Angel… Our Mama Turns 10-Years-Old Today

Our Angel, a half-long-haired, half short-haired, light red and white, fawn-face Chihuahua stole our hearts and literally saved my life, or at least my sanity, during a very dark time for me.  Angel is the mama and the alpha dog at our house and of our little pack of Chihuahuas and Chiweenies.

According to her papers, Angel was born in Oklahoma on May 3rd and ten weeks later had made her way to our home and into our hearts.

Baby Angel

My husband was allergic to everything with fur and feathers.   But when our daughter was young we gave in starting with hamsters, mice, rats, geckos, lizards, fish, turtles… and then birds.  Then our daughter came home with a dog, Angel, while she was working part-time at a pet store, the summer after her first year of college.  She was supposed to be earning a little pocket money for the next year. Instead she pretty much spent all she earned and came home with a papered Chihuahua at the height of the Chihuahua craze… who became our Angel.

My husband said, “no way… absolutely not!” Our daughter was going back to the dorms and he was allergic, so he took Angel right back to the store.  They wouldn’t take her back because our daughter had signed the contract and they had given up a full paying customer to let her buy Angel at the employee discount, less than half of what they had had an actual customer for.  And of course, our daughter went back to school and the dorms about a month later with Angel in tow insisting she could sneak her in and keep her there. Less than an hour after her arrival at school with her 4-legged roommate, we were on our way to pick Angel up.  My husband went through 18-months of allergy shots after that so we could keep her.

A year later our daughter was off sailing around the world with the Semester at Sea program.  When she got back mid-year, she was assigned a lulu-bell for a roommate and bargained with us to get an off-campus apartment a semester early. She wasn’t there a month… when she brought home a Chiweenie puppy, Apachi, who was being given away outside the pet store, near school, where she had just gotten a part-time job after returning from her sail.  A pet store job is never a good idea for her.  Major Problem… it was a no pet apartment and we had signed a year’s lease.

Not long after getting Apachi, our daughter’s colitis flared up to an extreme level (I tend to think some vaccines that they got overseas might have exacerbated her condition adding to some stress in her life at the time and too much partying during that period and trip). After a stint at an alternative care facility, in an attempt to avoid radical surgery, she unfortunately ended up having to have 2 major surgeries and I spent a total of 54-days (24/7) in the hospital sleeping on a cot in her room, with her.  My husband, who was home with Angel and Apachi, visited daily.  With all that was going on we really didn’t think about the fact that neither 6 month old Apachi nor Angel had been fixed.  Angel was the best tempered Chihuahua with a really easy going disposition and everyone had said, if we could breed her with a like-type male, they’d love to have a puppy.  So I was looking for a mate for her and Apachi was just a baby,  and taking him in to be neutered just got lost in all the goings on.

Next thing we knew… we had 4 puppies: Goji Angelina, Magnum, and Princess (As Pictured Below)

Angel was a natural and terrific Mom who took great care of her little brood and Apachi watched over them from somewhat of a distance… until they were weaned, at which point he took over.

Angel Has Always Loved Riding in the Car and Going for Walks… Before and After the Rest of the Family Arrived.

Heading to Dana Point, CA for a Walk

Walks in Wyoming

Traveling From Texas to CA

Walking in Texas

The boy pups (Magnum and Goji) and Angelina went to new homes at 10-weeks of age and we decided to keep Princess, our ADHD girl…  Then a few weeks later Angelina came back to us, because her new family couldn’t keep her and we had requested that if anyone who took a puppy had problems that we would get them back.  Long story short… we kept Angelina too and that is how we went from birds, turtles and rats, at the time, to 4-dogs and a fish who survived being fed to our turtles.

Angel at Age 8

Angel (9) and Neighbor MaryAnn Playing

Angel’s 2nd Birthday

Angel’s 5th Birthday… USC Party

Our pups are now 7, 8 and 10-years old… We have always had separate birthday parties for everybody, but this year we are going to have a combined party next week, including for Rocky, our in-laws’ aging Cocker Spaniel.  But we had a mini-celebration today, on Angel’s actual 10th B-day.

