special needs dogs

Meet Colby: Another Recipient of the Frankie Wheelchair Fund

Posted by Barbara Techel

IMG_0674Perhaps you might have “met” Colby already if you are fans of Lovey Loaves Sanctuary as that is where Colby happily resides as one of the top chief ambassadors for pets with special needs.

I’ve admired the passionate work of Cheri and Ward Wells who run the special needs dog rescue for quite some time.  Colby is a very happy and active pup who is so busy keeping things in order and playing that his wheelchair broke one day!  Well, we can’t have that when one’s job is so very important and vital to things running smoothly at the sanctuary.

I’m happy to report that Colby is up and running and full speed and capacity now with his shining new wheels from Eddie’s Wheels and courtesy of the Frankie Wheelchair Fund.

I’ll be sharing two more dogs the Frankie Wheelchair Fund has helped in the near future.  This makes 17 dogs, because of the generous contributions from others, that we have been able to help live a happy, quality life. Thank you!  Thank you!

I want to help more!  To learn more about the fund please visit our website www.nationalwalknrolldogday.com

You can also follow along on Facebook for inspirational dogs in wheels as well as find Lovey Loaves on Facebook too!

How Yoga and a Dachshund Help Me See the Big Picture of Life

Posted by Barbara Techel

IMG_1721[2] 1200Just about every morning I have a yoga practice. Joie, is my yoga partner. Before I lay my mat out on the living room floor, I snuggle her into her blanket on the couch where she proceeds to go into a deep meditative state. Ok, perhaps she is just snoozing like all dogs do. But her sweet, sleepy face puts me into a peaceful state of mind.

Today was the first day I did my practice this week since Monday I had to be up early to be on the set of the movie “The Surface” for Joie’s small part in a family scene. Tuesday I slept in as all the excitement of the day had me pretty tired.

As I moved through my yoga practice today, I was reminded again of how precious life is. Yoga, and having Joie nearby, tend to do that to me.  The experience of being a part of something big in terms of knowing Joie will be in a movie depicting family life with a dog in a wheelchair, though brief it will be on screen, had me feeling so grateful.

When Frankie became paralyzed in 2006 and I learned about dog wheelchairs, little did I know how passionate I’d become in trying to help educate others of the ways in which we can help disabled dogs live a quality life.  It is still at the forefront of mind and likely will always be. The fact that Frankie then led me to knowing deep in my heart that I’d want another disabled Dachshund, and I adopted Joie after Frankie’s passing, really brought home my purpose and joy of my love in caring for these special dogs. Being a part of the movie even though she is only shown very briefly, I hope, will bring the message out in a bigger way that I’ve always been passionate about.

As I moved through more of my yoga practice I came down into the center of my heart and what makes a meaningful life to me. What is my big picture?  As I listened to the birds chirping outside and heard Joie breathing softly, and Kylie snoring by the front door in the kitchen,  I felt overcome with gratitude. Monday was a once in a lifetime opportunity and I feel blessed to have been a part of that.  But each and everyday with Joie, as well as Kylie, and the life I’ve created with John is so precious to me.

The hustle and bustle of being on a movie set was exciting to watch in action, though the energy that all takes had me knowing I could never do that on a daily basis.  So as I’ve been reflecting back the last few days I feel honored to have been a part of something many others don’t get the chance to. But I also feel honored to know and feel the center of my heart and what is most meaningful to me, which is my home, my family, and the simple moments of life. Doing yoga and having dogs always helps me keep the big picture of  what I want for myself  in check.

A Deal Breaker or Another Lesson in Trust?

Posted by Barbara Techel

In 2006 when Frankie was diagnosed with IVDD the following months caring for her and adjusting to a new way of life around a paralyzed dog was stressful. It was a test on many levels not only for myself, but for my relationship with John.  I didn’t want to have to care for a paralyzed dog, but here it was in front of me and I had a choice. I could whine about it and feel sorry for myself, or I could look for the blessings of the situation. Well, as many of you know who have followed my journey with Frankie, the blessings were plentiful and they were some of the best years of my life.

As Frankie aged, I couldn’t imagine not having another little special needs dachshund in my life again after she was gone. I knew it would be what I wanted. But John was not always on board with that idea. At times I would become quite fearful wondering what if he was really adamant about it and I couldn’t bring another IVDD doxie into our lives?  I would worry and think, could it be a deal breaker?  I don’t think I could have thrown away my marriage as I feel so fortunate to have one of what I consider the best ones.  But yet, I knew caring for an IVDD dog is what makes my soul feel complete.  And I would have never known that had Frankie not been diagnosed with IVDD!

So over the course of the past  two years I gently would share with John now and then that I would have to have another special needs doxie to care for when Frankie was gone. It was not always an easy thing to bring up, because I knew he was hesitating.

After Frankie passed and I grieved the loss of her I thought about a lot of things. I swear thinking was all I did! But what I realized for myself was at the core of all I did with Frankie, the school visits, the therapy dog visits, the books, etc. what I truly loved most was caring for her.  It was the day to day of making sure her life was a good one despite her IVDD.  This is what brought me my purest bliss.  Not having Frankie here left a big hole and void in what made me feel complete.

I’m glad I gave myself the summer to grieve Frankie, though at times I just wanted the pain to end. But it reaffirmed for me that having another IVDD dachshund was truly what I wanted. There just was no question in my mind, or even more, what was in my heart. Though I still worried that John wouldn’t understand how vital this was for me.  Could I have adjusted if he was not on board?  Sure, but I believe I would have not felt complete.

So when I saw Joie on Facebook, it was her eyes that drew me right in. I felt Frankie strongly in my heart saying, “Mama this is the one.”  I just knew. But fear rose up in my heart again and I worried that John would say no when I showed him her picture.  He didn’t say anything when I showed him Joie’s photo, so I just let him absorb it.  It is something I’ve learned to respect that he needs his own processing time, which I remember the minister telling us before we got married during our counseling sessions. So I knew I needed to let him come to his own place with all of this. It was not easy, believe me, because I was bursting with JOY. But it was also important to me to have his acceptance.

I had to trust that if this was meant to be it would all unfold in its own time. Again, not an easy thing to do. But looking back now just a few short weeks later, it feels like this is what it was meant to be all along. And guess who is head over heels in love with our new little bundle?  Well, I will let you come to your own conclusion. <GRIN>  And while my worries about a deal breaker may have been for naught, I feel like it was just another lesson in learning to trust.

Joie has brought a new joy and love into our lives and she loves to play with Kylie which really warms my heart to see. She was not a deal breaker, but instead another lesson in what matters most.  And guess who loves to snuggle with her when I am gone?  Again, I’ll let you figure that out on your own, but I have a feeling you know who that special someone is.  I am one lucky lady!!