| From | Message |
June
IP: 70.226.213.216
1/04/2006
23:21:08 |
 Subject: Shepherds
Message:
Our neighbors have always had German Shepherds since they built their house next to us. Our little Yorkie and the two dogs they had at that time would have a ball chasing up and down the fence line. As the dogs all got older they slowed down and finally it was just out the door and one bark and that was it. Their dogs died within a couple months of our little Yorkie. They then got two more shepherds - one male and one female. The female they named Heather. The breeder they bought Heather from was showing her in the dog shows and Heather was starting to win a few ribbons and then her coat started looking bad and she started losing weight. They took her to the vet, they said it was allergies, put her on a bunch of expensive meds and she did not get better. They took her to Champaign to the vet school and it ended up that Heather had no pancreas. She had just enough to produce a small amount of insulin to keep her going. Eventually she got so sick they had to put her down. Anyway, prior to our neighbors knowing that Heather was even sick I had bought another new camera and was sitting on the deck playing around with it. Heather was sitting at the fence watching me. I zoomed in on her and took a couple of pictures. I loaded them on my computer with my other pics and forgot about them. When our neighbor called to tell me what was happening with Heather and that they were going to have to have her euthanized I remembered the pictures that I had taken. I brought them up on my computer and they were so good of her. Her eyes were perfectly set in the diamond pattern in the fence. After her death I printed the pictures for my neighbors as they did not have any pictures of her. She was only two and a half years old when she died. I then sat here at the computer with my photo program and took all the background and chain link fencing out of the picture so it was just Heather- a really great picture of her. I made a card with just her picture on the front and found the best poem for the inside and sent it to them. They were so happy to have a picture of their little girl. They framed the card. The reason I am telling this is to remind everyone that when you take a picture of something or someone, you may never know how really important that picture will be to someone someday. I didn't, but I do now. I love photography so I take oodles of pictures of anything and everything.
I was also afraid of big dogs (shepherds) until I met all these guys next door over the course of their years. They are big old teddy bears.
Sorry - broke my rule I made about not getting long and windy on this board.
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Moi
IP: 66.215.188.48
1/04/2006
23:27:17 | RE: Shepherds
Message:
Thank you for the beautiful story, June. You're right - you'll never know when it might mean something to someone.
Would you please email me? Just click on my name and it will take you to my email.
Thanks!
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Barbara Wheeler
IP: 69.19.14.20
1/05/2006
09:13:18 | RE: Shepherds
Message:
June,
Unfortunately most people ARE afraid of shepherds. Actually they are afraid of "stories" about shepherds. These animals are as loving a creature as God ever put on earth. The are indeed territorial, and they DO "Shepherd" their people. They tend to be very protective by their nature. But that is part of their beauty. When any thing or any body is raised with love, and gentle caring, the behave toward others with care and concern. When any thing or any body is raised with hate and viciousness, then that too will show in their personalities.
You can actually SEE my babies smile when you talk to them. If one of them gets into any kind of trouble, and there is the slightest harsh edge to my words, they all scatter and try to find cover. They just don't do MEAN! Most of their "barking" is just their way of communication. Did you not find that the more you watched them, the better you understood their behavior.
And if you raise one from birth, they really respond to love! Sort of like my children. (But at least the 4 legged babies behave, and would not consider deliberate disobedience. They are perpetual 2 year old, fur baring, 4 legged children, with the best attitudes out there.
Well how's this for long winded? You started it, you talked about shepherds!
Do you use Adobe PhotoShop to work on your photos? We are constantly amazed with the things you can do with that program. It seems to me that the old school use of film is pretty much kaput! It is digital all the way for us. Our first digital camera was a Sony, now we have 4 different digital cameras. Each one is specific to the type of photography we are doing for the websites.
