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LITTLELOVE'S JOURNEY
Littlelove's journey starts with her momma Glory who for what ever reason was dumped and abandoned and left to have her babies under a car about July 2nd , 2001.Some kind people found Glory and her pups and took them to the dog pound and that is where we rescued Glory and her 5 pups on7-9-01. Glory was very sick when she came into our rescue .She and her pups were taken to our vet and he thought Glory might pull through but sadly she didn't and died that night . All of the pups were also sick and one of her pups died that night. Pup and Glory are now buried together here at Sisters Haven . The rest of the 4 pups I bottled fed , until they could eat puppy food....
Glory
7-9-01
Littlelove
learning to eat puppy food....
Littlelove had a hard time learning to walk our vet told us she had what is called Swimmers Syndrome which means her muscles in her back legs were not strong enough to carry her body but with time and exercising she may be just fine.  Even when she couldn't walk she was the first one to the food dish once they started eating puppy food nothing slowed her down.
Notice how she is standing at the food dish, legs still weak but she is standing....
Littlelove
9-11-01
Glorygirl
Coco
Littlelove's litter mates
Hershey
Shortly after these pictures ( 9-11-01) Littlelove started a skin "condition" she was treated for mange because her momma Glory came in with mange so it made perfect sense to treat her. For weeks she was treated with little to no improvement . A change in meds to clear it up was tried, still no improvement . She was taken to another vet for a second option and he thought she may have ring worm and not mange at all so once again another medicine was given to her and very expensive special shampoo. Still little to no improvement .  We then started over the counter creams and meds to try to help her. I was desperate to try to get her healthy.because the night her momma Glory died  I made a promise to her I told her to go it was all right and that I would take care her babies she closed her eyes and went peacefully to sleep.
So from Sept to Dec we tried just about every thing to get her skin cleared up . And to keep her walking and exercising .
Glorygirl and Coco sadly passed away a week apart . They were fine one minute and the next they laid dead our vet said it was their heart. Hershey and Littlelove continued to do well and grow.
Hershey was adopted 9-29-01
Bob and Kelly Pickett offered to sponsor and foster Littlelove.
Littlelove gets a SPONSOR
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On 12-11-01

