Hunter's Second Chance

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Hi everyone,

I wrote a Tribute for our Hunter, aka Super Dog, and emailed it to our favorite Lab Magazine; Just Labs.

They published it in their November/December 2014 issue and sent us 3 copies!

We can only hope that this will give others the strength to go forward with their own decision when faced with becoming the proud caretaker of a tripawd.  I know that we wouldn’t have missed our special 14 months.

It’s sad that another Hunter crossed over the rainbow bridge after only 10 years of life as well. Prayers also to Taylor’s family.

Love,

Julie & Hunter’s pack

Here is the full photo that I submitted:

Scott with his best dog!

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I’ve been preparing this post for quite a while.  Our 1 year anniversary without Hunter has been on my mind.  I wanted to post something special today….

One Year has passed since our beloved Hunter left us for the Rainbow Bridge.

We now call him Super Dog Angel Hunter.  His 14 month journey as a tripawd definitely earned him his “Super Dog” title and he keeps it to this day, we just added “Angel” because he now has his wings.

Not a day goes by that we don’t think of him.  We appreciate the luck he sends our way.  We notice each extra shiny penny that he sends us from Heaven.  We try not to compare him to our other two labs.  They all are unique but no dog will ever be the same as our Hunter.

No dog will ever replace him.  Hunter was my husband’s heart dog.

We made a special memorial garden for him at our campsite in Door County, Wisconsin.  We put some of his ashes in a small container and buried the container under a Guardian Angel statue.  A flowering red begonia blooms brightly nearby symbolizing our love.  Hunter had camped with us many times at that campground, and it was there that we first saw his limp that got us to our vet, and then to our surgeon, and then on to his tripawd journey.

I’m sure many of you remember quite clearly your diagnosis day.  I can still see that moment in my mind.  How I felt.  What my questions were.  We were in shock and just devastated.  It was the worst day of our lives until our last day with Hunter, that became the worst.

But, with the help of the tripawd community, and through the support of family, friends, and many vets, we had some really good times with Hunter as a tripawd.

We are so grateful for all of those moments and memories.  Hunter was a great tripawd warrior.  He was strong and confident through it all!

We are truly given a gift in the love of our dogs.  They love us unconditionally and trust in us to do our very best for them.  Many of us give them the world.  To us, they are our furry children.  And I’m sure many of you, even those with children, feel this way too.  We always told Hunter that we would do everything in our power for him, and we did that and beyond.  With knowledgeable vets, and the help of pet insurance, there is so much that we can offer our furry family members.

Please hug your pets today.  And give an upward smile and nod to those pets that you have lost as well.  Know that they are watching over you as our Hunter is watching over us and your tripawds as well, here and at the Rainbow Bridge.

Love,

Super Dog Angel Hunter’s Mom

Here is Hunter in his prime on a beach in Door County…

We are so comforted by having our two labs, Hailey (8 in September) and Harley (2 in December).  They keep us enjoying life!

(Harley and Hailey enjoying a beautiful day in Door County)

Here is our young Harley showing his love for my husband Scott at our campsite….

A Dog’s Love is Good for the Soul!

Yesterday we finished Hunter’s Memory Box.

It’s a project we’ve been working on for months.  Gathering his special items is a solemn experience.

Putting them into a box to be on display forever is important and we felt it should represent the true Hunter.

To me, the hardest part was placing his Super Dog bandana in the box, knowing that it would never again be displayed around his thick, strong neck.

He was such a Super Dog!  Smart, kind to all, loving to his pack members, tolerable of our new pup, a great pheasant hunter and companion.

He taught us what being owned by a great dog is all about.  He lead us to outstanding vets and their knowledge will enable us to take care of our dogs very well.  He gave us strength and the ability to help others through their own particular journeys.   14 months as a tripawd…. and he is a still helping others.

We think of him every day.

Love, Super Dog Angel Hunter’s Mom

I found 3 shiny new pennies in my wallet today.  It’s our Hunter’s way of telling me that he is still with us, loving us, and watching over us!
I found 3 shiny new pennies the week he passed as well.

Why 3 you may ask?  Well, Hunter passed 3 days short of his 10th Birthday, so I think that is why he always sends 3.

