Animal abuse captured on video

I'm still standing

Lost and found

Some of you may have read about the mystery tooth found in the bathroom on my mommy’s Facebook page earlier this week. It’s mine. I lost another tooth. I’m not sure what this brings my total of teeth left to. I wonder how many I need to lose before I qualify for doggy dentures?

I realize I haven’t written much lately. Life is really slow for me these days. About the most exciting thing that’s happened is I’ve started going out for walks on a daily basis. It’s really only at Barkley’s insistence. She’s all about the walks. I could really care less, and it usually takes some convincing on mommy, Barkley and Sean’s part to get me motivated enough to leave my bed. Once I’m outside though, I am usually pretty invigorated by the fall air, at least enough so to walk around the block. After that, mommy drops me off at home and she and Barkley continue on for a while longer.

The leaves are the color of my fur now and soon the trees will be bare. It is the last Autumn for me, I am sure. I hear mommy talking all the time about putting me to sleep, and I can’t blame her. I am becoming a burden. I don’t mean to be. I fall all the time and rely on my mommy to boost my hindquarters up when I get stuck slipping and sliding on the wood floors. I’m not looking forward to winter. I can’t imagine trying to walk around on the snow and ice. So I wait. I watch the leaves fall, feel the air getting cooler, and I wait for the snow to fly knowing it will be the last snow I will see. And I just hope my mommy will be okay.

A message from mommy

So, I know normally these blogs are from the perspective of Lucy, but today I decided to post a little something myself, from my perspective as the mom of the most adorable, amazing and sweetest doggy in the world.

It's a rainy day, so I am not working at my landscaping job. When I woke up this morning, I got down on the floor with Lucy on her bed and snuggled with her. I stuck my nose right into the fur on her neck, a spot my mother and I always refer to as the nuzzle. As I breathed in the smell of her fur, it was so familiar and comforting. It made me think of all the things Lucy has been there for in my life over the past 15 years.

I got her when I was only 18-years-old and knew nothing about raising a dog, much less taking care of myself. The smell reminded me of all the things I've been through in those 15 years, all the people who've come and gone out of my life, the heartaches and successes I've experienced, the many places I've traveled and lived, and the constant love that Lucy has given me throughout it all. Even at my lowest and darkest periods, I've always been the center of Lucy's world. That alone has made it possible for me to rise above anything, because I know she depends on me to do so. What an amazing gift she has been in my life.

As the weather grows colder, and the rain starts to fall, I see my little girl getting so old. She's not my baby anymore. Watching her struggle with the steps, sometimes falling on the ground, walking around like she's drunk and just seeing her red furs turning white, I realize the end is coming. I can't imagine my life without her in it. Who will be there for me when everything and everyone else fails me? But things aren't the same either. I sometimes long for the days when I could bring Lucy to the dog park or swimming at the lake. I would give anything to see her chase her ball again. Now it's more like taking care of an old woman, with my only goal to keep her comfortable, fed and happy.

With winter will come the most difficult decision I've ever had to make in my life. You see, sometimes food, medicine, water and love aren't enough to keep an old body going. It's hard because she can still eat, drink and go outside to the bathroom on her own, but it's getting more and more difficult for her do so. So I have to do right by my best friend and make the last decision to end her life before it becomes too difficult for her to live with dignity. I realize everyday I have with her is one less day I have with her, and no matter how ready I may tell myself I am, I don't know how I'll live without her. She has been the greatest challenge, the greatest joy, and the most amazing gift of my life. That's why I try to take the time out of everyday to just sit and hold her in my arms and enjoy her nuzzles. Her fur is much more than a warm coat to keep her warm, it's smell, it's feel, it's warmth are a reminder of the past 15 years of my life and everything we've been through.

Hey everyone. Not too much news to report on the Lucy-front. I just thought I would take a moment to thank all my followers up till this point. I know my life can be dull at times, but you'll understand someday when you're 105-years-old. I have to give a big shout-out to my pal Alex back in Blacksburg, VA. She signed on as my 30th follower today which made me decide I should probably celebrate with an extra Milkbone or something. Mommy and I miss you Alex.

No, I'm not blind. I'm just ignoring you.

Hey there folks. I know things have been kind of boring for me lately, so I thought maybe I'd write about something educational today. For many years now, I've had this thing happening with my eyes that many people often mistake for glaucoma. It's this condition that makes my eyes glow like lasers in pictures. People often think it means I am blind, but actually, I can see pretty good.


The condition that causes this is Progressive Retinal Atrophy or Degeneration of the Retina. It is a progressive disease that worsens with age and can eventually cause blindness. So far, I've been pretty lucky though and it has been a slow progression.

According to the web site peteducation.com:
Signs may vary depending on the type of PRA and its rate of progression. PRA is non painful and outward appearance of the eye is often normal, i.e.; no redness, excess tearing, or squinting. Owners may notice a change in personality of their dog such as a reluctance to go down stairs or down a dark hallway. This is characteristic of night blindness, in which vision may appear to improve during the daytime. As the disease progresses, owners can observe a dilation of the pupils and the reflection of light from the back of the eye. If the blindness is progressing slowly, the owner may not notice any signs until the dog is in unfamiliar surroundings and the lack of vision is more apparent. In some animals, the lens of the eyes may become opaque or cloudy.
Unfortunately, there is no treatment for PRA, nor a way to slow the progression of the disease. Animals with PRA usually become blind.

I am pretty lucky that I still have my vision, but mommy has been noticing it is getting worse. Sometimes when she goes to let me in (when she remembers to), both in the daytime and night, she notices that I'll be standing at the bottom of the stairs staring at the door waiting for it to open. At first, I might not see her, so then she waves her hand to get my attention and that usually does the trick. I also have a tendency to stare into mirrors a lot. I'm not sure if that has to do with my vision condition. I think it's more just due to the fact that I'm so vain and I want to make sure my hair looks just right.

Well, hope you are feeling enlightened by that little tid bit. I figured some dog owners might find it interesting and educational.