Gratuitous completely unnecessary "post a pet photo" thread...

Just because I can, and just because I'm thinking of my dog a lot due to his upcoming knee surgery , let's have a thread of pet photos.
Post a photo and write a note about why it (or the pet in it) means something special to you. If you are too lazy to write a few sentences, you are a chump who will be banished to the land of the "no words" forum. This is a "words" thread. After all, what pet owner doesn't like to talk about their pet?
To those who don't like pet photos or animals, tough luck. One of the few joys of having a job like running photo.net is that you get to start whatever thread you want. Yes, I'm just being a sourpuss. There are plenty of good things about my job.

 

This photo is special because it shows my late grandfather with my dog as a puppy (and my wife and my mother's dog as a puppy as well). My grandfather looks happy, which he would not be a few years later as cancer took over his body, and my dog is ludicrously tiny. Seriously, if you saw him today you'd think it was funny the he could have ever fit under someone's knee.
This is a perfect example of a photo that isn't particularly technically good or aesthetically amazing and was shot with whatever low quality p&s camera was in my pocket at that moment, but that means the world to someone. A good reminder that while we all bust our rears and obsess over chasing photographic ideals, often the most important thing is to just be there with a camera and shooting photos.

 

My wife's cat, and now mine, named Monkey. She got her name because as a kitten she loved to climb up peoples' pants leg and also love riding on peoples' shoulders. When I met my wife she had gotten the cat about a year and a half before. I am the first and so far only male that cat has ever liked, other then my 20 month old son, but he gives her treats. The cat warmed to me within 5 minutes of meeting her and my wife even commented on the fact at the time...which she also said must mean something special.
At any rate, the cat can be quite a pest (likes to wake us up at 2am) and isn't overly affectionate (don't pet me!), but she knows when someone needs serious cheering up and has a soft place for our son (so long as he is free with his pets/hugs and treats). In fact our son is the only person who she allows to pet her or hug her whenever they want, unless of course it is on her terms.

 

Josh: wishing all the best for your dog's surgery.
Here's a shot I like of one of our (unfortunately recently departed) photogenic cats:

 

my wife holding our youngest (we got two black labs) when he was just a few weeks old. He's four now but we nearly lost him last year due to a very rare side effect that occurred thanks to a combination of vet prescribed drugs for a minor GI problem. Skin let loose and he got ulcers all over his body. Not a happy time to say the least but he came through, made a full recovery and is his old happy and very active self again.

 

By strange happenstance, I tried digitizing an ancient 1930s filmstrip from the Humane Society on "Care of your cat" today.
Here's some good advice and a tolerably pissed off cat, now gone for 70 years at least.

 

Samantha.....our dear friend.....

 

This is Pete, when he was 4 years old his owner had 2 dogs and one had to go. So we decided to take Pete into our home. One year later I had a serious medical problem. The year it to me to get back on my feet, Pete was always with me. He is now 16 years old, not as spry, grey fur but still loveable. He shares our house with two other dogs no one wanted, lab mix 16 yrs old and a 11 yr. old Bichon.

 

My big baby when he was still a puppy and good luck with your puppy and surgery, Matt.

 

We lost Frisco a few months ago, he was 23 years old. He had to be the best dog I've ever owned, intelligent and gentle he never raised a lip to anyone. He will be missed.

 

Here's one of our boy, Tank. He tends to be ill-mannered and doesn't like other dogs, but he loves people and he's never failed to make me to smile whenever I've walked through the door.

