On Sunday afternoon Goldie and I were taking our usual walk on the campus of Occidental College, enjoying the warm, sunny weather, when she stopped to poop. She assumed her normal crouch position then suddenly started screaming with an intensity I’d never heard from her before. At first, I thought one of her dew claws…Read more Rough Times for My Dog Goldie
loss of pets
The Gold(ie) Standard
The Gold(ie) Standard My husband and I have been lucky with the stray and rescue dogs who have joined our pack in the past 20+ years. They all came with their own personal mystery baggage, which manifested as behavior problems, but none were so awful that we had to un-adopt or relinquish them. In…Read more The Gold(ie) Standard
My Failed Attempt at Dodging Grief
I thought I was doing a good job of processing my grief after losing my friend and service dog. Henry, who passed away on Easter Sunday. I was wrong. By adopting Teddy, the Chihuahua/Sharpei/Cocker/Cattle Dog/Shep mix less than 3 weeks after Henry died, I only postponed the necessary grieving. Teddy came bounding into our…Read more My Failed Attempt at Dodging Grief
Our New Family Member: Teddy the “Sharpusky”
When we lost Henry, I knew I couldn't replace him, but I really missed having a little buddy by my side. If I did get another pup he would be small like Henry, because that's what I was accustomed to, and it was more practical. But the universe had something else in store for me.…Read more Our New Family Member: Teddy the “Sharpusky”
A Sweet Tribute to Henry
This lovely announcement appeared in The Gnus, a newsletter from the Los Angeles Zoo and Botanical Gardens, where Henry and I used to work. It was written by Kirin Daugherty, Manager of Volunteer Programs. Since Henry's passing I've received many emails, cards and flowers from his friends. He was one popular dude! Thank you very…Read more A Sweet Tribute to Henry
Good-bye to good friends
Since I got home from the hospital a few weeks ago, all my time and energy has been focused on Henry and his needs. His spine and mobility problems, which came on quite suddenly right before I went into the hospital, increased his need to pee and destroyed his ability to control some bodily functions,…Read more Good-bye to good friends
Dogged Hope 