HEARTBROKEN OUR DEAR BOY GIO HAS GONE TO THE RAINBOW BRIDGE

It is only now as 2 months have passed that I can bear to put into words how I feel about losing my beloved dog Gio to cancer on 17th March 2011. Every time I wake in the morning I still expect to see him and hear him give his first woof of the day as we head downstairs to go out to the garden and to give him his breakfast along with Chloe & Molly. There is a huge hole in my heart, only another dog lover can really know what it is like when a much loved doggie member of the family dies, they really are a family member and you do go through such a grieving process, even though in your heart you know that the decision you made was what was best for your beloved dog.

On the day before Gio died he seemed to have a final hurrah and rallied enough to go for a walk and was enjoying himself, rolling over on his back in the field and wanting his tummy rubbed. He even found a stick that he started chewing at. It made the heart wrenching decision that we had been dreading so much harder, should we wait another few days or should we let him go out on a relative high, and with the dignity he so deserved. That night was an agony of long discussions, prayer and tossing and turning. Gio lay next to me on the bed as I cuddled him, knowing in my heart that our boy would soon be going home.

We decided that we could only bear it, if the vet came to our home, the wait was awful, Gio always hated going to the vets so we didn't want to have his last few hours with us upset, we wanted to keep things as normal as possible right up to the end. The wait for the vet Adam to come seemed an eternity and one that filled both Rene & my heart with dread, even though we knew we were doing what was right for Gio. Just before the vet arrived we had given Gio a lovely bacon smelling chew bone, which in typical Gio fashion he took too, he loved his chews, he just happily chewed on it and even wagged his tail when Adam & the nurse came in. Our hearts were literally churning as the full force of what was going to happen hit us as Adam got Gio ready as he lay on his blanket still chewing on his bone. We cuddled him and told him how much we loved him and stroked him as he gently went to sleep, with the bone still in his mouth, it helped us to see that there was no fear or upset on his part, he just went to sleep happy. My husband and I just clung to each other after the vet left and at last for me the tears just poured out, as I had been trying to be brave, for all our sakes. We have our dear boy buried in the back garden, next to our dear Ceilidh who went to the Rainbow bridge nine years ago. We dearly miss Gio our lovely boy, and will never forget him and the joy and happiness he brought to our lives, he was a special boy, a loveable rogue

Hope you are having a wonderful time Gio with Ceilidh & Buster at the Rainbow bridge

we love and miss you all, thank you for your love and faithfulness

Lorraine & Rene

Please Pray for Our Boy Dog Gio, thank you

Please pray for our lovely boy Gio,
he's the one in the front of the picture all snuggled up!

Fantastic News - Yippee

Thank you to all those dog loving friends who prayed for our dear boy Gio, it has certainly worked, Gio got home yesterday evening, 6th November and the lumps he had removed were just fatty lumps, one very large one and one tiny one, but they are not harmful in any way, so we are so relieved that he is well, and although he looks a bit weird having 2 shaved areas, he seems absolutely fine and has eaten his breakfast this morning, nothing much puts Gio off his food! He has had lots of cuddles from us all and will be well looked after as he recovers from his op. We take him back on Saturday for his post op check then in 9 days from now he gets his stitches out.

We are so grateful that he is doing well and again, thank you for all your love and concern for Gio, we all really appreciate it

Love
Rene, Lorraine & most of all Gio

Tuesday 4th November 2008

Today is a difficult day for us, full of uncertainty and worry. Last Wednesday we took our 3 lovely rescue dogs for their routine annual check up and vaccination and got a real shock when the vet found a large lump, just under our male dog, Gio's ruff, around his neck; the size of a tennis ball, we hadn't spotted it at all and were totally stunned. The vet explained that it is quite deep down, that is why we probably hadn't noticed it, we still felt pretty terrible though! He also has a slight heart murmur which was diagnosed a few years ago, but are told it is quite mild and nothing to worry about.

The vet took a needle aspiration there and then, and we have been waiting anxiously for the results,if you are a dog lover you know what it's like, they are almost like children to us. Today we phoned the vets and were told that the aspiration was inconclusive, as they couldn't find enough cells to tell them anything, so the next step is a biopsy on Thursday morning. They have advised that they will try and remove the whole lump if they can, although it is in a difficult place, and will do the lab tests to find out if it is benign or mailignant.