Bob came and picked Littlelove up to foster, He had a vet appointment all set up for her the same day. Littlelove's legs were still not as strong as they should be and she still had her skin problem. Bob's vet did a skin scraping to see what was going on with her. Nothing was learned from that. So that following Thursday they did 5 biopsies on Littlelove and it was sent to MSU. Still nothing was learned so they called in a Pathologist and a Dermatitis Specialist. They found that she has a bacterial / fungal infection that should be easily treated with the right antibiotics. Littlelove went weekly to the vet for immune shots and check ups at last Littleloves skin started to clear up...
Now how to help her gain her muscle strength in her legs?
Bob ordered a big metal watering trough for cows, he set it up in his heated garage so Littlelove would have a place to swim daily and exercise her legs. Kelly didn't think the garage was warm enough so she had Bob move it to the basement . The problem with the water exercise was that Littlelove was very afraid of the water and it was too stressful on her even when Bob was in the trough with her.
Littlelove 1-12-02
At Bob and Kelly's
Bob and Kelly brought Littlelove for a visit to one of our Adopt A Pet Days 1-19-02
Look how good her skin is....
It seem like her skin started to clear up and she was growing but her legs were getting weaker. Littlelove became almost a full time job to care for . She could not any longer get up on her own, which meant she needed to be carried out to potty and to walk with a belly ban  to exercise her legs. Bob and Kelly raise and foster dogs for the Leader Dogs For The Blind and their dog Daily they were fostering was taking a back seat to Littlelove as she was so time consuming
Having no choice but to put Daily's training and needs first the decision was made to bring Littlelove back to Sisters Haven . On 3-30-02 Bob brought Littlelove back after seeing her vet again and getting her shots and rabies up-dated.
Back at Sisters Haven
Littlelove was exercised many times a day by Charlene who is 13 years old we made a belly ban for her and it seemed to work pretty good. She also would sit and massage her back legs after every walk.
On 4-9-02 we took Littlelove to a vet to have x-rays done to find out why she couldn't get up or walk on her own. After hearing Littlelove's history and reading all the vet records from Bob's vet , we were told to put Littlelove to sleep that she would never get better. And no x-rays were taken. These were words I for one was not ready to hear. Later that day I called Connie and told her of the sad news and asked her to call Bob and Kelly as I didn't think I could get through the conversation . Connie called Bob and later I received a very nice email from Bob and Kelly offering to take Littlelove in if I decided to do as the vet said . That night I had a dream about Littlelove, I seen her standing and running and beautiful,all healthy. The only thing I wasn't sure of about the dream was if this is how she would be if she went to heaven or if this was how she could be if we didn't give up on her. In the morning I email everyone involved with Littlelove and told them all I wasn't ready to give up on her, after all I did promise her momma Glory. That day I emailed a rescue friend Nancy told her of Littlelove and asked her if she thought there was hope for her. Yes was her answer, Nancy helped me plan a new diet and all natural healing things for Littlelove. One of our volunteers Sharry has had reflexology treatments for some time at Natures Atrium in Howard City with Mari. Sharry had told Mari about Littlelove being an animal lover Mari offered to do acupressure on Littlelove to see if it would help.....So on 4-22-02 we had our first appointment with Mari and she performed acupressure on her. Four days later Littlelove got up by herself...
Standing all by herself
4-27-02
We set another appointment in 2 weeks with Mari for acupressure treatments and Littlelove kept improving. Her biggest problem was she would try to go to fast and her back legs could not keep up and she would fall. We thought about a cart for Littlelove, and so I contacted Eddie's Wheels, Wheelchairs for Pets about a used cart they had listed as a service they do for past customers who no longer need their carts. Leslie emailed me back then on 5-9-02 she called me to tell me that Eddie's Wheels, Wheelchairs for Pets wanted to make and donate a cart just for Littlelove. On 5-23-02 Littlelove's cart arrived.
5-31-02
She soon mastered her cart
The cart was like training wheels for her and enable her to walk longer distances so her muscles in her back legs could build up stronger and it worked.
On 6-11-02 Littlelove had another appointment with Mari, and Mari was delighted to see her walk into the clinic by herself. And on 6-27-02 Littlelove went to tell Mari good-by and to have her last acupressure treatment . Littlelove was at last going to be adopted. On 6-15-02 the day I started this page an application came in and it was for none other then Littlelove . Kathy and Lou wanted to adopt Littlelove . After a long conversation with Kathy by phone they came that night and met Littlelove it was love at first site for both them and Littlelove, they decided to adopt her and make her part of their family. they had a trip already planed to go visit grandkids and would come back on the 30th for her. On 6-28-02 I had a farewell - first birthday party for Littlelove. After all there were so many who wanted and needed to bid her a good by .

Littlelove
Littlelove had cake and presents and such a good time visiting with everyone
Littlelove's Cake
6-28-02
Even Littlelove enjoyed her cake...
Littlelove with her best friend Holly sharing one of  her new toys...
6-28-02
Bob Pickett saying good-by
6-28-02
ADOPTION DAY
6-30-02

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Saying good by to her big sister Charlene
6-30-02
giving Holly a good by kiss
6-30-02
Kathy and Lou
proud new parents of Littlelove
6-30-02
Now for my good by which was harder then words ....
I want to thank

Connie for pulling Glory and her pups and Cj for transporting them to Sisters Haven

Bob and Kelly Pickett for financially sponsoring Littlelove , fostering and also loving her

Sharry for talking to Mari about Littlelove

Mari for donating all the acupressure treatments for her

Eddie's Wheels Wheelchairs for Pets for donating Littlelove's cart

Nancy for all the support and helping with her natural diet and other holistic things

My sister Lynn for the support and seeing that Littlelove got what she needed

Holly the Hound for mothering Littlelove, also for laying down and playing with her when she couldn't walk and helping her when she was learning to use her cart....

My husband Bob for making paths for her in our back 10 acres and walking her everyday and laying down in the grass playing with her .

Charlene for exercising Littlelove and massaging her legs .

All of VOA group for your support and always being there .

Kathy and Lou for adopting such a special needs dog and taking on the financial responsibly and making her part of your family.

Myself for not listening to that vet...

But mostly to Littlelove for teaching MANY about a strong will, a heart and love...
Glory I kept my promise to you
Rest in Peace
Please visit
Natures Atrium
837 Shaw Rd.
Howard City, Michigan 49329
(231) 937-9370
If your considering Reflexology please give Mari a call
Home
Started 6-15-02
Completed 7-14-02
Hosted by www.Geocities.ws

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