 

My wife teaches writing and she often has her students start a new piece with "I remember ..... : I remember when my wife and I picked up our new dog at the Humane Society here in Milwaukee. The dogs were stacked in cages and all of them were yelping like crazy when we walked by. The one my wife had picked out a few weeks earlier and wanted to show me was strangely quiet and just stared at us behind the narrow bars of the cage. He looked sick and straggly but, in retrospect, was probably depressed. I asked the aide if we could let him out and take him for a walk. He got out of his cage and ran right up to me, sat down and looked up at me with the most pathetic look I have ever seen. What could I say but "yes, we will take him home with us."
I remember he was a great dog for the eight years we had him. He was a Great Pyrennes/Golden Retriever mutt and had the best qualities of both breeds. I remember the day I took this photo. It was very cold and we went down to the lakefront for the sunrise. He loved the snow and the colder the better. I asked him to lie down in the snow so I could take some photos and he did. I remember the series of images I took that day and I go back and look at them often. He died a few months later of cancer. I have two dogs now and love them dearly but I will always remember my dog who loved to lie in the snow on a cold Wisconsin winter morning.

 

we have owned several cats over the couse of 50 years.
all have been treated kindly. they soon develop their own characteristics,
but usually becaome very gentle creatures.
Peanut was an exception, he was mostly wild, but tolerated us. and would answer when called.
he had some "cross-wiring" that made him different.
several others seemed to turn out the same way mild and more than willing to demand attention
( who says cats are not affectionate)
no matter how fierce they were to unsuspecting " game" animals, they were good with us as we were family.
we showed consideration and never did anything mean.
the few visitors who tried were sharply rebuked.
IF YOU SIT IN THAT CHAIR THE CAT "will" climb on your lap.
all the photos are sored in boxes. I will try to find some.
a few met accidents most lived out their natural life 6-9 years.
with a farm background we respect domestic animals.
but because of that we look at animals in general differently than those who are raised in cities.
we are able to recognize their limitations
and never believe they are like
" little people who cannot talk"
or that they are our " babies" or understand speech.
some of these folks attempt to modify the behavior of their pets to suit their life style.
a cat or a dog is a cat or a dog. not something you make it to be. or try to change.
it is what it is, we must accept this. Peanut and Smokey were totally different creatures ( both cats)
and we enjoyed them for what they are.

 

I wish I have more pictures of my dear dog Sally. She was the best dog we have ever had. Since she passed away peacefully on August 13, 2007, we never thought to have another dog again because we couldn't imagine anyone else would fit the standard she had set, in term of temperament, compatibility with our personalities and lifestyle, and physical health and beauty as a Dalmatian. I miss her dearly. Sometimes I imagine she is still around, sleeping on the rug, hanging around in the kitchen as I cook.
She was a fast runner. Here she is shown speeding about as "a Sally" would. On that snowy morning we were looking for a piece of land on which to build a home. Sally surely had a say.

 

Winston (15+ years old and still ornery) is my step-son Nick's constant companion. Winston's whereabouts are his first query in the morning and Winston often "tucks" him in the evening.
When I was his age, I had a Siamese named Sydney who I still remember, 30 years later, with the greatest of affection. I remind Winston that, although he's a great cat -- he's still second to Sydney (but I do so with just a hint of hesitation, for Winston's sake). Anyway, it's very comforting to know that 30+ years from now, Sir Winston's memory will live on in the memory of another boy just as Sydney lives in mine.
Having grown up with parents who were both vets, I was blessed to grow up in an environment surrounded by animals and adults who showed them a lot of respect, love and compassion. As an adult and parent now, I realize what important lessons our children can learn from our pets: how to treat them "like little human beings", how to care for them (feeding) and the responsibilities of cleaning up after them. All those efforts are rewarded with unconditional love returned. What important and very fundamental lessons our pets teach us! We are truly blessed.

 

we took a chance on this boy a couple of years ago. he was unwanted in the shelter in a bad way mentally. it is has taken nearly 2 years for his manic behaviour to tone down. sometimes i thought i wouldn't be able to take it any longer. but he has given us his trust and loads of affection. he makes us laugh, he is always doing something hilarious, whether he is running around catching raindrops or playing with our other dog, he loves being alive and he shows it and we love seeing him happy. He knows he belongs and he has a family again. plus, he is cuddly.

