Eskie Rescuers United

Patches
Patches officially found his forever home and we adopted him on Wednesday. He also crossed over the rainbow bridge on Wednesday. Patches was our long term, unadoptable foster for Eskie Rescuers. He came to us two years ago, with a record of biting nine people, including everyone in his foster home. Before we came to understand one another, he bit me thirteen times. It's difficult for a rescue to keep a liability like him - very few people want to foster a dog that bites, and adopting him was out of the question. But there was something about Patches that captured our hearts - he had so much personality and what a cocky attitude. And so began our journey. For three weeks he stayed in or near his crate in the back hall and didn't want to come out or socialize. Gradually, he ventured out and for several months, lived under the misguided perception that he was the pack leader of the house. After two attempted run-ins with my husband and thirteen successful attacks on me (I'm a slow learner!), it finally dawned on him that he was part of a safe and loving pack and that he wasn't, and didn't need to be, in charge. And he relaxed. Last June, during a middle of the night thunder storm, Patches was crying and shaking from fear in his crate, and I brought him up on the bed next to me to comfort him. And so he stayed, never to return to his beloved crate. That night was also a turning point. From then on, Patches became loving, cuddly, social and engaging. He was supremely happy and he raced around the house with his little "skunk tail" raised high and swishing. He was like a fart in a skillet, he was everywhere, but his favorite place was his command chair (aka The Prince's Throne) and his verandah (the chair's ottoman) in my husband's office, followed by the sofa snuggled on my husband's stomach for an afternoon nap, or cuddled up next to me at bedtime. When he first arrived we gave him a little Kong toy, which he adored and was never without. It was his security blanket and he guarded it, and always knew exactly where it was in the house. We called it his "baby" and it was always by his side. He would run through the house with it in his mouth and he reminded us of Winston Churchill with a big ol' cigar sticking out of his mouth! We can only wonder if it was the first toy he ever had, because it was so very, very precious to him. Patches crossed the rainbow bridge with his baby. To make a heart-breaking story short, Patches had a malignant tumor on his spleen that ruptured, and he was internally bleeding to death. An ultrasound confirmed the cancer had metastasized to his liver and chest. The only compassionate decision was to say goodbye and help him across the bridge. We are in shock and numb. He wasn't feeling well on Monday and I was concerned about his spleen, but blood work and an x-ray both looked normal. He rebounded and was perfectly fine by Tuesday night and Wednesday morning. Truly, in the time it takes to snap your fingers, he went from perfectly fine, to something being horribly wrong. Goodbye Pitchie Patch, our Boogie Boy, our Fierce Little Pirate, our love. You will be so missed and you will live on in our hearts forever. Your little paw left a huge forever print on our hearts......Dyan and Dennis Laphan, May 18, 2016

Shadow
Here is a story about Shadow. What a character. Shadow went over the Rainbow Bridge on May 6, 2016 comfortable on his favorite blanket while his family, Tom and Mary, held him. Laps of Love assisted with his journey. He was 14 years old. The paralysis that affected his rear legs had moved to his front legs and was starting to affect his neck muscles. As painful as it was for us, it was the right decision for him. Missing him terribly are Tom and Mary, and our other Eskies, Luna and Sheba. We lost our bass voice in the chorus of Eskie barks. Shadow was adopted from ERU in July 2014 after his foster parents fell in love with him. He was a 12 year old 36 lb Eskie. We suspect there was some Samoyed in this big guy somewhere. His previous owner was a biker on the east coast of Florida and we often wondered about the adventures he might have had with her. Did he ride in a sidecar wearing goggles? How many people fell for his big brown eyes when there was a French fry in his vicinity? We’ll never know. He loved to run especially after any cat or squirrel that walked through the yard. He would gallop and bark at them with his big bass voice. He loved to cuddle with his adopted dad and rub his head and face on the carpet while Tom wrestled gently with him. He would roll on his back for a belly rub in the wink of an eye. By far his favorite activity was eating. He would eat morning, noon and night if you let him. He loved to have some kibble as a midnight snack. You’d hear him crunch and crunch in the quiet hours. It didn’t take much to satisfy him either. Just a few spoonfuls were fine with him. As his paralysis progressed, he loved to lie on the floor looking out of the front door watching the birds frolic in the bird bath. Sometimes he would just lie on the patio and soak up some sun. We gave this quirky senior Eskie two years of fun and frolic and companionship. He gave us his undying love. ....Mary Mahoney and Tom McGuigan, May 2016

Cooper
I got my sweet Cooper boy from you guys almost 3 years ago. He was attacked by another dog yesterday at the elementary school and ultimately had to be put to sleep. He was my angel and he helped pull me out of the depression I was struggling with. He was so beautiful, he smelt of sunshine and he never quit smiling. Thank you for allowing me to share his short life with him......Jamie Tafoya, May 5, 2016

Snowball
We let Snowball go this afternoon. He went to the vet last week because he had 17 seizures that I know of in a week and they discovered an enlarged heart. Tried medications for heart and seizures but then he started having problems walking Sunday and Monday, in that he would lose control and fall over sideways or just collapse on the floor, plus he was still having seizures. Took him back to vet yesterday and today they called to say he has fluid around his heart. It was time to gently say goodbye. We took him in as a foster after he was at the vet to be put down for biting a two year old (owner had already paid fee and left) and gave him several years where he was loved unconditionally and spoiled rotten - but now it is his time to go although he will take a piece of several hearts (including mine with him)........Jean Jeffrey, March 4, 2016

Penney
Penney's Farewell....... "I have only just begun to realize the depth and power of the gift that is a dog. Daily I realize that someday, one of us will lose the other. Instead of being alarmed, I find myself being more grateful for the love and companionship we share. The joy of today is worth the loss of tomorrow." (Jack Nelson Steward) Penney left me today, and peacefully crossed over the bridge. It was a difficult decision to make, but it was time, and she was tired and ready to go. A wise friend told me "Better a week too early than a week too late". Penney came into my life three years ago, after the loss of Molly and Muffin three weeks apart. I was bereft, and she healed my heart. She was my first foster for Eskie Rescuers, my first foster failure, and her legacy lives on in the Eskies I have rescued since she came into my life, and the many more Eskies in need I hope to save in the future. Penney helped evolve my love of the breed into commitment and action. "Countdown Penney" will continue to live on as Eskie Rescuers' mascot for their annual online auction. She will live on in my heart forever. Good bye, sweet girl. You are loved and you will be missed every day. Thank you for every minute we shared.......Dyan and Dennis Laphan, February 24, 2016