Doggie Heaven V

I had never had a pure bred

dog before. Above is the oldest

picture I have of my "Lady Ginger!"

She is a boxer. The closest to her

was Chopper who was Boxer-mix.

*

At the loss of Rookie, my heart was

empty of my canine friends. A

friend in my church had mentioned

a friend of hers, dog had just had

Boxer pups. So, began another

many years of dogs in the family!

Lady Ginger is only 5 1/2 weeks old

in this picture. It was summer and

I had time to take care of her since

I was out of school. She was the runt

in the litter and the other pups

wouldn't let her in to feed. (She

was one of 11 puppies!) So, I took

her home to allow her to get the

much needed nourishment she

needed to grow strong and healthy.

She was so small, but not fragile!

Her energy level was amazing! I

didn't think I could "poop" her

out! She loved chasing her tennis

ball on the bed.

As she grew in statute, her breed

began to show! Her head up, tail

up, feet back (though only one in

this picture. She quickly began

holding both back in her stance!)

And, her eyes on the target!

It didn't take but a few months and

her solid muscle began to show

with all of the exercise she got.

Ginger loved to run among dad's

cannas! I happened to get a

picture of Ginger as she lay resting

in dad's garden of flowers!

As Ginger grew, her tail began to

give her some problems. My vet

(who had taken care of all of my

other dogs) realized that who

had clipped their tails as baby

pups, did not clip hers between

the vertebrae and a piece of bone

was poking her skin. It was

quickly corrected by him as you

can see her shaved tail in this

picture below.

When Ginger was 1 1/2 years old,

she had a litter of her own pups.

Her box had been prepared and

she went in when she was ready.

The vet had checked her by ultra

sound and saw 3 puppies. When

Ginger began to birth, I was there

to help. She had a pup every 30

minutes. Then no more. I

thought she was finished, but an

hour later she had one more!

2 fawn, 1 brindle, 1 black!

When these beautiful puppies

were grown, I sold three and we

kept the "black" pup who would

be named, "Sir Reginald the Marque

Duke!" More to come on him, later!

Ginger would only have one litter.
Her son, Reggie would become her
rival!

Doggie Heaven IV

Remember this picture of

Rookie? His chair mate is

Sissy, a shepherd/lab mix.

We acquired Sissy when we lived

in the Keys. She belonged to a

couple that lived in one

of the rental trailers we had

behind our property. She didn't

stay at her home much as you

can see below. She poked a hole

in our screen to see in. With

each visit, the hole got bigger.

Finally, one day the hole was

big enough that she just

hopped through and came

in for a visit! The couple was

moving and couldn't keep her.

They were going to take her to

the "pound," but we couldn't

let them do that. So, Sissy

became our dog.

One of the things Sissy liked to

do was sit on the same palm tree

that Tigger (our cat) like to lay on.

(Previous blog shows that picture.)

She also liked to sit in the

outside swing that dad had

made in his workshop.

She liked it more when we would

sit with her!

Sissy, along with Moe Cat, Tigger,

and Rookie moved with us when

we moved out of the Keys.

*

When we moved to our new home

in the woods, Sissy had a bad

habit of bringing coral snakes to

us. As they dangled in her mouth,

we could see where she had bitten

through their neck right behind

their heads. No matter how we

reprimanded her to leave the

snakes alone, she still would

occasionally bring one to us.

*

One afternoon, Sissy lay in the

cool of the breeze as we went

outside. She didn't respond to

much to us when we called her

name. We could see she had

drool coming out of her mouth.

As we looked around the back

of her, we saw a dead coral snake.

However, this time her luck ran

out. Before she had killed it,

it must have gotten its fangs

into her, dispensing its deadly

venom.

*

We rushed her to the vet. They

had to keep her for three days.

She survived, but the venom

had brought total blindness.

*

It was amazing how she knew

when we came to get her. She

knew our voices. She was so excited

to find her way to us when we

went to the animal clinic to

being her home.

*

Sad to say, our Sweet Sissy within

a week or so went into kidney

failure. The vet Dr. said it was

probably due to the poison

from the snake bite. The only

thing we could do was to

have her put to sleep.

