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Caira Sue. What a long strange trip it’s been.

So how did we get to this point? How did we get to the point where we plaster cast and painted a mold of our dog’s front left foot?

In May 2002 an adorable brown puppy was born in Colorado. From here the story gets shaky. She’s never really told us the details. Stuff happens and this puppy was found wandering streets in a not-so-great-town and was brought into a clinic where my sister just happened to be working that night.  The lady who brought her in said “if you guys don’t take it, I will just put it back on the street where I found it.”

More stuff happens. All the vet staff take turns fostering this little puppy and calling her “Molly” of all things. Then in July 2002 my sister drives down to Ft Defiance, AZ and brings us the most adorable puppy we’d ever seen. We name her Caira Sue. We find “Caira” in an old dictionary to mean “It will go on” and “to charge forth.” That totally describes our girl-then and now. Of course, we did the only proper thing to do in America, we completely change the pronounciation. It kind of evolves into “Kara or Kyra.” The “Sue” is a nod to my hillbilly roots. Love those two names.

At the time I was working as a RN on the reservation. My husband, like most of the husbands there, had nothing to do but hike and explore. From the age of 4 months, Caira Sue has been going on adventures. Her jumping and smiles and all around goofiness has been infectious. You can always hear her shouting “I’M A DOOOOOOOGGG!” as she runs and jumps and digs.

7 years of amazing adventures. Hiking, backpacking, swimming (lots of stuff happening)-many moves later and Caira Sue lives in the east San Francisco Bay.

In July 2009 she was diagnosed with Osteosarcoma in her right shoulder blade. At the end of the month it was amputated-shoulder blade, leg, the whole kit and kaboodle. Stuff happens.

We have had many adventures since. Camping, hiking, swimming. Roadtripping across the Southwest. We have met beautiful people with huge hearts through the tripawds group. In NorCal we have met amazing tripawds. We have learned that having 3 legs never really slowed a dog down. In fact, I often thought they were having more fun.

While taking her to UC Davis to treat the OSA, Caira Sue was placed in a Gemzar inhalation chemo study. Because of that, Caira has had an amazing 6.5 months. I am forever grateful that we were able to take part in this study.

Now that this study has been ongoing for awhile and there’s evidence of it working, they are starting to use it on children. Our Caira Sue. Our most amazing, most beautiful, most adventurous, most precious dog…has helped countless children in the future.

And that’s a beautiful thing.

May 2002-Thursday, Jan 21, 2010.

May you always catch the tennis balls and swim in the waves. May you always be heard shouting “I’M A DOOOOOOOGGGGGG!” Charge forth, forever Caira Sue. Charge forth.


Caira Sue’s Poppa’s First Post of Playful Puppy Pictures!

So, I’ve been dragging my feet about posting on here..

Probably because of all the craziness and stress of..well…being Caira Sue’s Pop.

That is, Until now..until I felt….MUST POST PUPPY PICTURES!!

Am I “Keeping up with the Jones'” ? Heck Yes I am!

 

First, here we have Caira Sue and her Foster Sister, Madison.

Then we have Caira Sue the Rez Dog..Chompin’ on a Rawhide,while lying on a hose.  Before you ask, yes, she had a real bed.

Next, Caira Sue snoozing in the back of my old 1969 Jeep Wagoneer…

Can you tell that I’m trying to win the cutness vote…?

Caira Sue and her hiking partner in the High Desert Plateau in Arizona…

Caira Sue & her Poppa…..

     I doubt I’m the only person to get overcome with a flood of mixed emotions while going through old Puppy Pictures.  I’m thankful for every adventure and misadventure I’ve had the honor to share with my girl.  I’ll post more soon, maybe even tomorrow…but right now, I’m going to go lie down and relish the fact that I won’t have any sheets, or room for my legs in bed…Thanks to Caira Sue.

Up for a challenge?

Tonight Caira Sue was!Check out the huge “tennis” ball Adam got Caira today….we weren’t sure she was going to be up for the challenge. We shouldn’t have been so worried. She took one look at that ball and said to us…”bring it on!!!”

Too much tail wagging to get a really good picture….isn’t it great how it’s almost the size of her head!

Yeah…so she’s been carrying this thing around the house for the last 30 minutes. Every time she puts it down, Sammy or the kittens go to sniff it and she snaps it right back up and another round the room she goes!

Here’s Polly waiting her turn….

Yeah…we were trying to watch ‘the fringe’ but that didn’t happen…it’s on pause.

A quick break before someone else comes to sniff the big ole tennis ball. Just so y’all know, she’s been chewing on it since I started this post and she’s still at it. I don’t know how long this one will last. But then, she deserves to chew every tennis ball she can in the life she has left! And today, that’s a BIG one!

Naps are good

Sometimes we all need a good nap.

Sometimes we all need a good nap with friends.

It’s been rainy and kinda cold here. I think this pretty much sums up our weekend! How was yours?

Best Burger Bet

Caira Sue wants everyone to know that Burger King has these really cool things called “BK Burger Shots.” It’s a 6 pack of Caira Sue size hamburgers! How awesome is that?