 

I have a lot of photos of my 9 yr old Shepherd Morgen who is my not so low cost model. I decided, for your invitation, Josh, to pull out a shot I made in the late '90's of a friend and his two dogs. A team. We had just taken a walk on a hill near his home in Mill Valley in Marin in late afternoon. Both dogs are gone now as it happens - too soon and a tough parting.. Somehow, I sense, from shooting people, that the best way to reveal their hearts and personalities is by pairing them with their animal friends in photos. A partnership, symbiotic one in a way. (It is easy to get "mushy" when we measure the days from puppy hood on..). They cost dearly for their food and medical needs and are dependent as well as" independent" if one understands their caninehood nature; bring us a reward that is beyond simple description ....
Getting to the photo, Don, here is the ultimate outdoor man, knife collector and sharpener, arche, and gunsmith. Don has hiked up and down the Sierras. Until a leg injury slowed him down (and the dogs got stiff too I bet) A mountain man,my friend here and his dog companions on the trails.

 

Ok. Here is my crazy water loving cat.

 

Oops, windows crashed....

 

This is Shadow...AKA Gray Puff. She is not my cat, she chose my wife instead. She got her name not by her color, but because she shadowed my wifes every move and was always under foot, in her lap or next to her. Shortly after we got her my wife contracted Parkinson's Disease and Shadow has shared the journey and been a constant comforter. She has also gotten a new nickname of Nurse Gray. She is a God send.

 

.

 

CJ at the Beach

Charlie and his Blankie

Levi at the Park

 

These are my "kids", Chloe and Lucy. They are toy poodles. A friend once said that dogs make better men of us. I have to agree. These two girls can really brighten my day. Their smiles (yes, dogs smile) always warm my heart.
Chloe's big smile:

Lucy hamming it up for the camera:

 

This is my Ellie. Means the world to me and my husband. She was a stray who turned up in my parents' greenhouse. My parents can't keep her (Irish setter and Gran with Alzheimer's being about as much as they can cope with!) so we took her. This was about 2 months after we found out we can't have kids, so she gets a whole lot of attention! Doesn't seem to mind, though... Just read the other thread Josh - I know how much pets mean so I wish you every success with Griffen's surgery.

 

Oops can do cats, can't do computers... - here's Ellie doing what she does best.

 

Sorry I messed up posting the photo with my text.

 

This is Buster. I gave the cute little guy to my wife for her birthday a few years ago. She said he followed her around the house looking at her funny, and it creeped her out. So we had to find him a new home. (I think she was just paranoid.)

 

Sorry Josh, and everyone. I just couldn't restrain myself!

 

One of two stray cats I have taken in and loved...they both are amazing...so well behaved for strays...never an issue, the both of them. No scratching or meowing or fighting...it's like they were meant to be with me...

 

This guy is also due for some knee surgery.

 

Ben... what the...? I don't even... That's scary as heck.
Anyway: yay, an excuse to post my dog! (of whom I take far too many photos
This is Cleo, my Portuguese water dog / poodle cross, although you wouldn't know she's part poodle by looking at her or observing her puppy-like demeanor at 2 & 1/2 years old.
Enjoying the sun

A windy day

I haz a boo boo

Being her puppy-like self ^_^

 

This is Maggie, but also answers to Magda, Magenstein, Magneto, Magnus, Magarino, Mugsy, and plenty others. Super-ultra obedient, reacts to commands with lightening speed, but scared of anything out of the norm - like paper bags or electronic device chirps and pings. Very loving girl, but a bed wetter, pine cone eater, and the worst farts in the world - they're like concentrated mustard gas that you can see. But we love her.

 

Our dog Cleo -- she lost a leg due to bone cancer, she was a fun new dog after that.
(Colin -- AWESOME photo!)

