It started out kinda rough--mornings are difficult for me for many reasons.  First of all, we have umpteen dogs and puppies who all need to go out in the same minute--and then who all want to eat/drink/get petted. Some days, I feel like I need a few extra sets of hands.  I also don't feel the greatest in the mornings which makes me slow--and slower--trying to get anywhere.  I think staying up all night to write doesn't help but it is more complicated than that.

We took Precious to two eye doctors today.  The first made me cry--before I even got in to see the doctor--and the second gave me an education on eye injuries that was worth its weight in gold.  With his white board and marker, he taught me about the most common animal eye injuries and how to fix them/what to do.  I wanted to be able to share this with my readers but also to know for future animal rescues.  I started out this week as a total novice in the eye department, and now feel like I can make an intelligent decision.

In between the doctors, Mike and I stopped at Jack-in-the-Box to get Precious a plain cheeseburger and a glass of water.  I was craving a cold root beer and some curly fries--so that was our lunch--and I enjoyed every bit of it.  While I was standing in line, an older gentleman was sitting nearby and slipped his pant leg up from the ankle to the knee to look at what turned out to be a severe wound...he had a bandage on it but I could see the tell-tale red circle around the wound that shouted out to me, "infection!"

After I picked up our order, I had to say something to this man. "You really had better get that wound looked at," I said.  He told me that he was a homeless veteran and then asked me if I had any bandages with me! Well, it just so happens...Well, no, I didn't have any but it made me think that I should start carrying some around. I did know what to get at Walgreen's to get him patched up.  We put him in the car and took him for a ride.  He met up with a friend who was going to patch him up--although I would have done it for him had he wanted me to.

Before we parted, I asked for his first name.  "Russell" was a Vietnam vet.  He had a long-term wound that was not healing.  He told us where his "spot" was--where he slept at night--in case we ever got back that way and wanted to say hello.  It was sweet.  I shook his hand and asked Russell to say a prayer for Precious.  After all, he was in the back seat and she was right behind him finishing her burger.  He said that he would.

When we got to the second eye doctor, it was as if everything worked out perfectly and felt peaceful and blessed.  From the referral from a California vet I found on the internet--who was doing progressive treatment for eye losses--who even got us there--to the cheery staff, beautiful building, loving, peaceful feeling...it was if Russell really had said a prayer and it was already in effect!  Even Precious felt it--she let me kiss her three times on her forehead, behaved like a lady even though an exam of her injured what-used -to-be-her-eye (she had been numbed up first)--right down to the thoughtful education that this doctor gave me so I could help other rescues/readers.

And so, sweet Precious will have surgery on October 1.  I'll keep you updated in my stories on this site and on www.chron.com/rescuevolunteer.   Please keep her--and Russell--in your prayers.  Thank you for caring.

If you have been following Precious' story on our URGENT page, you know that a little dog had her eyeball ruptured--and now that she has been rescued, it needs to be addressed.

I spent a good part of today and tonight researching enucleation-the removal of an eye.  After all of the medical cases and issues that I have dealt with over the years, I am still squeamish about teeth and eyes!  I would have never have opted to do something like this but in order to get Precious out of pain, I have to help her.  

There are so many choices, too, that I was not expecting.  Do you opt for a silicone ball to replace the eye--under the skin?  It is not expensive--20 to 40 dollars depending on where you call--and it keeps the area around the removed eye from collapsing.  The muscles atrophy and the socket gets a sunken in look.

There are some vets who totally remove the eye lids--others who just sew them together.  The most progressive are leaving the eye lids in tact and open/functioning--which is something I am trying desperately to find.  So far, California and Chicago are the closest vets I've found that do this.

I've decided to take Precious to the eye surgeon to get his opinion--and to see if they will honor my request to leave her eye lids in tact.  If not, if I have another day to do research, I may consider taking her to a vet who can do this version of the surgery.  Of course, it depends on the price and whether I have the extra time to travel/depending on her evaluation this morning.

Yes, Precious is "just" a rescued dog--which is an argument I heard today but I believe that every life is precious and that I, as their custodian, should do the best that I can given the resources and knowledge that I have for each animal.  Rescues don't get treated any differently at the Rescue Ranch than my own animals.  They all get a piece of my cake; they all get cheese when I have a sandwich; they all get petted when I get home from an outing and greeted with the same enthusiasm and love...