Today she went on a road trip around the bay. I thought a plain burger would do her good and there was a burger king nearby. Clearly I hadn’t been to one in awhile…..or else this is a new item? Who knows. Anyway, Caira Sue is one happy dog, lovin the bk burger shots.

A day at the beach, anyone?

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The weather was beautiful today. Caira Sue was feeling pretty good. We decided it was a good day to go to the beach!

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Great levitating Caira Sues!

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Not so Tuff ball

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Chuck-It Back Scratch Love

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January Tripawd Party!!!

This party was special.

Cemil has a birthday this month. Also, his 1 year ampuversary is this month. Also, he’s a big, gentle and awesome dog. Another reason this party is special is because Max came from Southern California…just to see US! The third reason is that Caira Sue’s 6 month ampuversary was yesterday. Wahoo! All VERY good reasons for a party.

Thought we should start these pix with Maggie wearing her Party Fairie wings!

DSC03126Here’s the purple party pimp hat that Adam made for Cemil’s birthday.

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I think it was too small!

DSC03109Not sure he was very fond of the gift!!!!

DSC03119Max came to see us. He came ALLL the way from Southern California! Good thing he brought his coat, because it was COLD here today!

Max had a funny way of getting to know Caira. She didn’t mind. Dog’s speak funny languages sometimes.

DSC03104My father-in-law came and brought his neurotic, psychotic dog Sammy. Lucky for everyone, Sammy was on his best behavior. Lucky for you, he photographs well.

DSC03096Here’s the Shepherds together….Montana and Travis Ray:

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Shelby was her beautiful Fawcett self this month.

DSC03123And Bob came!!! We were all soooooo happy to finally meet this man in person. I really enjoyed meeting him. As you may have guessed, his presence is as amazing as his online voice. Of course, I didn’t get a picture of his face! Ha! You will have to meet him yourself to see what he REALLY looks like! What I did manage to snap though, was how he surrounded himself with Tripawds! Oh, how they loved Bob. I’m sure it had nothing to do with the bag of treats….

DSC03095Here’s a snap our beautiful girl. She did amazingly well today. Caira Sue made many friends…some with 3 legs and some with 4 legs. She doesn’t discriminate!

DSC03113Adam was the dog whisperer today. He had them all hanging out with him.

DSC03131Here Adam and Karen are hanging out…one Pug each! Adam had Maggie and Karen has Tani.

DSC03132At the end of the day, Maggie was a pooped out party girl. I think this picture says it all.

DSC03134Since I started this blog with Tri-pug Fairies, I guess I will end it with Tri-pug Fairies. Or should it be Tri-Fairie Pugs? Your choice.

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Barney came to visit

As our new friend Jim said “My generation had Big Bird and Snuffleupagus who could easily kick Barney’s ass.” I think that explains it all.

So Barney is starting a tour across the World to see all tripawds, and to see who will tear which limb off first! Muah hahhahaha!

Barney came to our house first. In a coffee pot box. Really.DSC03009Since Barney is on a World Tour we decided to take him to Sherman Island. We posted a big part of Barney’s adventure on the killbarney website here:

http://killbarney.tripawds.com/2010/01/05/caira-sue-kicks-off-killbarney-tour/

But I couldn’t resist posting a few more pix. Here’s Barney trying to hide:

DSC03033Silly Barney. You can’t hide from a determined dog. See what happens when you hide?

DSC03051Caira did spend some time playing with her tennis balls. (see yesterday’s post). I think I heard Barney breathe a sigh of relief as Adam started burying balls on the beach and Caira was distracted enough to dig at them instead of Barney!

DSC03039Here’s Barney enjoying a few minutes of relaxation.

DSC03035Ooops…this is what happens when you take a break:

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Great flying Barneys!!!!

DSC03071Where oh where will Barney land after this?????

Jumpin Caira Sues

DSC03047Caira Sue hasn’t been feeling well since Christmas. She’s been on a few short trips about town, but this was the first trip to play in over a week. We went to one of her favorite places, Sherman Island. And like always, we had the place to ourselves. Wahoo!

DSC03042I like this picture. It makes her look like a cartoon character-all head, with a tiny body!

We took a drive in the country so Caira could smell her cows. She looooooves to stick her head out the window and sniff her some cow. Oh yeah.

DSC03012DSC03015The other day Caira Sue was at the pet store and begged for a 24″ Bully stick. Caira Sue has never had a 24″Bully stick. She’s never shown interest in 24″ Bully sticks. I personally think she took a look at Nova’s christmas pictures while I was at work one day and got jealous. Oh, if Nova can have a 24″ Bully stick, so can I! So here she is, trying to eat a 24″ Bully stick. Oh, and that’s the rescue kitten Polly on the other end. Polly hero-worships Caira and wishes she were a dog. She’s always copying Caira!

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Views from Caira Sue’s house

DSC02987Chicken basted rawhide, Yum.

DSC02988Polly, Poppa, Caira Sue and the bone.

1226091627Rescue kitten, Pirate George. Arrr.

IMAG0093A good cuddle with Poppa.

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