*

Sissy was our last pet (to die) that

we had brought from the Keys. Our

home was now empty of

"Man's Best Friend." This

was the first time in 23 years

that we had no animals to

wake up to, to be with us

throughout the day, and to

go for rides in the car with us.

*

There was an emptiness that

soon was to be filled.

Kitty Heaven III

We had a ferel cat come up

when I was feeding Mo Cat

outside. I started feeding him

too. He had a nice personality

and I just loved his coloring.

He was so trusting.

I named him, Sandy Cat.

When he became trusting enough,

I took him to the vet.....

I was sad to find out he had heart

worms, his teeth were rotten,

and his heart was not in very

good condition to be such a

young cat. Mom said we didn't

have the money to take care

of him. So my first encounter

came with having to take an

animal to the Humane Society. I

prayed that someone with

money would adopt him

and take good care of him.

My heart broke when I left

him in the little courtyard

they had for them. He wanted

to go with me. The look in his

eyes was one of....my betrayal!

I cried all the way home.

It was hard for a 17 year old

to leave behind

this beautiful natured cat. I

knew in my heart they would

check him over and he would

be the first to have his life

taken due to his condition. I

should have just taken him home

and let him die of natural causes,

but mom said we wouldn't

know what pain he may have

gone through. I really should

have had the vet put him to

a peaceful sleep with me by

his side. I could only think of

the worst scenarios he must

be going through at

"the place" where most animals

are put down.

*

This is what makes me think

that our loving Lord would not

allow his creatures to go through

such hardship and there not be

an afterlife for them in God's

New Heaven and Earth.

"For all of God's Creation itself

will be delivered from its bondage

of decay and brought into the

Glorious freedom of the

children of God." Romans 8:21

*

I have had people say, "This new

earth would not be big enough to

hold all of the animals God has

created." My reply, "Who says

our earth will be the same size as

it is now? The New Jerusalem

that is to set upon the newly

created earth is to be 1400 miles

wide, 1400 miles long, and 1400

miles high! The space shuttle is

only 200 miles high! This new

City of God needs to go up 1200

miles higher!

*

God has said, "Eye has not seen, nor

ear heard, nor has it entered the

heart of man, what God has planned

for those who love Him!"

*

I believe with all my heart we will

not only see our beloved pets

again, but the beauty of all of

His animal kingdom in a fashion

we can't now comprehend!

*

With God, ALL things are possible!

Doggie Heaven III

Jim and Nellie's dog, Rookie

(long haired dachshund) was
gotten as a puppy while they were

in Germany. He was known as

mom and dad's granddog before

Scott was born.

*

He was with them for seven years

when Scott was born. As Scott

got older, he loved Rookie, but

Rookie would bite at him. So,

Rookie became our dog.

Rookie loved living in Key West.

Dad would always give our dogs

the coconut hulls when he would

get them from our trees and

take out most of the coconut.

Dad would always leave just

a little for them to chew on.

While Rookie lived with us, we

acquired another dog, Cissy.

They got along just great!

They both would move with us

when we left the Keys.

Once we moved to our new home,

Rookie's age and health began to

take toll. His beautiful face began

to fill with gray. His defective back

leg made it harder for him to walk.

He had congested heart failure which

brought on his heart to swell,

surrounding with water.

*

Rookie always like to walk down

to the culdesac. One morning he

didn't quite make it back to the

front door, when we heard a

loud yelp followed by a deep

grown. Our beloved Rookie

had had a heart attack that

took him quickly.

*

I'll never forget his beautiful

brown eyes that gave his face a

look of smiling. He loved to

always be where we were.

*

I'm sure in my heart that one of

our surprises in Heaven will be

to see these creations of God

waiting for us and praising

their creator with our entry

to Almighty God's Kingdom!

Rom. 8:21-22

Kitty Heaven II

Tigger joined our family not long

after we had gotten Dumplins.

This was his favorite place to sit,

on my Plymouth station wagon.

