Asking For Help

This morning George attacked Albert and tore a hole in his neck.

I have to take him to the vet and just don't have the cash to pay for it.

Any PayPal assistance is a great help...thanks!

George attacked Albert 2x this week. I've been bitten three times and of all days...I slipped at work after a thunderstorm and landed on my tailbone.

I come home to get Albert out of the rain and George locked onto him. Then I finally got him off and he locked again.

Sadly, this is it, I have to put George down after 8 months of trying to rehabilitate him. A sad day indeed.

Joe

===========

Update 9:13 am CST
Albert is in surgery now and I think he will be OK. He really got gashed and the right side of his neck was tore apart. I will be straight up to all dog lovers that want to help. It will cost around $500. Many of you have been generous to date and to ask for help again is probably not quite right.

The worst part of all this is I have to put George down. I love this dog and travel in the car with him daily. We go everywhere together. He goes to work with me at night and sleeps in the car. I've already cried for about two hours thinking about this, but I have no other choice. I've already been bitten three times this week alone in fights. I have scars on both arms because George attacks Albert and then Albert bites me trying to save him and get them free.

George is fine with me. He has never made any attempt to bite me, it is just his trigger with other dogs. 95% of the time he is fine, but that 5% is really adding up. Nobody will ever adopt him.

The irony of all this is only just yesterday, with the help of a friend, did I decide to put both Sally and Albert up for adoption with running ads! I was going to keep George alone.

Then I slip and fall this morning at 4:25am at work, fall on my tailbone hard. I felt faint, filled out a work injury report, drank some juice and left early. I get to my car to find George literally ate half my front seat. The thunderstorm scared him and got him agitated. I drive home worried that I won't be able to cover my shift this evening, get home, park the car, and BOOM...George jumps on Albert.

This was one of the only times I broke up the fight and didn't get bit.

Albert is out of surgery and should be home by 4:30pm today.

===========================================
Update 12:42 pm CST
Hey...no way this day could get worse right?


HOW ABOUT A TORNADO WARNING!!!

The city warning siren is going off now

Thunder and lightning on steroids

You know it's bad when the radio station goes to
all weather call ins from around every county.

Gotta love life


Update 04:13 pm CST
Albert is back from surgery and healing. He is still groggy. The wound was much deeper than expected and he has a drain tube inserted which will have to be removed next week.

I experienced the longest drive of my life. I drove 2000 miles to TN in a flash, but the one mile to drop off George for his final rest was longer than my lifespan. These dogs really get a grip on ya!


I'm Glad I'm Not A Supermodel



How's my week going?

Well...
I got bit by my dog Sat in the leg when a local dog was running loose and they got into it.
I got bit by Sally taking two ticks out of her
I got bit today when George attacked Albert in the kitchen as I pulled them apart

I am now officially tired of getting bit by dogs. This is about the tenth time now in a year.

Oh yeah...Albert got out under the fence even with a 30 ft rope on and was gone for 12 annoying hours until animal control called last night at 9pm and delivered his sorry ass.

AND MY LEFT HAND KILLS ME NOW...I have to type at work also all night!

So after today's incident with George and Albert, I decide to make a hot cup of instant coffee. Still frazzled, I put a container that is not microwave friendly and I hear an explosion and a nasty smell.

I'm afraid to go outside right now! lol


So how YOU Doing?

Albert got out AGAIN this morning and is not back...
I just finished putting down some welded wire and he dug
an inch from it. He is getting very sophisticated.

I won't lie...it is disappointing when he tries to escape.
I mean...why would he want to leave paradise?

UPDATE: Animal Control called 9pm tonight
Albert was tangled with 30 foot of rope under
a house about a 1/2 mile away.

That's Albert!
.

How I wish!
Albert dug a huge hole yesterday while I was gone...
Anyone got a spare wheelbarrow?

The Powerful Impact of a Pet

At work last night I came in for my shift and asked my co-worker how she was (usual greeting small talk).

She told me her cat Elmo was killed.

OH MAN...what do you say to that!

I was hurt for her. I could hear it in her voice, see it in her eyes that her baby died.

