HI Claudine!
Thanks so much for spreading the word for poor old Travis... before meeting SPuddy I would have not believed a dog could get over such long time abuse and be happy again.. but I know better! our mr. Spuddy is so happy - that little dance he does is just too adorable.. his front feet fly into the air and his chest touches the ground.. he has me wrapped around his little spuddy finger! ha ha thought you might like a few photos of him to warm your heart in a sometimes cold and cruel world we live in...
My brother and niece visited for Christmas and as you can see Mr. Spuddy was the life of Christmas morning gift opening.. such a sweet guy! he loves my niece so much and curls up right next to her on the couch for most of their visit - of course, he still needs to have me in eyesight or he'll come looking for me.
His rear leg (right) has been giving him trouble - almost thought it was time to send him to heaven.. I switched his medicine from Deramaxx and Tramadol (for pain) to plain aspirin and he has made a miraculous recovery - that was March 14.. yesterday he was having problems again - so I had to babygate him in his safe soft (the master bath under my vanity, where he has his little soft bed and water set up) - as soon as he sees the babygate he knows I am leaving (he'll pee on the rug if I dont' confine him) - he goes right over and makes himself comfortable and goes to sleep. well, as soon as I got home I go get him.. and he was so much better.. he is quite resilient.. what a guy! i have trouble sleeping.. so when I wake up in the wee hours of the night - I pet and kiss him - to watch him sleep is very relaxing and soothing.. he'll stretch and yawn and go back to sleep. (he has slept on our bed between us since we moved from the living room when we first got him.. he has never slept alone - and never will).
Just wanted to let you know I am forever grateful to you and your organization for the work you do and for making it possible for us to enjoy and love Mr. Spuddy - he deserves every second. when his time comes and he goes to heaven, after I fall apart, and get back together - we will come to you for our next rescue for sure.
here are Mr. McSpuddy's pictures - he has a lot of names. hee hee..
Susan

11-30-06

Hi Claudine, wanted to send you a little note to let you know how well our spuddy is doing. He dances and runs like the wind.. he just about knows how to use his stairs to get on the bed too. I've been working with Lika (obedience class) and she and Spud have found their places. I think she was bothered by him taking me over.....he is my constant companion. He loves his car rides - and it is Lika and he that usually go. bedtime is his favorite - he has his place up by my head and we often share a pillow and breath each others air . hee hee the last couple of days - huge break thru- he played with a tennis ball - he jumps up and picks the ball up - he will go after it if I dont' throw it far and will bring it back.. yesterday he was playing with a latex toy - he does that little biting and licked it - but he was playing! he even licks our hands now and loves to nudge us with his cute nose... thank you - thank you - thank you - thank you - thank you for being you and saving such souls. He also does that contentment sigh that I love from dogs - he didnt' at first - now he does big deep long ones.. I feel so blessed to have him .. here's a picture of him from the other day - I am working on our xmas card - he was confused - I put them in the car to take the picture - he wanted to know why we weren't going anywhere... oh yeah, = I made him a scarf from one of my old cashmere scarves - wrapped his collar in it - so he has cashmere next to his lilttle neck now to wear his spongebob name tag:)
Take care,
Susan

10-3-06

Hi Claudine!
Our precious little "sputty"is doing great He and I are inseparable all day - I love it. We have our routines - he sleeps in with me and has breakfast then - the other two eat breakfast with my husband around 6:30am. (too early for us)... I didn't get my camera going until he was already sleepy after dinner tonight.I'll get better pictures of him soon. He is so soft it's incredible - I call him my little doggy angel - he is just so soothing to be with. he has his own pillow (special bean bag that is his size) - he sleeps between my husband and I up by our heads on the bed every night. He moves around during the night and I often wake up with his head on my pillow. His back legs are doing great - he has muscle built up now and is jumping over steps now instead of hesitating to even go up them like before. We absolutely adore each other:) On his walks he prances and holds his head high. Sputnik is just what I wished for and we couldnt' be happier. Thank you a million times over.
Warmly - Susan, Tim, Doshko, Lika and Sputnik

I can tell you he has a good appetite. when we took him out to the huge backyard he would go explore - then look up and see me and actually trotted over to me with tail wagging. His tail works great! he is yet to sleep - but I can't believe he can go much longer without it. his rear legs are weak and he doesn't back up well - but he can move when he wants to. He also has lyme disease and is being treated with antibiotics for that along with being put on pain reliever too. So he has a perky step if he really is 16.. now he can't hear with a darn - but neither can I. He can see really well though and his eyes are clear looking. He is a good boy and we are going to give him the opportunity to have some good life - no matter how long that is.
Love Susan, Tim, Lika, Doshko and Aaron