After all, for the time that they are with us, we are their only family and we have this great opportunity to teach them, to compensate for mistreatment in the past, to show them love--that they can take on to their next family, if they move on.

Prayers appreciated today.  I want to make the best decision possible to help little Precious.  She let me pet her twice today and came out of her crate to sleep in her puppy playpen.  These are both huge steps.  I hope, as she spends time here, that she too, heals physically and spiritually.  She is already on the way.  Thank you for caring.  Especially for caring.

I'm in the middle of writing my blog for today for The Chron (www.chron.com/rescuevolunteer)--but I had to stop to call the hospital, trying to get Precious in for surgery today instead of Thursday (see our URGENT page). I went to visit her at the boarding facility over the weekend and she is eating and venturing out at night a little--probably because the sunlight hurts her optic nerve--or whatever is left of her totally ruptured eye ball--and I realized that she deserves more than sitting there waiting for a surgeon to see her--I'll find another one to help her!  My heart just broke thinking about the pain she must be in, never mind the confusion about being injured AND being in a strange place.

I keep hoping that help just pours out to help her--so many people were outraged and touched by her story and yet, we still don't have the resources to pay for the hospital and surgeon.  Because she is so upset and perhaps feral, I don't know if she will need to be kept at the hospital for the two weeks of bandage changing after surgery so she can be frequently sedated or if I can handle her at the RR.  This is a whole new ballgame for me--but then, with every animal, I learn something different.  I just hope that standing here in faith, that there are others who will stand with me to help Precious...Please?

The part is ordered and my laptop should be back in working order this week!  I hope to finish this website sometime before the end of September. 

In the meantime, know that Miss Moneypenny's puppies are six weeks old now--and have most of their teeth and are trying them out on everything.  One was sleeping with me on Sunday, woke up and decided to taste my cheek--did that ever surprise me!  Ouch!  It is all a part of learning about the world and about their own bodies.  

Bunny was playing with Beauty and Chula last night and started screaming her head off.  I ran over and could not figure out what was wrong.  I thought maybe she was having a life-changing seizure or something equally as bad.  Instead, I saw that her leg was caught between two desks and she could not bend it to get it out.  Instead of going in reverse to just turn around, she panicked and screamed.  My heart nearly jumped out of my chest!

Today is bath day for Big Mandy and Ada--hopefully the weather will be nice enough to use the hose outside. They are big dogs and it is easier to soap them up outside and let them run off the water in the yard than shake it off all across the house--on the way from the tub to the outside!

Bunny and Pasha have the day off from therapy today.  Their therapist is sick.  We have to go in for their latest evaluation results--I hope there is good news.  Monroe has to go in for another antibiotic shot that lasts two weeks.  Oral medication makes him throw-up.  

Time to get some sleep.  Been up all night writing my story for my blog.  Please be sure to catch up on my stories at www.chron.com/rescuevolunteer.   Once my laptop is fixed and the site is done, I hope to see you here every day!   Thanks for caring...

For those of you who follow my stories at www.chron.com/rescuevolunteer, you know that I cracked the screen on my laptop.  Eek!  It has put a small delay in my finishing this website.  Please stop by again.  I hope to add a few new sections as well as write daily entries here. In the meantime, keep up with me and the animals on the Chron site and this blog.

Today, we have a litter of Min Pin puppies--they are five weeks old--Miss Moneypenny's pups.  They are being wormed now (it is yucky when dead worms or worm parts come out) and have figured out how to climb to the top of their kiddie pool slide--and jump out!  I was watching TV tonight and a little black puppy (Miss Gracie) ran across the room!  It is time to switch to puppy playpens, for sure.

Bunny and Pasha had rehab today and came home very tired and happy.  They stop for burgers before coming home because Bunny will be asleep for the night once she gets to her bed.  Pasha will get up for food, any time, any way.  I guess that is why their Physical Therapist taped weight loss tips for dogs onto their lunch box Monday!

If you can help, we have donations called into their rehab center for this last set of sessions for $1075 of $1450.  We are $375 in arrears as of right now.  If you can help, the phone number to call in a credit card donation for the rehab vet is in this story: Why Are Bunny and Pasha in Doggie Rehab?  If we have any extra donations, they will just roll over to their next 20 rehab sessions. Donations are tax-deductible. 

I'll check in again later today.  

Thank you for caring.  Especially for caring!

Jane