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debodel
IP: 72.15.74.191
1/05/2006
09:48:33 | RE: Shepherds
Message:
I can relate to the Shepherd story, only insert a Rottweiler. I miss my big man so, so, so much. My husband brought him home when he was 5 weeks old and 11 pounds. He quickly grew to 140 pounds of pure teddy bear, hence his name BEAR. As most of you know, my husband works 3rd shift and Bear quickly became my best friend in the world. People that saw us together knew that we communicated without either of us "speaking" a word. He rarely barked and was as gentle as a lamb. However, not everyone felt about him the way we did and in May of 2003 - someone poisoned him. That big lug died in my arms. That year for Christmas, my sister gave me a collage made with pictures of Bear. It is the most cherished gift I have ever received. There are still pictures of him in every room of our home. Thanks for the great story and for letting me take a little walk down memory lane.
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Barbara Wheeler
IP: 66.82.9.80
1/05/2006
10:28:33 | RE: Shepherds
Message:
Oh Deb, people that do that to animals should be shot and hung....That being-
shot with s_ _ t, and hung for stinking!
Even if we don't care for some other breed they are some ones baby! I am so sorry for your loss. And I am sorry that anyone would be that self absorbed to do that kind of destructive act to any thing.
Our pup that we called WuS, short for Wus' son, became WuS aka BEAR, is the customs agent. The last word we had from his Mum and Dad, he was weighing in at 115 pounds. That has been months ago so no telling his weight by now.
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Sheltie Girl
IP: 68.59.247.39
1/05/2006
10:47:33 | RE: Shepherds
Message:
Oh Deb I am so sorry! I cannot tolerate people who are mean or abuse animals.I love dogs and cats...have been around them my whole life.
Lori
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Barbara Wheeler
IP: 66.82.9.59
1/05/2006
11:31:21 | RE: Shepherds
Message:
June please email me right quick! Thanks
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Lorraine
IP: 142.179.227.254
1/05/2006
19:29:42 | RE: Shepherds
Message:
Deb, I cried when I read your story. Some people are so cruel. People who are cruel to animals are usually people who are also able to harm or kill people as well. My sister in Winnipeg has a rottie who thinks he is a lapdog. He is also very protective of his family and property.
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Moi
IP: 66.215.188.48
1/05/2006
19:38:27 | RE: Shepherds
Message:
Lorraine,
I agree with you 100%. I had the misfortune of living next door to one of those people when I was a newly wed. I tried to befriend this girl who was 16 with 2 children. The father of her 2nd child looked evil. Turned out he was. One day when her 1st child was a baby, he was trying to change her diaper and she wouldn't stop crying. He took her leg and snapped it in 2. They went to the hospital, the mother said it was her fault, she did it, and the police said nope, sorry. They had file on the boyfriend that went wayyyy back into his teens and early adult years. Animal cruelty was big on his list, especially breaking animals legs. I had no idea of all this when I tried to help her, and her grandmother was begging me to keep an eye out and call her if I saw anything happen. One night Val, the neighbor, called me and asked me if I wanted her kids. She didn't want them anymore, she wanted to be with the sick boyfriend. I had the horrible burden of calling her grandmother and telling her she had to come get the babies (3 & 1). It made me so angry, that his parents defended him up and down. Even when he admitted AND LAUGHED about hurting the animals!!! I wonder if there's a special waiting area in hell for people like that.
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Barbara Wheeler
IP: 66.82.9.81
1/05/2006
19:49:16 | RE: Shepherds
Message:
Those types better pray to whom ever their God is, that they don't get caught by baby owners like us! They better have committed to God cause their you know what will belong to me!
Children and animals are pretty equal in my book, each equally innocent!
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debodel
IP: 72.15.68.90
1/05/2006
22:10:58 | RE: Shepherds
Message:
Moi - I hope that their "special" place is somewhere that all the beloved pets who have ever been abused or hurt by human hands happen to roam. Bet that'll teach 'em.
Lorraine, don't be sad for me. I had 7 wonderful years with my baby. And though I have been blessed with a wonderful husband, children and grandchildren - that animal (and I use that term loosely) taught me what true, unconditional love was all about. I do know that he died peacefully. My Rottie, too, thought he was a lapdog. He had no idea of his size or strength and not a vicious bone in his big ol' body.
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