Sadly, she found Elmo lying in the street, his big bushy tale along the side of the road. As she pulled up, she saw his dead eyes starring at her.
What I have learned in life is that when a significant event takes place in another's life, it is extremely important to stop whatever I am doing and focus on that other person. These events do not happen often, but when they do, STOP, LOOK, and LISTEN. Take the time to hear the other person's story and without using words, just be there with them.

Take a few minutes today and give thanks for your pet...they might be gone tomorrow!

RIP Elmo


I put this together the other day and forgot to mention at the end of the credits the opening music was from a 1962 TV show...I didn't know Kroger was this old.


.

Natura Pet Foods

There is a job opening locally that involves working for Natura Pet Foods. Ironically, I was aware of them in CA and highly respect what their mission is about. When I wrote the article, Let's Talk Dog Food, I researched over 150 dog foods. Nutura had most of the highest quality foods on my list of excellent choices.

People would be astonished at what is in their supermarket dog food with the pictures of dogs jumping and pretty people smiling. The BIGGEST names in dog food sell the crappiest foods! It is amazing...and MARS Co is in Franklin, TN. They make crappy food with big named products (Kal Kan, Mealtime, Pedigree, Sheba).

How could those big name products--the ones with the commercials be bad food?

How could the heads of AIG be so corrupt? How could Enron rip off so many people? How could Bernard Madoff steal 50 billion of investor's money?

Well, I'll stop here...read the article...I laid it all out there. Point is, take control of your life and do not let the commercials of "pretty people jumping with their dogs on a sunny afternoon " manipulate us to thinking if we bought THAT or if we had THIS we would be happy or successful or whatever message they are trying to hammer into us!

Yes, I have a problem with big name corporate lables that try to squeeze the life out of us with LIES.
I'll shut up now.

The effects of crappy food
.

Is This Gonna Be Forever?



I've asked this question several times this week myself!

Gotta Love Dogs...again

Ummm, guess which dog was involved here?


Nathan my neighbor

Albert doesn't know what Left Turn means...

For all you non-bike people...
the front wheel is NOT supposed to be radically tweaked.

Albert A New Home?


The bummer of dog rescue is the potential adoption
that lurks beneath the surface.

Albert might find a new home.

I have hard to make some tough decisions as of late
and Albert might have to find another home.

This is a great dog.

He is as full of life as any dog I've fostered.
His energy can be annoying at times,
but it is because he is so full of life.

The way I look at it, a radio's volume can always
be turned down. It is more difficult to turn UP a dog.

More to come...


.


How I have been feeling as of late...

TN Don't Look So Bad...


My friend (3rd from top left) shown in Switzerland
Make the 80 degree weather in TN look pretty sweet
UNLESS
Like myself, you dig the cold weather!


.

Sunday Drive

shot in car...dig the winding road shots


cattle grazing...gotta love TN!
I can't imagine this palce in 1950...I mean,
it is so rural NOW

Love it


Never get tired of this place






Stopped at a family cemetery...see a lot fo these around.
Paid my respects to those who cultivated the land




Very interesting find...for sale...Hmmmm
Almost perfect place for me

Al Green


My neighbors--the funny boyz
A comedy team in the making...





Luv Thy Neighbor II

I want to publicly apologize for making a post about my neighbor's dogs.

It was wrong for me to vent my frustration in a blog.

In CA, dogs are rarely left out at night, and especially on cold nights. We never have cold nights like I've experienced in TN. I am too sensitive at times about this issue of leaving dogs outside at night in the freezing cold and simply am not used to it.

Despite my feelings on this topic, is was wrong of me to vent in the blog and I apologize publicly to my neighbors for doing so. They are kind and generous people.

Joe

Danger: Running Out of Dog Bones





Albert & Sally have issues!
That black Sony remote was toasted
and then I bought one off E-Bay

Oh Yeah!

...and YES, I did hide the second one on the dining table

Wintertime Snow

Driving a rural road yesterday...camera batteries died, but I got off 3 pics


Saturday Night/Sunday Morning Snow