Hi Claudine -

He is so adorable!!!! I couldn't even go to sleep last night - I just kept watching him. He finally went to sleep around 1:30 and as you can see by the photos he looks pretty darn comfortable. I'm making sure he always has a clean water bowl near him. A couple times he woke up and I was sitting there watching him - he would just go back to sleep. He just had a great break thru - my shepherd came over to sniff him - licked him a couple times then wanted to play - she pawed at him and I he turned into a little tazmanian devil - snapping and snarling at her - I had to pull her back and it scared her!!! she turned around and jumped up on me - like did you see what he just did??? then she hopped up on the love seat to sleep and he went back to sleep. she's been herding him around and watches over him great when he is out in the big yard exploring. alomost time for their lunch - I better get going! Thank you guys for rescuing him and giving him this chance. I'll give you a call a little later. He slept really good once he found his place - if I had zoomed in more - you could see that his mouth is open just a bit - you can see his tongue.. and he has a definite smile on his face! He liked to rub his face and put his paws together and hold his snout. so cute. So - it's going beautifuly. My heart has already melted with his.I pomised him he will always have fresh clean water near him and instead of a chain he will wear a soft cloth neck bandana - and i write my name & number on one side. He is sleeping now in his special place - nice and cool - he liked to watch the grandfathers clock pendulum go back and forth.. haha we've only introduced him to the large entry way, the 2 step down into living room with a wall of windows - the dining room - the doggie atrium - breakffast area and the kitchen. he goes out by the front door and that has a ramp I am training him to use. there are only 3 steps - but they are steep. well, no questions so far... I was able to trim some more of his feet and some other matts on his chest - you did a great job of cleaning him up - he smells fine. I brushed him today after trimming his feet - which he gave me no trouble doing.
Thank you thank you thank you!
Susan and Tim

Hi Claudine,
Thought I better send this note about the name change and a couple pictures while I have a moment.. I am not doing anything except kiss and cater to ***SputNick***... Not Aaron or Rosevelt anymore and this will be the last change. my husband came up with Aaron and had a bit of a reason but he's not an Aaron to me.. so yesterday I found myself calling him lil spud - I kid my other golden and call him mr. potato head if his ears are dirty - and from there I thought of sputNick - our other golden is named Svendoshko - I think that's how it's spelled but it is russian for little star boy.. and Lika our shepherd - I got her name from the first dog up in the russian space race. .. my husband is a big follower of Nasa and everything that goes with it. So we have out own little russian orbiter - I think that's what it was.. better find out - but it came from russian space. and he kind of looks like a sputnick to me :) I was able to get the rest of the knots out of his hair and found one between his toes - little - but had little stickers stuck in it - it's the foot he is not using much of in this first picture. He hasn't gotten off the couch since his pedicure - but I think it is going to feel a lot better. I have a feeling he might have a staph infection on his skin - the way he is so itchy if you touch his stomach or something. I can't wait for my vet to meet him - I know she will love him too. and he is going to have the very best from here and out. Still haven't gotten him up the steps to the master bedroom - so I slept on the couch last night in the living room with him - he slept in his little area he knows he can go and his first bed is there and a bowl of water too. He decided today to drink out of the elevated bowl the other dogs drink from - he wouldn't before.. but now he seems to like it. I'll be getting him his own little stand.. also decided to use the softest things only around his neck. He is just so cute and please please thank the folks all the way down the line that made the decisions to find him a home - I know it must have been a hard one - there are so many good animals out there but all just as deserving. I'm honored to be the one to show him heaven on earth for now. I'll let you know how his vet appointment goes tomorrow - we'll have full lab work done to see how everything is ticking and the best way to bring him back to his very healthiest self. He laid on a bed I put in the kitchen today - so I think he is feeling safer here - Tim and I had to leave to go pick up my car in West Chester - we left everyone in the house as usual - if anything - it seems our golden is laying near him alot. When Tim got back home first he said Spudnick was still sleeping on the bed in the kitchen. and - as before thank you for taking him in and helping reach us. This is a very special time for us to pamper him until he can't stand it.. if the saying is right about living well is the best revenge -then Rosevelt/Aaron - Spudnick WON! I know the old man must have suffered wiht his knee surgery and provbably still is - I thought we should wait until that heals before we hire Queedo to go break both his knees and then chain him to a tree - anyway - without doing anything - we can be sure that fate will take care of that part - he must be misrable in the first place if he cannot love an animal.
Sincerely, Susan