 

This is our whippet Simba that passed way one year ago in a tragic fatal accident when was rolled over by a car . He was really special and young - 2years old - and meant a lot to us. We deserve him a best place to rest in peace.

 

Here's a recent image of our baby, Belle. She's a 2 1/2 year old German Shepherd/Choc Lab mix who we rescued 2 summers ago. Belle is an absolute joy and I spoil her to death! She's got a huge laundry basket full of toys that she has strewn across the living room. This past weekend, this soccer ball was her favorite toy of the moment and I snapped this shot as she was playing.
Thanks for letting me share my photo! I hope everything with your puppy's surgery goes very well!

 

A college girlfriend’s then-fiencée’s ex-wife (follow that?) adopted two tuxedo kitten littermates, named Joanie and Chachi. Several years later, Chachi started being mean to Joanie — chased her, wouldn’t let her use the litterbox, that sort of thing. So, a separation was called for, and I was volunteered to be the one to take in Joanie.
She was such a sweetheart…I’ll never forget how she let me hold her paw all through her first night with me, even though she was obviously quite unsettled by the weird new environment. She actually had a sense of humor, too: she would nonchalantly walk right over a ball, pointedly not looking at it, and then flick it in a random direction as she was astride it. When the ball shot out from underneath her, she would act genuinely surprised and promptly give chase.
She developed congestive heart failure some years later. Those weeks of trying to figure out what was going on, the antibiotics, the syringe feeding when the antibiotics killed her appetite…the nights in an oxygen chamber…let’s just say they were very hard and leave it at that.
b&

 

our one-year-old cuddle-bug, slurpy-kiss, chewaholic cockapoo, Wizzo...

 

This is our Coco. A shelter Lab/Doberman mix. My close friend and constant companion on my nature photography adventures for many years. Also the best damn rabbit hunter in Kansas! In this shot she has just spotted one. The very next second she was off in a flash. There is a sadness, in some respect to owning dogs. They are so smart, so loving that they really do become a family member, yet they don't last long. What we need is a good 20 year dog. I know if she needed anything medical, she would have it. Good luck, Josh, with your pooch and a wish for a speedy recovery.

 

Good photos everyone. Good stories from ALMOST everyone (except for those few who didn't bother to read the original post and didn't write anything).

 

Max.

 

Mabel the Wonder Dog always sticks her tongue out at the camera. Her mother was a wet, pregnant, abandoned Chihuahua and we took one of the babies. Obviously dad wasn't a Chihuahua (can you say 30 lbs. and growing? Anyway, she rules the roost.

 

And this would be Tamar. The same friend who “saddled” me with Joanie…well, her mother went into assisted living a few years ago. They allow pets, but she didn’t think she could properly take care of her. So, once again, I wound up being the cat rescuer.
Everybody loves Tamar, and she loves everybody. This past Monday night the brand-new brass quintet I’m playing in rehearsed at my place for the first time, and she was both crawling on laps and inside trombone cases. I telecommute, and she often spends a good part of the day sprawled across my lap, purring up a storm.
There were some jokes about pet healthcare up top…but pet insurance is no joke. As soon as I took in Tamar, I signed her up for pet insurance. She was already about 12 at the time, and Pets Best is the only company that will enroll a cat older than about 7. The premiums are about as much as routine checkups, dental cleaning, and the like; since all that is included in the plan, it’s basically a way to spread those costs out. And, if anything expensive-but-treatable happens, they pay 80%. (Actually, they just pay 80% up to some insane limit; it’s me who wouldn’t put her through pointless and painful treatments.) It’s already been a huge help; Tamar was getting frequent bladder infections for some time after she moved in with me, and I didn’t even have to think twice about whether I could afford to treat her (unlike with Joanie, who would have needed diagnostic procedures more expensive than my savings account balance at the time). It’s been a year or so since the last infection, so I know I must be doing something right….
b&

 

This was snapped on my 5MP camera phone for want of anything better to hand. This is our 16 month old flat coated retriever and our new puppy. Our older dog has been an angel, apart from when she joins in the pup's mischief! Two dogs are better than one but getting the pup has made us realise what a sweetie our older dog really is, she's been so good. I hope they are both around for many years to come, unfortunately this breed can be prone to medical problems but fingers crossed. Good luck with yours, Josh.