It will be a long wait for us until Thursday and even longer to know if our boy is going to be alright, he seems his usual self which is good, so we are hoping for the best, but always have the nagging uncertainty that it could be something worse, having already lost our dear springer Ceilidh 5 years ago to mast cell cancer. I do believe in the power of prayer, and will be asking God to help Gio make a full recovery and that he will be healthy and happy, he's our wonderful boy dog and full of character! We are not ready to lose him, he is only seven and in his prime!

If there are any other dog lovers out there, who could join their prayers to ours, we would really appreciate it,

Thank you so much

Love

Lorraine & Rene Huber

Some More Photos of Our 3 Lovely Rescue Dogs

Our 3 Rescue dogs are just so lovely and all so different in nature and temperament. We have adopted them all at different ages and they all get on so well together. They have a great life now they have been rescued and have never looked back! We love each one of them


Lorraine & Rene Huber
Livington, West Lothian, Scotland

Best Wishes to all animal lovers,
we look forward to hearing your own stories of dog rescue,or animal rescue

email :
abstractloft@blueyonder.co.uk




We have all our orders, we know just how to wrap our owners round our little finger!

I like my cuddles when I'm sleepy!

Our day out at Portobello beach, just deciding whether to go for a swim
or chill out in the sunshine, mmm!!

Well I've had my swim now where's my ice cream?

Come on I still want to play why are you ignoring me

Well I'm up for a game are you?

My Mum likes to give me a cuddle as I'm just so cute xxx

I would be happy to hear from you with any questions or comments relating to dog rescue, if you would like to exchange links relating to animal rescue and in particular dog rescue, then please contact me by email

abstractloft@blueyonder.co.uk

Best Wishes
Lorraine G Huber

Our Lovely Rescue Dogs & Friends - Photos by Lorraine G Huber

Welcome to my Dogs For Life

Dog Rescue Site - Sharing My Personal Experiences
on adopting rescue dogs



Our lovely Molly with her flying Monkey,
she just loved that toy until she chewed it to bits!

Thank you for visiting, please visit often as new photos
and information on dog rescue sites will be added regularly

Lorraine Huber

Livingston, West Lothian
Scotland

email abstractloft@blueyonder.co.uk

I have put this blog together partly to share my photographs and experiences of our own 3 lovely rescue dogs, view all my pictures below. I also want to encourage people who love dogs to find out more information about how to help the thousands of wonderful dogs, in rescue centres throughout the UK. I will be updating this site regularly with new information, so I hope that you will visit often and also leave your comments or questions, so that I can improve the site.

There are some very important questions that you must ask yourself before getting carried away by the thought of having a dog, as they are a committment for life, not just for Christmas!

Do you work full time?

If you do then a dog would not necessarily be for you unless you could make provisions for the dog so that they would be walked throughout the day and not left on their own for long periods, as this is not fair on the dog and can cause stress and suffering which would lead to unwanted behaviour.

Do you have the kind of lifestyle that a dog could be part of?
Do you enjoy walking in all weathers, as a dog needs regular exercise no matter how you feel, they need company love and a regular routine. Do you have the time to devote to a dog, in exercising, playing, training, grooming and all their other needs.

Do you like to take regular holidays?
Dogs can be a big factor in the holiday period, finding someone to look after them. We have found that this is an expensive feature of owning our dogs paying for kennels or home sitting.

Can you afford the commitment of a dog. A dog is expensive not just initially, not just the food and treats, but the vaccinations, and often unexpected vets bills for any illness or injury. Even if you opt for pet insurance there is the excess, and if you don't have insurance, vets bills can often be hundreds, as we have found out owning 3 rescue dogs ourselves.

Do you live in a home with a secure garden, this is a must especially if considering owning a rescue dog. Most rescue organisations will not home to people in high rise flats.

Do you have children under 5, some dogs do not respond well to young children and this could be a problem later for you and the dog

I know this sounds as if I am trying to put you off owning a dog, I'm not. I just know from personal experience what a huge committment, in so many different ways owning a dog is. They are like children in a way, totally reliant on you for their physical and emotional needs and this is a lifelong responsibility. It is serious decision to adopt a dog into your life, all I would urge you to do is to ask yourself all the above questions and think about if adopting a dog is right for you and right for the dog. If I haven't put you off then there are lots of organisations that can advise you in taking that first step. I have shared a little of my own experinces and photos of our own dogs below.


