Long Time, No Talk

Hello everyone. It has been some time since I blogged about the store, pet nutrition or dogs in general. It has just been busy, busy, busy. However, I never forgot about our blog and those who are interested in what I have to say.

Since my last post on the loss of my Boston Terrier, Pokey, I did, after 3 months, rescue another senior Boston, named "Foster". I found him online one evening on Petfinder.com. His former owner unfortunately had to give him up because of longer hours at work and thus he didn't want to be selfish to the needs of a senior dog. All he wanted was to find him a home where he would get the attention and love he deserved continuously. His photo on Petfinder.com just melted my heart that I just had to have him. So, after the submission of my adoption application to the rescue he surrendered him to, I got a call a few days later from the Boston Terrier Club of Connecticut asking me if I was still interested in this little guy. Well, within a day, I was driving up to New Haven to adopt this boy.

Foster has been with me since the end of February and has been a joy, despite one little "issue" he seems to have. For some reason, Foster hates a door closing in front of him. He will go ballistic for about 5 seconds than just walks away and settles down. Other than that, he's like any other senior.... housebroken, never destroys anything, and loves to sleep. He will meet and greet any other dog with a sniff then walk away, loves kids and sitting on any lap or comfy couch he can find. This is why I so adore the senior dogs that are almost always overlooked in rescue or shelters.

Since I've had Foster, he has gone through a serious dietary change as well. Because of some dental issues of which he had to have some teeth pulled, major skin problems and a yeast overgrowth to boot, he is fed a combination of home cooked & raw meats, veggies and fruits. If you compare of how he looked from then to now, he actually looks like he shed a few years off his life, is no longer having any yeast issues and his coat feels so soft and smooth. Actually , it was over the past weekend that I took Foster back up to Connecticut to see his previous family for the first time since his adoption. I just felt in my heart with all the correspondence back and forth from them always inquiring about him, that they needed a family reunion. Not to my surprise, they were so happy to see the little ol' man again. But one thing did stand clear - they could not believe how much healthier he looked and how his coat was amazingly so soft and shiney. This is why I stress that nutrition is a major key player in keeping your pet looking and feeling healthy! Anyway, it certainly was a bittersweet trip for all of us. I actually got to see first hand the loving home that Foster formally came from, how he looked so happy seeing them and seeing all his old toys that they still kept as a remembrance of him. After a nice lunch together, we all took a long walk down to a park where Foster enjoyed going in the past. I must say, it was a very touching. (Pictured is Foster's family reunion portrait at the park with his Uncle Paul, Grandma Pat and Daddy Mark)

Anyway, I'm going to wrap this up and will keep it a priority to blog more often. If your local, stop by, you can always come by and say hello to Foster as he loves meeting new people. He can be found on any given day that I personally work either in the grooming salon relaxing or in the showroom on the lounge chair. Until next time, give your pet hug and adore every minute you have with them.

In Memory of a Girl Named Pokey

Three years ago, a little Boston Terrier girl named Pokey found her way into my arms after one of my customers found her wondering on the side of Newman Springs Road in Holmdel on her way home from a doctors appointment Knowing I had Boston Terriers already, she called me immediately as she could not take a strange dog into her home. I picked up this beautiful girl, which I temporary called "Daisy" as she had no collar or identification tags on her. I brought her to my home and after her shoving herself through the front door and bypassing 3 eager other dogs wanting to sniff her, she ran up the stairs into the master bedroom, jumped on the bed, nestled herself on a pillow and went to bed (and too boot, laying on her back with all four paws up!) She never sniffed or looked back at the other dog's following her through the house. It was like she knew the layout of the house, where to go and to say "awww, I'm finally home ".

Although I felt like I found a treasure, I knew in my heart I had to find this girl her real home (although I didn't want to). I just couldn't bear the fact that a little girl may be crying that her dog was lost or perhaps a childless family was missing their fur baby. The next morning I called the SPCA and asked if anyone reported a missing Boston Terrier in the Holmdel area. To my surprise, someone did and was forwarded the contact information.

Because it was only 24 hours that I had this girl in my custody, it seemed like we knew each other for years. She followed me everywhere, knew all commands, had the best manners, didn't bark, show any signs of aggression toward my other dogs, but just wanted to snuggle next to my feet while I worked. She was the perfect dog anyone could ask for. That afternoon, I reluctantly called the phone number provided by the SPCA volunteer and a woman answered the phone. When I asked her if she was missing a Boston Terrier - she said "ooh yes - that's my Pokey girl. She gets out once in a while when she gets frightened by something on the farm." That evening, Pokey went back to her home.

However, 3 months later, Pokey's mom called me. She wanted to let me know that she didn't want Pokey anymore. Pokey was approaching 10 years old and she was planning on moving. Although I never imagine that being the actual reason to give up such a great dog because of a move, I really believe it was Pokey's age that was getting to her and some medical issues that were present. Well, without any hesitation, I told her YES, I WILL TAKE POKEY - MOST CERTAINLY! I couldn't wait to get "my girl" back.