Big pup and little pup

 

Here's my assitance dog Lance,. He is my cuty, my helper, my love of life and a really crazy dog.

 

PS.: We live in Holland, a cold and rainy country right now.

 

Chihiro has the most gorgeous red coat. We can't take a walk without several people, at least, commenting on how beautiful she is. She's also a wonderful dog, wonderful with people, gentle with children (including our one-year-old who constantly torments her) and a great cuddler. And on nighttime walks in Brooklyn, she looks intimidating enough that I don't worry about my wife having to walk her when I'm out of town.
She was named for the character in the Miyazaki movie Spirited Away, in which the protagonist is effectively orphaned. Our Chihiro was found near the Home Depot in Brooklyn when she was only 6 weeks old. Our neighbors who found her were going to tie her up at the local police station (no idea why--people have the weirdest ideas of how to deal with stray dogs) but I took her immediately. As a puppy she looked like a tiny version of this, but with huge ears. Adorable.
I shot this with a Rokkor 58mm with red filter on a Minolta XD11. I thought the red filter on a red dog would give me a new way to look at her and I was right!

 

here are my two ... flash (the red one) and cleo (the dark exotic beauty)

 

Rounding out the triptych is Baihu, who is sitting on the kitchen table with me, just on the other side of the laptop, after leaving his favorite perch on my shoulder.
About a year ago, a very young kitten started mewling near the apartment door around dusk. He wouldn’t let me get near him, but he did devour Tamar’s leftovers if I set them out for him and moved out of sight. And whatever he didn’t finish, his mom would (after most warily emerging from the deepest shadows).
Over a couple weeks or so, he would let me get closer and closer. The first time I touched him as he was eating, he bolted like shot from a canon, and I didn’t see him again that night. But he was back the next night, and only ran away after he finished eating. Eventually, he was eating a few feet inside, with the door open, and then would stay a while and even play with some of Tamar’s toys. The first night I closed the door, he freaked and I let him out again, but he was back the very next night, only mewed a bit when I closed the door, and he’s been an inside cat ever since.
Tamar doesn’t care for him very much, but it’s developed into a rival sibling kind of relationship, rather than the open hostilities they started with. They usually seem to wind up sleeping within a few feet of each other; Tamar under the desk and Baihu on top, for example, or maybe both on opposite sides of the desk. Never too close, but usually not very far, either.
Baihu is, in many ways, the polar opposite of Tamar. He’s terrified of people. He’ll sit in the window sill, but scamper under the bed as soon as the UPS truck pulls up, even before the delivery guy has a chance to stop the motor and get out. Tamar is old and prefers napping to playing, but Baihu loves to run, full throttle, from one side of the house to the other, making “Vroom! Vroom” noises just like a little boy. Baihu actually does a pretty good job of exercising Tamar; he annoys her into taking the high ground on a chair or table, then then forces her into a game of patty-cake. I think it’s one of the reasons Tamar’s health has improved substantially since I brought Baihu in off the street.
Oh — Baihu’s second-favorite place, after my shoulder, is laying down on the keyboard. He’s figured out that that’s the place to get a full-body massage before being removed to my shoulder….
I was photographing some artwork a couple weeks ago, between pieces, when Baihu plopped down in the middle of the set. Of course, I released the shutter; this is the full frame that resulted.
b&

 

Here is a photo of my children. The first one is Callie then Knickerbocker and the Bernese Mountain dog is Maxwell. This is a photo I did in my studio. My wife and I used it as a holiday card. we love our dogs.
The two cocker spaniels were both rescue dogs. The Bernese we have since is was 8 weeks old.
Hope you like the photo.
Thanks,
Norman Scott

 

My two "kids' at their 1st (and last) birthday party. I went all out and baked them a "cake" made out of meatloaf, iced with mashed potatoes, and piped with sweet potatoes. There were 12 dogs in my house including three Giant Schnauzers. Never again. Afterward, it was one of those "what was I thinking?!" moments. For the record, they had those hats on just long enough to snap a quick picture. ;-) Maggie & Noah in June 2008:

 

Sometimes you're the mouse.

