Gotcha Days Galore...long with pics..

Today marks 2 years since Pacer joined our pack. Pacer was found as a stray out in the boonies. He was with another dog, both of them full of bb gun pellets. Pacer and Lear were trapped and brought to the shelter. Once they didn't need each other to survive, they hated each other! Lear has gone on to live with a lovely family. Pacer sat in the shelter for well over a year. He was afraid of everything and spent most of his time shaking and trying to melt into the floor of his kennel. Pacer made no progress in the shelter. It was too much for him. No one ever expressed any interest in adopting him. We had a foster move on (yes, it happens) and had an open spot so after much debate, Pacer was chosen as the dog who needed out of the shelter most. (the other candidate was Founder, who arrived about a month later anyway!).

Pacer was less than thrilled about this move. He may not have liked the shelter, but it was familiar at least. He howled his head off for hours. I finally went and put him in our arctic entry for the night with Earle. At about 3am, Stuart asked why Earle was loose. Pure panic set in when we realized that Pacer can turn doorknobs! He had set himself and Earle free. Earle was no problem to recapture, but Pacer took days and days. He lurked around in the forest behind us, but he would never get close enough to let me catch him. We finally cornered him when he got hungry!

Pacer stole my heart pretty much upon arrival and I adopted him a few weeks after he arrived.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v3...98/Dogs/pa.jpg
Today Pacer is a good sled dog who vibrates with excitement while he's waiting to go! He's still timid, but nothing like he used to be. I can let him off leash now and he comes when he's called. He sleeps on the bed with us and even gets a little pushy about his space on the bed! He gets picked on by the other dogs as he's an easy, submissive target. So he has his own pen now--when he's not in the house!

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v3...acer2years.jpg
This was taken this afternoon. He hasn't moved for hours.
Happy Gotcha day Pacer!!

Today also marks one year since my sweet Paxil joined our family. The very first time I ever drove a dog team, Paxil was my leader.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v3...ff/dogteam.jpg
This picture is of that team. That's me driving with my friend, Trish, in the sled. Paxil and Clarence are up front. Clarence is now at the bridge.

I told her owner at the time that if she never needed a new home, Paxil was mine! Last November 6, Paxil needed a new home. Paxil is a 9.5 years old now. She's adapted very well to being a part time working dog, full time house dog. She does love her spot by the wood stove!
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v3...axil_relax.jpg

Last January, she developed pancreatitis and became dangerously dehydrated. She spent a week at the vet on an IV and getting some intensive care. She lost so much weight that you could count her ribs from across the room. While she was there, the vet aspirated a lump on her back leg and found that Paxil also had cancer. A grade 2 mast cell tumor, the most unpredictable of the mast cell grades.

Paxil had to wait a couple weeks for surgery to take the tumor out. She was not strong enough to survive the surgery after the pancreatitis. The location made it difficult to get all the cancerous cells and still have enough skin to close the wound. The vet did the very best she could. This was not our usual vet as he was in the process of building his own clinic at the time. I was warned that there was a very strong possiblity that Paxil's tumor would return and her leg may need to be amputated.

Today, Paxil sleeps contentedly by the woodstove with her feline friend, Ivy.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v3...paxil1year.jpg
The only sign that she was ever sick is a small patch of fur on her back leg. Right where the tumor was, the fur grew back differently, it's faded looking and the hair swirls in a circle. There is no sign that the mast cell cancer has returned.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v3...appyleader.jpg
Paxil still works on my sled team. She loves to pull. A sure fire way to get her off her doggy bed is to show her a harness. She's not as fast as she once was, but she's a solid, reliable leader who never misses a command and who still enjoys her job. She's full of kisses, she'd lick your face right off she could! She's a happy, healthy, silly mutt!

Happy Gotcha day Princess Paxil!

And just to make today more memorable--Sundin is supposed to be arriving later this afternoon!

Happy Gotcha day!! ;) Great pictures, you dogs are gorgeaus! Thanks for sharing!

I love the pictures and hearing the stories about your dogs.

Happy Gotcha day Pacer and Paxil.

Happy Gotcha day Pacer & Paxil! :)

HAPPY GOTCHA DAY PACER AND PAXIL!
You two couldn't have found a better home:D

Happy Gotcha Day!!!!! Anna is right, they could not have come to a better home. :D

Happy Gotcha days Paxil and Pacer!!!!! Sundin too!!! I just love hearing their stories, I am so glad these two found a way to your house...and very soon Sundin, I can't wait to see and hear more about him!

Great stories! Happy Gotcha Day Pacer and Paxil!

Happy Gotcha Day Pacer, Paxil and Sundin!!! When I die, I want to come back as one of Glacier's doggies! :o

hapy gotcha days!

Oh my goodness...three dogs all on November 6th.:eek: There has to be something more cosmic (?) to that. :) Either that, or you need to start going away around November 6th. ;)
Happy Gotcha Day Pacer and Paxil. You are both very lucky and loved doggies and I know that you are enjoying not just your Gotcha Day but every day at your new home. I love the way Paxil lays, she is both curled up and stretched out at the same time. :)

those are beutiful pics!!!! I love the sceanery!