALLY what I wanted. I made do.

A lot of time was spent on my wish list. No puppies, only a female, preferably 2-3 years old, a small dog I could carry around and cuddle; housebroken, spayed, has to like kids and other animals. My husband figured my long list was a sub conscious way of never having to find a dog because I really did not want one. After all, wasn’t I asking for the perfect dog? Who would give up the perfect dog? Apparently, not too many people. Wow, the list of dogs on Petfinder was very, very long. Most of the dogs had issues. I never could make up my mind about any of them and I sure was being cautious, not wanting to pick the wrong dog. After all, she would be my buddy, my friend, my companion. I would tell myself I was not going to act like the people on TV, thinking she was my baby. I wouldn’t go that far. She would be my DOG. Yeah, right, little do we know. We can be so smug and so sure until the little package arrives into our lives. Funny how everything changes, little by little, as your dog looks adoringly at you. My sister in law remarked ”Nobody loves you like your dog.” Well for some of us that ends up working both ways.

There she was, the cutest little Shih Tzu with her head held in such an attitude. Her name was Rosalyn and she was at the local animal control. A rescue group had stepped in to find her a home. I filled out the application, held my breath then hit the send button, leaning back in my chair. I DID IT! I FOUND MY DOG!

Anxiety suddenly flooded through me. What if this was a mistake? What if it didn’t work out? No, no. I thought, don’t go there. Wait and see. I spent two days waiting to see while they checked my references. I was really getting excited and kept looking at Roz’s picture. She was so cute and she was the perfect size. Not really tiny but definitely a lap dog. Then the call came. I was at work so my husband took the call. Roz was adopted; I was second in line so the rescue group was calling to tell me about another dog needing a home. Amy assured my husband that the new orphan, Mokey, was really sweet and she was sure I would adore her. When would we come to meet her? Jerry told me the news and I was devastated. My dog was gone? The one I actually got up enough nerve to call about, try to adopt, was GONE? New dog? What new dog? But I wanted ROZ. “I don’t know about this” I told my husband. “I think I’ll wait and see.”

I remember the conversation with the rescue group.” Well, how old is she?” I asked.
The response was “She’s five and she’s really sweet.”
“Ha, I bet she is five going on nine!” I thought to myself. “Well, I really was hoping for a dog about two, maybe three years old”.
“But she’s really sweet”.
Hesitantly, I asked “Well then, what can you tell me about her?” I wasn’t sold yet. And so the story goes: Mokey came in to animal control because her second owner was arrested. Animal control would not give her back. She was raised from a puppy by a previous owner. They had her medical records, her original address, even the name of her vet. The rescue group was not sure how she came to the second owner but it was a few months previously. All attempts to contact her original owner had failed. I did not ask why the second owner was arrested. I did not want to know. “I’ll come tomorrow morning to see her.” I made the arrangements all the while thinking “She’s probably five going on nine.” My husband, Jerry, lobbied hard for Mokey. “Give her a chance, just give her a chance, you might be surprised. Amy said she is really a nice dog and you will love her. And did I tell you she’s really sweet?”

The next day I was a wreck. We drove across town to Animal Control. I was close to tears when I saw the building. Just the thought of what goes on inside was a bit too much for me. I’m just way too emotional. We walked through the doors, and had a seat to wait for Amy. The smell of urine was overpowering. I didn’t want to think of what was behind the door at the end of the hall. But then there she was, leading Amy down the hall. They went into an empty room. We joined them and I watched Amy let Mokey off leash. Mokey was panting anxiously, walking the perimeter of the room, smelling. She would not come to me or to Jerry. She would pant then go stand at the door looking back to us. Why didn’t I think to bring treats? I called to her but she just circled the room again. She was scruffy, dirty and needing a good grooming but there was something in that face, in those eyes. Her eyes were large and dark, rimmed with black. It looked like she had black eyeliner on. My husband saw more than I did. “She’s beautiful! She’s perfect. Oh, Addy, look how cute she is. What a nice dog.” He didn’t stop gushing. Jerry bent down and she actually approached him, sniffing. He reached to pet her head but then she quickly retreated.

“Well, she is cute, but she’s bigger than I thought she would be. What kind of dog is she? She sure doesn’t look like I could easily carry her around. Mokey must be about 20 pounds and about 17” tall, don’t you think? What, a Lhasa Apso mix? Okay, well then, hmmmm.” I wasn’t ready to commit but Amy was seeing it another way, taking her cue from Jerry. She took out her cell phone and made a call, arranging a free grooming for the little dog. “You can pick her up tomorrow afternoon. You’ll love her and she really is very, very sweet.”

On the drive home, I began feeling overwhelmed. What had I done? What if the little dog did not like me? Did I really want a dog? Again the insecurity flooded through me. But then my heart took a leap and the train of thought changed. What do I need? What kind of food should I buy? Does she need a bed? My mind raced on. I have to change her name. I thought I was getting a King Charles Cavalier. At least that had been my hope and I was going to name her Chloe. Mokey did not look like a Chloe. But I had my heart set on that name. I waited more than a year for my Chloe. Chloe. My Chloe. Is that finally you? I started crying and could not stop and I could not tell you why.