 

This is Kiefer, he's 1.5 years old, and he's another living proof that the Marley & Me book/film are NOT fiction... : )
He's used to destroy everything, and by everything I mean everything... He likes eating cactus in his spare time, and has become a bit less intense these past few months. He certainly is the joy of the house right now because he's very cute, as only a proud owner might think, but, anyways...
Hope the knee surgery goes smoothly, best of lucks!

 

This is my Bouvier, Macy, who I got as a pup the year before I entered eighth grade. The picture is from when she was around four years old. Bouviers were originally cart dogs and cattle herders (Macy has always has the knack of getting us to go wherever she wished without us even realizing it). The breed can be prone to injury and when she was younger she had to have knee surgery and pins inserted into her joint - it never slowed her down. Late in the healing process, we would have to remind her to take it easy for a bit as she would run around the yard without a care in the world.
Even now at about ten years old, she is as strong as an ox and has as much curiosity and energy as when she was a puppy. Her hobbies are bird watching, lying in the grass sniffing the air, playing in the snow, and sneaking onto empty beds to catch a nap. Macy lives with my dad in Pennsylvania, so I don't get to see her that often since I live and work in Boston. However every time I do get to visit Macy always greets me with such exuberance as to remind me that despite living far away, I am still her person.
Edit: By the way, I think this has to be one of the best threads I've come across in a while.

 

This is a smart and gorgeous three year old boxer named Willow. The picture is one of thousand I have of my dogs.
This particular picture is just to express good wishes for the knee surgery.

 

My dog, Mokka. My first dog, actually. Such a great character that really brings big smile to every face she mets

And of course, let me introduce the very best friend of Mokka - Elvis the Cat.

 

These are our girls, Haley and Lacey, our collies #3 and #4. The only thing better than 1 collie is 2 of them. The girls give us so much and they keep us on our toes all the time. These two have given us permission to live in their home, but I suspect only because they can't open the food containers by themselves.

 

These are our girls, Haley and Lacey, our collies #3 and #4. The only thing better than 1 collie is 2 of them. The girls give us so much and they keep us on our toes all the time. These two have given us permission to live in their home, but I suspect only because they can't open the food containers by themselves.

 

We now have two dogs - Fletcher & Cato.
Fletcher was a hurricane Rita refugee. He turned-up, in very rough shape, at my daughter's place in Louisiana. He was about 6 months old (judging by his teeth) at the time. After several weeks, nobody claimed him so we drove down there and collected him. Fletcher and I "connected" immediately and we are rarely apart.
Cato also hails from Louisiana. He is a "Louisiana Catahoula"....also sometimes called a Catahoula Leopard Dog. His mother looks a lot like Fletcher so we suspect Fletch has Catahoula in his mix. We acquired Cato from a breeder, last October, to be Fletcher's playmate & sidekick. Cato is almost 1 1/2 years old now. He is the comedian on our team.
It shouldn't have surprised me (because dogs are so versatile) that neither of these Louisiana dogs had any trouble with our Southern Ontario winters. The jackets (capes) they are wearing in the photo are more for visibility in the bush than warmth.
Since we have been together, my wife and I have always had a dog in the house (Great Danes and a GSP), but, this pair beats them all. They are very intelligent, eager to please, and supply us with at least one, full-on belly-laugh per day.
These boys also play a pivotal role in controlling my height. If I couldn't walk them at least twice per day I would certainly be too short for my weight.
;~))
In the photo Cato is on the left.
Cheers! Jay

 

In tribute to Daisy who was euthanized two weeks and two days ago being a victim of feline infectious peritonitis (wet version). Photo is from 9 years ago made with a primitive digital.