Thank you for visiting my blog and don't forget to scroll down and see our own dogs, we love them to bits they fill our lives with happiness. If you would like to ask any questions about our my own experiences of owning rescue dogs then please feel free to email me, Lorraine G Huber.

Please also visit the dog rescue sites I have listed in my blog , if
you want to find out how to adopt a rescue dog in the UK

abstractloft@blueyonder.co.uk

Our 3 Wonderful Rescue Dogs

A male pointer cross breed, &
2 female Springer Spaniels,

It's nice to sunbathe

My Dad's just gone for the ice cream can't wait!

Yum yum

I love my monkey he's nice and soft to lie on


More of our Lovely Rescue Dogs

In 2003 we lost our beautiful little Springer spaniel Ceilidh, to cancer she was almost 13 and we had had her from a puppy. She was a fantastic dog so full of fun, loving and loyal, we were so devastated when she went to doggy heaven, she left such a huge gap in our lives, she was our family and we truly grieved for her.

We later had to decide if we should we be without a dog at all, but we just couldn't bear it. We then considered the possibility of adopting a rescue dog , as we knew that there were so many lovely dogs, that through no fault of their own, were looking for a permanent home. We hadn't ever had a rescue dog before and had always brought up our dogs from puppies, so we knew what to expect from them, so finding out about adopting was a big step for us and we were quite nervous about it, but excited too at the prospect of sharing our lives with another dog.

Our First Rescue Dog Adoption

We went to visit our nearest dog rescue centre, Dogs Trust at West Calder to discuss this, they were so helpful and caring. On our second visit,we fell in love with a lovely 2yr old pointer cross called Gio who really chose us too, he put his paw through the bar to my husband and looked longingly, our hearts just melted. We took him for a walk around the track and 2 weeks later after our home visit and everything was approved we were allowed to adopt him, we were just thrilled, those 2 weeks seemed like an eternity as went to visit him in the kennels and knew he was going to be our boy. He is just such a character and so laid back and loving. He has been so adaptable and laid back , as through time we adopted our 2 lovely springer girls; he lets them know in his own way who's boss, but then lets them get away with murder, he is a big softie! I'll write more of our experiences as time goes by, but for now have fun looking at our photos............


Adopting our 3 rescue dogs has been a fantastic experience, we have had them all at different ages and they all get on fantastically with each other. They have completely different temperaments and funny ways and each one has brought us great joy, as well as worry at times, if they get ill or injure themselves.

If you are thinking about owning a dog, please consider adopting a rescue dog, it is so rewarding for you and the dog. There are so many wonderful dogs in rescue centres throughout the country just waiting for that forever home.

I can personally recommend at least 3, that we have adopted from, they care so deeply about the dogs in their care and find the most suitable permanent homes for them.

I will list the three websites here if you are considering giving a dog a loving home. We have had our dogs for 2 - 4 years now and have never regretted it!

www.secondchancekennels.org/

http://www.dogstrust.org.uk/

http://www.springerrescue.org.uk/

This website shows rescue centres throughout the UK with information on rescue dogs in their care. I am sure that you will find so much helpful information on all these sites. Please contact me if you would like to know more about our own experiences of adopting a rescue dog. I would be happy to give some advice.

http://www.dogsblog.com/index.php

Dog Rescue & Dogs Available for Rehoming

Support your own local dog rescue organisations.
If you can't own a dog yourself then why not think about getting involved in dog walking or fostering, raising funds, there are all sorts of ways that you can help rescue dogs where you live.

http://www.scottishspca.org/

The Scottish Society For The Prevention of Cruelty To Animals is a fantastic organisation needing all our help to rescue animals in dire situations, please visit their website to see how you can be involved

http://www.dogpages.org.uk/links.htm


The following link gives information about for animal lovers everywhere
that feel strongly about the ethical treatment of all animals, there are numerous ways that you can get involved
http://www.peta.org.uk/


Here are some more of our own lively bunch, hope you find them amusing, we love them to bits, never a dull moment!

They look too comfy, I think I'll go and annoy them

I know she's bigger than me but she's lying down and she lets me get away
with lots of things because I'm a pup

I love swinging on my Mum's foot

A day out at the Almondell Country yipee!

I was born swimming!

Do you think it's dinner time yet?

Its been white quite a long time now

Where's that squirrel gone now?

This is me since yesterday .......

I may be older but I can still run fast

A wall is there to be looked over

Shall I dig another hole in the sand or just have a rest now?