They say when an angel misses you, they toss a penny down from heaven. Sadly, not everyone knows how much truth there is in this old adage.

So, don’t pass by that penny, when you’re feeling blue. It may be a penny from heaven, that an Angel’s tossed to you.

Here’s a lovely photo of our Super Dog Angel Hunter when he was about 9 months old.  We will always remember him young and vibrant!

Today it has been 7 months since our sweet boy Hunter crossed over the Rainbow Bridge.

We love you big guy! Miss you! XOXO

Hugs to all!   And continue fighting the fight!

Julie

As a tribute to our lab (and Tripawd) Hunter, who we lost to bone cancer last July, my husband got a tattoo of him.

After three, 4 hr. sessions, this is the finished tattoo….

Hunter’s name is spelled out in the pheasant feather, and there are two pheasants flying in the background.

(The photo on the left is what the artist used for reference.)

We love you Super Dog!

Here’s  a photo of my husband, Scott, with Hunter:

Hug your pups for us.

Love, Julie

Super Dog’s Mom

I would like to wish everyone a Very Merry Christmas and a Happy and Healthy New Year!  Our family has appreciated all of your support this year as our beloved Hunter went through his journey.  I still follow the posts and truly enjoy everything posted on Facebook these days.  It’s wonderful knowing that the support from this group is here for anyone seeking help and a shoulder to lean on.

Our new pup, Harley, is doing well these days.  We brought him home on January 26th and his 1st Birthday was on December 5th.  He got so big, so fast!

He did his first pheasant hunt with us on November 29th. He and Hailey are getting along very well and it has done her a world of good to have someone to hunt, play, and sleep with.

Harley at 8 weeks old!

Harley on his 1st Birthday!

Harley’s 1st pheasant hunt with us…

Harley and Hailey having a play day.

Our home just isn’t the same this Holiday without Hunter but I’m sure the pain will fade and his wonderful memories will live on in our hearts forever.

Love, Super Dog Angel Hunter’s Mom, Julie

Good morning everyone,

Hunter came to me in my dream last night.  It was so real. I was able to pet him and hug him.  I felt the texture of his hair. The thickness of his neck.  He was proud and tall.  It was like nothing had changed.  It was him in health.  I felt he had all of his legs and no cancer at all.  I remember saying to my hubby in the dream…”if he’s back why didn’t I take him to Hailey’s wellness check up on Saturday? We should have him checked out.”

When I told my hubby this morning about it that’s when I realized that Hunter had come back to me in my dreams.

He came to show me that he’s OK and happy.  That he’s whole and healthy again.   I was crying just thinking about the time I spent with him in my dream.  If I had only realized it was him spending time with me I would have tried to visit so much longer.

Hailey looked at me because I was crying and I told her that Hunter came back and that he is whole and happy.  She perked up her ears at his name and wagged her tail as a smile.  What a gift.

On another special note, I had submitted 10 beautiful chocolate lab pictures to our local lab rescue for their 2014 fund raising calendar. One of my pictures was picked!  Hailey & Hunter will represent June, 2014 for LEARN; Labrador Education and Rescue Network of Southern Wisconsin and Northern Illinois.

Here’s the photo:

If you would like to order a calendar here’s the link:

http://www.labadoption.org/how-you-can-help/2014-learn-calendars-on-sale

We are so proud that our Super Dog is continuing to help others.

Please hug your furry family members today!

Love,  Super Dog Angel Hunter’s Mom

It with an extremely heavy heart and through tears that I am writing this post.  Super Dog, Hunter, our 1st dog together, is running free at the Rainbow Bridge.

Hunter wasn’t well since this past Monday.  He was weak and was vomiting occasionally.  Hubby was home with him for most of the day, not just to be home with Hunter, but to have a day off from the weekly routine.  We believed we had a few more weeks with him yet.  Hunter seemed fairly well when I left for work.  I even took some new photos of him on our driveway in the morning.