He is about 10 weeks old

Cats really love trees. We had a coconut

palm a hurricane had blown over in

years passed, that Tigger love to run

upon or just lay on waiting for dad

to come in from his fishing trips!

One of Tigger's sneaky things he

liked to do, was lie in wait under

our porch for someone to pass.

When we would walk by, he'd

dart out, wrap himself around

our leg and give a "tender" bite;

then shoot back under the porch!

I'll never forget the yell mom did

one time when she had an armful

of clothes she had just gotten off

the clothesline. In her moment

of surprise she yelled out, "That

darn cat! If you don't stop doing

that, Tigger..."

My nephew was three years old

in this picture. He just loved Tigger

until one day when Tigger had

enough of being carried around

the yard. There after he would

replied when he saw Tigger,

"That cat just terrifies me!"

*

Tigger moved with us when we left

the Keys. While we were renting

(waiting for our house to be built)

one day, Tigger disappeared.

When we went on the back porch,

we could hear him meowing.

We finally tracked it to the edge

of the roof. He had gotten inside

the attic and worked his way down

to the soffit. Dad got a ladder,

and while at the top of it, he pulled

the soffit aside. There was Tigger.

However, he wasn't about to come

down. So, dad pulled him out.

Tigger was good not to scratch him.

Dad fixed the vent on the roof so

he couldn't get in again.

*

We were in the rental about

11 months. Just before we

were to move to our new home,

I couldn't locate Tigger.

He did not come when he was

called. I went around the

neighborhood looking for him

but never found him. My

only hope was if someone found

him and kept him, that he had

a good home.

Doggie Heaven II

After I had gone off to college,

the last of "The Big Coppitt Trio,"

Skeeter, passed away. I was so

heartbroken to know I would

return to only my Mo Cat.

On a Friday before I was to

leave and go home on break,

some girls from the dorm and

I went to the mall. Of all things,

in the middle of the mall, the

Humane Society had some dogs

that needed homes. One of the girls

said this was the dogs last chance

and would probably be put down

if not adopted. My heart broke

again as I went up looking at

all of the beautiful faces of

dogs. One in particular caught

my attention. She was a basset

dachshund mix. She had such

a sadness in her eyes and not

much of a response when I

talked to her. No eye contact,

no tail wagging; in fact she

just lay her head back down

and ignored me. But she had

a beauty about her I just

couldn't explain. I told the

attendant I would take her.

The girls giggled in response!

"Susie, You can't take her

to the dorm!" I replied that

it would be for only a night!

*

It was amazing, the change in

her personality as soon as she

was released from the wire

kennel she was housed in.

She stood up on the side of my

leg stretching, her tail wagged

like a butterfly's wings, she let

out a yawn followed by a vocal

slide from soprano to base! I

then saw her true personality

break out of its darkness of

depression.

*

When we got back to the dorm,

the girls mentioned that she

didn't smell very good. I told

them, "I'll take care of that."

I quickly took her into the

bathroom and used some of

my bath gel and scrubbed

her good. All she wanted to

to do was play in the water!

When I was finished, I couldn't

believe the ring around the

bathtub!

*

I didn't call mom and dad with

the surprise I was bringing home.

I had a 220 mile drive which took

about 5 hours down the two laned

road through the Keys. My new

pup seemed to enjoy it from the

start by rolling all over the

carpet I had in the back of my

station wagon. She soon went

to sleep as the wind whirled in

one window, around and out the

back.

*

Upon reaching home, my first

greeting was, "Look who I have

brought! I know you missed Skeeter

so much, I just couldn't resist

this beauty in the mall the day

before I left to come home! I

named her Dumplins; because

mom likes chicken & dumplings

so much!"

I couldn't understand the blank

look on their faces. It dawned

on me when I left a week later

going back to college when mom
asked, "You're taking your dog
aren't you?"

*

When I came home for the summer,

mom and dad had bonded with

this cute little dog. I then found
out from mom all she had to do;
feeding, potty training, shots, and
a mild case of kennel cough they
had to go through with visits to
the vet.
*
All in all this little dog proved to
be a sweet, adorable little dog
that loved to lay aside you in the
easy chair as you laid it back to
watch t.v. She especially liked
to be next to dad.
*
It was at this time that we
acquired Rookie from Jim and
Nellie. They could no longer

keep Rookie due to his aggression

toward baby Scottie...his story is

to come next.

