Hi all! I just wanted to take a minute to say

Happy New Year

In Alaska, we still have nearly 5 hours left in 2017.

I thought I'd give a quick update. Remember Nova? He was in pretty bad shape. Dehydrated. Ribs showing. Hip bones sticking out. Could form his movements. I never saw a dog cower as low as this guy did when he looked at me and thought he did wrong. He didn't know what to do when all I did was reach down to pet him.

Well, Nova is gone. Meet Norm, short for Norman. He said it was time for a change. He doesn't look like a Norm but he seems to like it.

Look at those ribs. We can still feel them but you can hardly see them now. His hip bones are starting to smooth back under his skin again. After only a week, he doesn't cower now. It is amazing what showing an animal some love and kindness can do.

I honestly don't know what happened to this dog but I have never seen an animal tear into his food and water like he did that first night. This guy had not eaten in a long time. Did you know you can test for dehydration by pulling the skin then watching it pull back into place? When you release the skin, it should quickly return to its natural position. His skin just kind of stayed there. Norm was in bad shape.

He's already a good dog. Now that he is not fearing people, he is rubbing on us and begging for more attention. He's sitting here and staring at me now. I think he's hungry. He is a bottomless pit. That's okay, rice is cooking.

The only one that seems to have any issue is Ally. She feels neglected at times and her nose is now in a snit at times. When he came into our home, she knew he was in trouble. He was close to not being around anymore. She watched him but left him alone. Now that he's starting to feel better and acting like a dog, the rivalry is beginning. They just have to get the pecking order down pat. He goes potty without a lead already. She will not let him go outside without her. These two will soon be inseparable.

We're not quite sure how old he is. We were told he was seven. The rabies tag he wore said 2009 which would have been a year before he was born. Now that he is active again and has been thoroughly cleaned, he looks very close to puppy age still. We don't think he's four yet. He appears to have some issues with his hips. Not surprising seeing how badly the bones were showing. They'll most likely bother him later in life, but he is going to do well here. 

So from Kitty and I and Ally and Norm...

Happy New Year!

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