But at 4:00 pm this afternoon hubby called me at work and said that Hunter wasn’t doing well at all.  He wasn’t moving and his eyes were almost shut.  He was very weak and working harder to breathe.  I called our holistic vet’s office and told them that we needed to come in.  It was a beautiful day to cross over the Rainbow Bridge, I knew that, but the sadness took over and I could only focus on the looming loss of our wonderful dog.  I knew we had done everything possible for him, but we wanted more time.

Hunter had to be carried out to the car and into the vet’s office.  All of the staff stayed late for us and comforted us and made our time there as best they could.  The compassion was heart felt.  Everyone who knew Hunter loved him.  He was the perfect example of why the Lord made labs.  We had never experienced that moment before, our families had shielded us from that growing up.  But we wouldn’t think of not being by his side when he earned his wings.  Hubby cradled him in his arms and I held his paw and we said goodbye and cried.

We took Hailey with us as this was her best friend.  We could only hope she understood that he was gone and didn’t look for him when we got home.  That would break our hearts again.  Our puppy really had no clue, but he only knew Hunter for about 6 months.

Later we went to McDonald’s and got 2 cheeseburger happy meals to go in Hunter’s honor.  That was what he would have wanted for his Birthday, and he missed his 10th Birthday by only 3 days.  But it’s not the amount of years that we had with him, it’s the amount of wonderful memories ~ the adventures, the fun moments, the pheasant hunts, the laughs, the labby kisses, and all of the stollen socks.  That’s what we need to hang on to now.

This blog has been very therapeutic for me.  I can’t tell you how wonderful the support has been.  How it has pulled us through the ups and downs of this exhausting journey.  I started a blog for our new pup and will continue to write and share our experiences.

Hunter was born on July 27th, 2003 ~

Hunter earned his wings on July 24th, 2013 ~

Our best dog ever.

(I made this paw print impression and photo frame exactly 4 weeks ago.  I’m so glad I did)

We love our labs Hailey and Harley,

but no other dog will ever be Super Dog.

Thank you to everyone.

Love, Hunter’s family.

Thought you all might enjoy this special photograph that I took this morning…..

There’s a lot of LOVE there!

Love & Labby kisses to all of your furry family members today.

So Hunter vomited up a huge amount of water and treats this morning before I left for work and I thought his abdomen looked distended and bloated.  He was panting, but he’s been panting due to the warm weather.  He seemed stable so I left for work but planned to come home and check on him mid-day.

I checked on him at lunch but, for the first time ever, he didn’t greet me at the door.  He laid on a carpet in the kitchen, his breathing sounded raspy, and then he vomited up 2 slimy piles of phlegm and liquid with a couple spots of blood in them.  When he tried to get up his rear leg slipped on the kitchen floor and he fell down.  He seemed so weak to me.  I helped him up and he was able to hop outside to go pee.

I couldn’t reach his regular vet, so I called his oncologist’s office which happens to be our local 24 hr. emergency vet center and I was directed to take him in right away.

Over the phone, the vet tech and I were thinking degenerative heart failure and fluid on his lungs and abdomen.

His oncologist was in today so she was able to fill in the ER vet.

Hunter is now down to 60.5 lbs.

At the appointment the ER vet didn’t hear any lung or heart problems and didn’t think his abdomen looked or felt distended.  She recommended taking new xrays.  (his last xrays were taken on June 5th)

They took the xrays and could see that his lung tumors are growing rapidly.

He has multiple large tumors and several smaller tumors.  His lung capacity is diminishing.

I asked her what she thought was going to be Hunter’s physical downfall and she thought it wasn’t going to be a heart problem.  (Well we all know how wonderful Hunter’s BIG heart is!!)  She thought it would most likely be a lung problem.  Like  air escaping his lungs and not allowing him to breathe properly, or  a tumor affecting a blood vessel that causes him to bleed.

Sadly, she thinks he only has a few weeks left.  But she said that all things considered, he’s been with us a long time.

However, as you all know, it will never be enough time.

I took him back home and he’s doing ok now.  We are hoping he wants to make it to his 10th Birthday, which is this Saturday. We are going to feed him more to try and keep some weight on him, give him lots of Love and Treats, and continue to take him for short walks on the non-humid days and evenings.  We love just having him around and he can stay with us for as long as he wants too.

Come on Super Dog!  You can do it!