Time for a rest now, its been an eventful day

ZZZZZZzzzzzzzz

Friends love each other

xxxxxxx
xxxx

If you are going on holiday abroad and would like to take your dogs with you here is the information about Pet Travel Scheme

http://www.defra.gov.uk/animalh/quarantine/index.htm

If you are also interested in my work as an artist please visit my online gallery and my other artist blog

www.abstractloft.com

www.artiscot.blogspot.com

I also have just started a blog sharing my photos
the beautiful scottish scenery

www.scottishscenes.blogspot.com
and also have my own arts blog

www.artiscot.blogspot.com
www.abstractloft.com

Best Wishes

Lorraine G Huber 2007

HELP TO PREVENT THE CRUEL ACT OF TAIL DOCKING

I recently received an email from the fantastic charity DOGS TRUST formerly the Canine Defense League asking me as a member to consider attending a public meeting on January 10th 2006 to help lobby the government to ban all tail docking in dogs. I would urge all dog lovers to read the enclosed details and think about attending this meeting or at least looking at the website details :

Subject: Dogs Trust calls for ban on tail-docking

As you may know, the Animal Welfare Bill is finally on the brink of becoming law in England and Wales, and the similar Animal Health and Welfare (Scotland) Bill is going through the Scottish Parliament. This is great news as the new laws will give greater protection to animals in many ways, especially as they make responsible ownership a legal requirement for the first time! But there is a vital piece of legislation missing and we need your help to ensure that this legislation is included. If the Bills go through in their current form, tail-docking (the removing of a dogs' tail leaving a stump) may still be allowed if the dogs are believed to be working dogs. We believe that tail-docking is cruel and unnecessary. Not only is it a practice that causes pain and suffering to young puppies, but deprives dogs of a vital form of their canine expression and can have long-term adverse effects on health. We are calling for a total ban on tail-docking other than for therapeutic medical reasons. The Bills will have a second reading in their respective parliaments on the 10th January, so it's not too late to make sure a ban on docking is included, but time is running out. You can help us achieve an end to this cruel practice, and we are appealing to you to write to your MP (if you live in England or Wales) or your MSP (if you live in Scotland). Please feel free to use the below sentence as a guide. 'Please attend the debate on January 10th and speak to support our case for a complete ban on tail docking because it is cruel' To add your support please contact your local MP or MSP. Email addresses can be found through the House of Commons or Scottish Parliament websites. Visit www.parliament.uk/directories/directories.cfm or www.scottish.parliament.uk With your help, we hope to prevent even more unnecessary suffering to dogs. Thank you for your support. Yours sincerely Clarissa Baldwin Chief Executive, Dogs Trust

Mad About Dogs Are You?

DOGS FOR LIFE - YES THEY CAN EXTEND YOUR LIFE IN ALL SORTS OF WAYS!

If you are thinking about owning a dog, then please consider adopting a rescue dog, there are so many wonderful dogs who need a special loving home, we have never regretted adopting our three great dogs!
visit some of these wonderful websites it will just melt your heart!

http://www.secondchancekennels.org/
http://www.dogstrust.org.uk/ http://www.springerrescue.org.uk/

& please visit my other interesting websites & blogs listed below

www.abstractloft.com
www.artiscot.blogspot.com
www.scottishscenes.blogspot.com
www.scotsfoodie.blogspot.com
www.algardendesignscotland.blogspot.com








Mad About Dogs - or Just Mad?

I am one of those people who just adores my dogs, to me they are a continual source of happiness as they are so full of fun, love and joy and have their own particular personalities and foibles just as we humans do! I must be crazy because I have 3 dogs: all are rescue dogs, 2 female English Springer Spaniels ( 1 is a 5 month old pup) one 7 yrs and one 5yr old male cross breed pointer. At the moment the pup is the bane of his life and just a noisy intrusion in his otherwise laidback existence. I think he keeps hoping she is just on an extended holiday and we are going to give her back! He'll get used to her once she stops trying to lie next to him and give him kisses. The other female just loves having a pal to tussle with and cuddle up to as well!

Anyway here are a few pictures of the 3 amigos I hope that you like them, visit again, I'll be adding more soon

Have a very Happy Christmas & 2006
Best Wishes

Lorraine G Huber

www.abstractloft.com
www.artiscot.blogspot.com
www.scottishscenes.blogspot.com
www.scotsfoodie.blogspot.com
www.algardendesignscotland.blogspot.com