That evening, Pokey showed up at my door step with a major eye infection and a lump on her head. After confronting the previous owner, it was apparent that Pokey was either not a priority or she was not financially able to care for this dog anymore. The next morning, Pokey was rushed to my vet to be treated. It turns out that Pokey had a major ulcer behind her eye that was pushing her eye outward and she was in terrible pain. The doctor's prognosis was bad - Pokey was more than likely going to lose her eye. But, I told the doctor let's try some heavy duty antibiotics and hope for the best. Two weeks later, her eye was back to normal. The ulcer shrank! It was then at this time I decided to have the lump on her head removed, have her spayed (which I later found out she was used as a breeding dog) and have two breast glands removed as it started to appear they were becoming infected. Pokey recovered successfully and by this time, you would have thought this dog was no more than 5 years old!

The next year passed and old age started creeping on my girl again. More breast tissue and glands had to be removed and pallups removed from her rectum. My girl was going through allot, but holding up like a fighting champ. She always pulled through her surgeries with flying colors and never showed any signs of pain following her medical "episodes".

However, two days before Thanksgiving of this year something started to happen. Pokey starting painting heavy. Because it was out of the blue, I didn't feel the need to be overly concerned until she could not stop doing it a few hours later. Her breathing rate was up to 140 breaths per minute. The next morning, we were at the vet's office. Thinking I was going to walk away with a bottle of medication and we would be all fine - this day was different. By the looks of her chest x-ray, the vet could not determine if her lungs were completely filled with fluid or cancer cells. In complete shock, I cried the entire way home while my Pokey girl just sat in the passenger side - looking out the window and enjoying her car ride as she normally did. Reality sat in - I wasn't going to have a long time with her. I was sent home with not one med, but a ton of meds to help treat fluid in the lungs and also a steroid commonly used in cancer patients to help stabilize them. I went to bed with my girl that night hoping and praying it was the lesser of the two and it was only fluid. Within two days, Pokey bounced back. She was back to her same, happy girl self.

Unfortunately, two weeks went by and Pokey's health started to decline FAST! I rushed her to the 24 hour emergency hospital at 2am and my worst nightmare was confirmed. Pokey had lung cancer and was dying. Pokey was put to sleep in the early morning hours that day. It was one of the saddest days of my life.

I got to spend a glorious three years with my girl. She slept with me every night on my pillow, on her back with her legs up - nestled/sandwiched between two pillows. She did this little "hokey pokey" dance every time she seen her harness pulled out from the closet. She loved car rides, was an excellent listener, the best dog to snuggle with and got along with any animal or person she met. She was an angel in my eyes.

Pokey's private remains now rest on my office shelf with my two other beloved boxers that I also lost to cancer years ago. What makes this girl so special is that she found me and even when I thought I found her home when she got lost, she knew where she belonged. She spent her last three retirement years with me and I provided her with all the love and care this sweet girl needed. Pokey now runs on the other side of the Rainbow Bridge; playing with all the other pets that have passed. I know in my heart she will be at the light when it's my time to go. She was truly a special soul!

FREE Puppy Report Available To You

So, you purchase a puppy from a pet store or a "so-called" breeder. Your puppy dealer swears up and down that your puppy is NOT from a puppy mill, but rather, a reputable, "hand selected" or responsible breeder. You believe them and purchase the puppy anyway. The information given to you states where your puppy was born, to whom and the name and address of the breeder. Problem is that your puppy came from out west. Chances are, you won't be visiting there anytime soon for any family "doggy" reunions to say hello.

Being inquisitive, you may have tried researching more information on your puppy's breeder via the web; perhaps to say "Hi! I'm the proud owner of one of your fur baby's". However, came up short on any valuable information. But, there is a great resource available to you now and best yet, it's FREE OF CHARGE! It's a Puppy Report complimentary from PetShopPuppies.org - a non profit organization whose objective is to inform you of the actual truth of "commercial" breeders (a/k/a puppy mills) and will provide you with all the details of where your puppy came from plus....

• USDA licensing information on your puppy's breeder
• Actual physical address (if different than on paperwork)
• Results on their annual USDA kennel inspection
• Number of pets on the breeders premises at the time of inspection (please note, the higher the number, the bigger of a "mill" it actually is)
• AKC revocations & suspensions (if any)
• Media reports or articles that the breeder (or broker) has been mentioned in (kennel raids by humane societies, breeding license suspections, etc.)
• The number of dog auctions the breeder has participated in (very common in the "mill" world")
• Misc other reports that the organization will dig up. This may be cross referenced from other consumer complaints of sick, diseased or dogs acquiring genetic defects which links your puppy to the same dog parents, etc..

Although some of the information that will be forwarded to you may be hard to read, the reality is that you will now know the TRUTH of where you puppy really came from and will be more educated the next time you want to purchase a puppy. Furthermore, it will also enable you to be proactive with any medical testings with regards to genetic defects that are linked to your puppy.

Our Grooming Website Has Been Re-Designed

We are pleased to announce that we have re-designed our dog grooming service website! Feel free to browse around through our FAQ pages, view pictures of our salon, read customer reviews, our service menu, and more! Also, for your convenience, you may also schedule your dog grooming appointment online! Enjoy!

New Photos of Our Red Bank, NJ Dog Store

Happy Holidays To All

All of us at Paw Palace & The Dog Spaw' Grooming Salon would like to wish everyone a happy & healthy holiday season!