Our Christmas Card the Past Couple of Years (Below)… Featuring our Furkids Singing.  The Rule Within the Pack Appears to be That Nobody Can Start Singing Until Angel Starts.

Related:

Apachi – Happy 7th Birthday

‘Until One Has Loved an Animal, Part of Their Soul Remains Unawakened’

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The New Breed of Baker 

Travel Fun With Dogs

Photos By: UCLA Shutterbug

Gov. Palin: Trig is getting a buddy!

How fun this will be for Trig and the whole family!!

http://www.puppyjakefoundation.org

Sarah Palin Information Blog

Posted on Governor Palin’s site on Monday:

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Sarah Palin added 7 new photos.

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April 28 at 1:48pm ·

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“Jill Hadassa Palin” comes home with us to Alaska from Iowa in two months. Trig’s getting a buddy! The English black lab is presently at doggy training school with Becky Beach and The Puppy Jake Foundation at the Canine Craze Performance Center in Des Moines. I love this pup! We finally got to meet our new family member in person yesterday. We’re so excited to bring her home when she’s finished with her training – and so far, so good – she’s getting all A’s, they tell me.

We’re also excited to be supporting Becky’s wonderful Puppy Jake Foundation, which trains these beautiful canines as service dogs for our wounded warriors returning from war zones, as well as others facing challenges. You can learn more about their great work…

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Wounded Police Dog Bruno Is Going Home

Bruno posing with his partner, RJ Young of the Anaheim police (left), prior to the shooting. Right, suspected gang member 21-year-old Robert Moreno Jr. who was shot dead in the incident

Police dog wounded in March will be honored at an official retirement ceremony May 13th, 2014

By Marion Algier – Just One More Pet (JOMP)

Bruno has been in hospital for several weeks after incident

Had to receive blood transplant from dog, while bullet shattered his jaw

Will make a brief appearance on Friday before preparing for retirement

ANAHEIM – Police dog shot in the face in the line of duty while confronting a gunman has been deemed well enough to go home by the end of the week.

Bruno, a seven-year-old German shepherd, underwent several surgeries after his jaw was shattered and lung damaged, while a bullet was lodged close to his heart.

But Anaheim Police Department has now announced he has made a strong recovery.

K-9 Officer R.J. Young walked out of Yorba Regional Animal Hospital in uniform on Friday, 5.2.14, with canine partner Bruno on-leash bounding straight toward the patrol car.

Anaheim police didn’t want Bruno hanging around too long at an afternoon press conference announcing he was going home. The German shepherd, shot by a suspect in March, thought he was going back to work and might get too excited.

Before Young and Bruno headed home for the first time in six weeks, the officer told reporters, supportive cops and others: “I could never begin to say thank you enough for all the support, all the letters, the thoughts, the prayers. That has been so huge to not only myself – my family – getting us through this. …

“There’s no doubt in my mind that that’s what got Bruno through this,” Young said.

Some in the 60-strong crowd wore T-shirts, “K9 Bruno – Our Hero,” or held miniature stuffed dogs.

Bruno was shot while pursuing a suspect who fired on probation officers. The suspect was fatally shot by officers. A bullet shattered Bruno’s jaw and lodged in his chest.

Cheryl Timmons, president of the Friends of the Anaheim Police Canine Association, said she almost cried after watching Young and Bruno drive off.

“There were a few days in the beginning when we didn’t know if he’d be going home,” Timmons said.

Instead, Bruno will once again tail Young’s wife, Rachel, around the house.

Bruno and his family credit all the prayers, good wishes and blood transfusions from canine friends around the world for his recovery.

On May 13, a public retirement ceremony will be held at City Hall for the 7-year-old dog, expected to lead a normal home life. He just can’t stay with the force, as his jaw isn’t strong enough to bite down on a suspect.

Bruno, the Anaheim, California Police dog who was shot in March. He is well enough to finally leave an animal hospital

Anaheim Police K9 Bruno recovers at the Yorba Linda Regional Animal Hospital where he underwent surgery Thursday to remove a bullet that damaged his ling

Police dog which was shot in the face makes steps to recovery

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