Dear Valued Friend,

Sadly, there comes a time when we must bid farewell to the four-legged friends we love so much. We reflect on the joy they brought to our lives and feel thankful that we had the opportunity to know them.  It is with great sadness that we inform you of the passing of our beloved Dachshund,

Survived by her foster mother and countless Sponsors,

Queen Charlotte will always rule over our hearts.

Sincerely,

The Sponsor Team

Nina’s health has been right on target and she has been eating well as usual. She has learned to control her bladder with practice so there haven’t been any accidents in the house lately. Nina has learned to let her family know when she needs to go out to the yard in a very special way. She stands on her hind legs and wiggles around as if she is dancing. Her family knows when Nina starts her boogie to let her out in the yard. Even though she has lost her sight she darts over to her favorite spots in the yard before running back into the house for a quick bite and a nap.

Hurricane Charlie visited his veterinarian last week for a regular check-up. Unexpectedly and sadly, Hurricane Charlie’s blood and urine tests returned results that show his kidney disease has most likely progressed. While this is sad news, Hurricane Charlie’s spirit doesn’t seem to be affected. He still thoroughly enjoys his walks, asking his family to take him for two each day by presenting his paw while holding his leash in his mouth. And the best news of all is that Hurricane Charlie will be celebrating his fifth birthday on May 10th. We are all sending our birthday wishes to him and hope for another year of happiness for this precious pooch.

Unfortunately, Charlotte’s recent testing is showing signs of the beginnings of Cushing’s disease. Since she is not showing symptoms, it is not being treated. Charlotte’s foster family is not advocating any invasive procedures that would provide more stress to her than anything else. Charlotte is an older dog and has been dealing with medical issues her entire life. She seems happy, in no distress and is continuing with her daily routine. The Animal League will be sure to give her the medical care and monitoring that she requires.

Nina’s adoptive family is happy to report that their beautiful pooch has been feeling just swell. Spring is in the air and while Nina has lost her sight, she definitely has not lost her curiosity for the new sounds and smells. Because Nina is unable to see the birds outside you’ll often find her with her ears perked up as she listens to their chirps when the windows are open. It is quite a sight to see as she tilts her head in wonderment as if to ask where these noisy creatures are.

Even in his older age, Benji is overzealous for life. He’s been known to express his joy when playing by wiggling his entire body, which his foster parents just love to see. More recently, Benji has been enjoying the outdoors now that the weather is getting a little warmer. However, his foster mom refuses to let him outside without his very own doggie vest – to protect him from chilly breezes! Once Benji is tuckered out from play time, he grabs a quick nap with his foster siblings.

Hurricane Charlie has been soaking in the sunshine during the past month. He gets to bask away in the rays during walks with his family. Not only does he get the chance to stretch his limbs, he’s also given the opportunity to go for a dip! That’s because there is a canal by his house that he loves to walk along. During a recent walk with his family, he became excited about the crisp water and tried to jump in for a swim. His family coaxed him out before he got too wet, but they weren’t able to avoid getting a little wet themselves. Hurricane Charlie shook off his golden locks after emerging and gave his family a little shower.

Charlotte recently came to the Animal League’s medical center for an abdominal sonogram, but it did not produce the results League veterinarians were looking for so further testing may be a possibility down the road. Making sure that Charlotte’s every medical need is taken care of is a top priority to the League. We will do all that we can, with the help of generous Sponsors like you, to give Charlotte anything that will help her be as comfortable and happy as possible.

Hurricane Charlie – or “Charlie Bear” as his family affectionately calls him – had a shaky month. Being a Hurricane Katrina rescue dog, Charlie has had his fair share of experience with natural disasters, but unfortunately that wasn’t his last. Recently, a tornado passed through California in Hurricane Charlie’s vicinity. Charlie was anxious and afraid during the ordeal and his family believes this may have brought back some bad memories. His family consoled him to relieve his nerves and they are happy to report there was minimal damage. Now Charlie can get back to enjoying the calm of his afternoon walks, especially since spring weather is beginning in California!