Kitty Heaven

Mo Cat came to us on his own.

He was about 3 months old.

Mom named him. Since our

dog's name was Skeeter, mom

named our new kitty, Mo. If you

call the cat first, then the dog;

You have Mo Skeeter. Get it?

You know...like in the insect

mosquito?

Mo didn't stay home very much.

But, after mom had taken him

to the vet one day while I was

at school, he never left our yard

again. It wasn't until years

later that I understood why!

Mo could be found just about

anywhere in our yard. One of his

favorite places was a pot mom

had left out for dad to put his

filleted fish in.

*

One day I found him in the back

yard laying in the grass. He

kept flinching like electric

static was traveling under

his body. It was then I realized

he was laying on a grass snake.

Every time the snake would move,

it would make him jump. The

snake would just about slither

away from him and he'd reach

out with a claw and pull it back!

I felt so bad for the snake! It was

then that I realized why we had

dead snakes in our yard. When

Mo finished "playing" with them

he would kill them! This day I

made Mo leave it along by taking

this "bad" little kitty into the house!

When dad backed the boat into the

yard, Mo was always there. He

knew to go to the outside sink

dad had for cutting up his fish.

He would always give Mo some

of the raw fish. Little did Mo

realize he was getting sushi!

Mo had had a life of any cat's

dreams! In his older years he

began to get cataracts. He

loved to just lay in the early

morning sunshine. We moved

from the Keys taking Mo with us,

of course. He had started to have

mini seizures which soon became

pretty significant and frequent.

My heart broke when we had to

have him put to sleep, but he

couldn't live in any quality of

of life.

*

Mo live for 16 years, most in the

Florida Keys with the "Life of

Riley" as the saying goes. I

know he's in Kitty Heaven

and I'm sure I will see him

again as Romans 8:21-22 says

"Because the creature itself

also shall be delivered from

the bondage of corruption

into the Glorious Liberty

of the Children of God."

Doggie Heaven.

I was still in elementary school

when we got our first dog while

we lived in the Florida Keys.

Flash was his name! He is on the

left. He is Spitz breed. He loved

to go out in the boat with us.

The only problem was, he loved

the birds. When they would

fly across the bow (while the

boat was going at full speed), he

would run from the back of the

boat and jump to the bow.

One day his feet were wet and

when he ran upon the bow,

he couldn't put on his "brakes!"

He went flying right across and

off the bow with the boat going

full speed. Dad's quick thinking

of jerking the steering to the

right, then back left had the

propeller miss hitting him.

Coming to a quick stop, we

turned around and went back

to him as he was "dog paddling"

to catch us!

*

Another thing he like to do was

stick his head under water to

pick up rocks! Along the shore

we would throw a rock. He would

stick his head under the water

(blowing bubbles through his

nose) and pick it up!

*

We then

got "Chopper" (who is in the

middle.) She is boxer/lab mix.

When Chopper came running

to you, you better move out of

her way. She didn't seem to know

to go around you! Once a friend

was walking with me and Chopper

was running at full speed. I told

her, "You better watch to move

out of her way." Before I could

finish my sentence, Chopper had

run into the back of her legs and

she went flying up into the air!

Chopper was definitely a "Bull

in a China Shop!" Ha!

*

Skeeter is their daughter. She

had Flash's color and size.

Believe it or not, Flash taught

them how to go over the

fence! Dad made some hooks

that fit on their collars. When

they would try to go over, it would

catch in the fence and prevent

them from doing so. He only put

it on them when they could be

watched from inside. He had

earlier cemented all down the

bottom of our fence, so they

couldn't dig out!

*

We were in the flight pattern

of the Navy base jets. When

they would come over, Flash

would howl. Later Chopper,

then Skeeter joined in. We

called them, "The Big Coppitt

Trio!" The name is from the

Key we lived on...

*

...46 years ago.

Look Who's Claimed the Love Seat!