We waited for Amy and Mokey the following morning, casually speaking to a rescue volunteer. I cried during most of the drive to the meeting site. Had I logged in about three hours of sleep the night before? Doubtful. My emotions were raw and unchecked. But there we were, Jerry and I, waiting for my new dog. She pranced in ahead of Amy, utterly transformed, so white and fluffy with her honey colored ears and spots, the most beautiful ears and tail I had ever seen. Her eyes were bright as she looked at me. Amy handed me the leash. At that moment it was all over for me. My heart beat hard, love swelling up, catching in my throat. Love at second sight? Yes, definitely. I was head over heels in love with my dog and there would be no going back. MY DOG. My, wait a minute, not my Chloe, she was so not a Chloe. Zoe? Yes, Zoe, impish, a bit naughty, MY ZOE and the love affair began.

Amy and I sat down on the floor with Zoe between us. I looked at her beautiful long tail. She flipped it up over her back, carrying it high. The silky white hairs reached to the floor. “I was worried you might have her tail cut” I whispered to Amy. She ran her fingers through the beautiful honey colored strands hanging from her ears. “No, I would never do that. You know, her ears are really small under all this hair.” I felt her ears. They were small beneath the long hair. “Thank you for my dog, Amy” I said softly, barely able to get the words out. Amy’s eyes were suspiciously misty. “Addy, when I brought her out of animal control and opened up the door to my car, she jumped up onto the front seat. I had put a towel down for her. She turned in a circle, lied down, licked my hand, then sighed and went to sleep. I think she just wanted out of that place so badly.”
“That’s why she kept panting and going to the door.” I guessed.
“I normally am not a small dog person” Amy continued, “but she’s special and I think misunderstood.”

Amy had a bittersweet look on her face as we said our goodbyes. I think she was going to miss her little friend. Jerry paused for a moment then decided to make an extra contribution to the rescue group. I held the leash tightly as we left the building. Our new family, Zoe, Jerry and I, headed for home. During the ride, Zoe sat quietly on my lap in the car looking out the front window. It was a long drive but she sat still, very keen on watching the world go by. Her new world I thought. We watched the cars go zipping past us, the city in the distance. We passed the mall, driving through the suburbs toward Bayside and our wooded two acres. Then a funny thing happened. Jerry finally slowed the car down, exiting the freeway. We made the turn onto the tree lined, winding lane which led to our home. Suddenly, Zoe got very excited. She jumped up, putting her paws on the dashboard, making little crying sounds. Did it remind her of another place? Jerry and I looked at each other. What was she thinking we wondered? Where did she think she was going? As we turned into our driveway, passing the tall pines, her excitement grew; the whimpering getting louder. Jerry parked the car and came around to open my car door. As soon as the door opened, Zoe leaped out of the car down onto the cement. She sniffed the pavement, and then pulled to the grass, wagging her tail. Her black eyes shone with joy as she looked at us, her mouth parted almost in a smile. “We’re home Zoe, it’s your new home.” Jerry told her as he walked to the front door. He opened the door, smiled and waited. Zoe sniffed the ground again then looked at me expectantly. Heading for the door, I called” Come on Zoe let’s go, let’s go in”. I did not think to allow her to explore her new yard, sniff out all the trees, nor to relieve herself. But as I lead her into the house, I made her a promise. “I will take care of you for as long as you live and I will never allow anything bad to happen to you again.' Together we walked through the door of her forever home.




A few weeks after writing the first chapter of Zoe’s story, Zoe received a tentative diagnosis of Cushings disease. Actually, it was on her “birthday” April 17th, 2010.
During the following almost four years of Zoe’s journey with Cushings, I tried so hard to finish her story but words never came to me. I found myself writing instead, short paragraphs; a moment in time, a brief experience, a poem of joy or of anguish. How is it possible to write it all down, I wondered? I can only manage snippets. Perhaps that is all it should be - the story of my life with Zoe is moments of living in the now, whether good or bad. It may be the only way to do our life together justice; share the raw emotion in a few sentences.

My favorite “short” of my life with Zoe and that which best sums it up is “ Just A Friday Morning”.

So Zoe- Happy Birthday Darling and I thank you - for each day of our lives together was an awe inspiring “ Friday Morning”:

We lay on the floor together, my Zoe and I, in front of the glass door. A refrigerator hums in the background while a TV plays softly; white noise. The drips from the eaves are a steady plunk, plunk, plunk. Cardinals sing their song repeatedly with a crow cawing a chorus. Poplar leaves rustle in the gentle breeze. Two birds fly high over the tall evergreen. A lone mosquito, flies back and forth. We watch Friday morning go by, my pup and me, her breath to mine.

Thank you all for helping celebrate Zoe.

http://www.k9cushings.com/forum/album.php?albumid=204

Oh Addy, what a beautiful story.

Happy Birthday, precious Zoe! Thinking of you and your mom and dad with much love, our sweet baby girl.

You have filled all our hearts and lives with your big, big spirit - and always will.

So many hugs on this special day of honor and celebration ~
Auntie Marianne

Addy:
It seems unreal to me that you and Zoe, the icons of the site would!d not be together to celebrate her birthday. You have many wonderful memories to hold in your heart. Happy birthday Zoe, God bless you.
Patti