 

This is Xolotl ! And he is waiting patiently for winter to dig around the neighborhood !

 

Annie, the newest member of the farm family. just over a month old here.

 

We're down to two shelter dogs now from three. The third was Gracie, who was one of the funniest dogs we ever met. She loved being the center of attention, and would annoy the other two until they took notice of her. She played with family, other dogs, strangers; you name it. Gracie just seemd to genuinely enjoy life. She died way too young (7 years old) from kidney failure.
RIP, Gracie girl, and thanks for all the fond memories we have of you.

 

I hope everything works out with your dog, Josh. this is a picture of my dog, Gonzo. The vet tells me he's probably a Pitbull/greyhound mix. He's a shelter dog that I got through a program where kids in a juvenile detention center train the dogs for a couple months and then put them up for adoption. He's about 5-1/2 years old and I've had him since he was about 1.

 

This is my best friend Chloe. Doesn't she look cool.

 

Just had to add one more picture of Gracie. Here is the little princess strutting her stuff!

 

This is a pretty common sight at our house....on this particular occasion they all marched in single file and jumped up on the couch and layed how you see them... They are spoiled rotten.
Calvin is the son of Connor and Cailie...We have since given him to some freinds who became quite attached to him...They had seven males we lost 1 due to a cleft pallette..it was very sad. Selling those pups was quite hard for my wife especially..she was so attached by the time they were old enough to let go.

 

I have to say I'm touched to see the great pets and personalitites and to read their stories. Although I'm not surprised to read about the impact these pets have on their owners. I have my own stories, of course. They start with Cody. My wife and I had dogs and cats as kids but the first real pet we had together was a Golden Retriever we named Cody. Our first Golden. Well, he was the best introduction to a breed you could want. Everyone loved Cody and he loved everyone he met. Intelligent beyond explanation and very obedient; he was gentle with children but loud and scary to strangers who came to near HIS family unannounced. Although truth be known he would have never bittten anyone. That was almost 30 years ago and we've been Golden fans ever since. Bailey entered our lives when we were in Oklinawa, Japan. We couldn't take Cody with us at the time, so he stayed with my sister-in-law and her family. Bailey had knee surgery when he was a puppy and lived a healthy and active life for the next 15 years. So, Josh, there are many success stories out here to provide you with some comfort for your dog.
We have our 3rd and 4th Golden in the household now, Max (age 3) and Casey, along with 2 fellines, Molly and Annie. Casey is just over a year old and is sure he's second in command. Fortunately he defers to me as the Alpha, much to the chagrin of my wife who spends all day with them. He is full of energy and curiosity and always manages to bring a smile to our faces, even when he has strewn the stuffing from his toys throughout the room. He now has a very large collection of unstuffed animals he carries around. Doesn't seem to bother him a bit, either.
Here are a few shots of our househlold. I'm so happy to be able to share them.

 

I guess I haven't out how to attach pictures correctly yet. I will try again, sorry.

 

"Willie"

 

This photo was made September 22, 2009 in the middle of the night, hand held, by very low available incandescent light. The camera was Olympus E-P1 with 17mm f2.8 (2x factor so equivalent to a 35mm lens on a 35 mm camera). For this shot I also had a superb Voigtlander 35mm bright-line viewfinder. E-P1 was set to Iso 6,400, yes, 6,400. Exposure, with image stabilization on, 1/30th Second at f2.8. Marolyn is bundled up in the red quilt asleep and Koa is right up against her, also asleep.

 

This is our Rhodesian Ridgeback. He is just over a year old and full of energy! We love to see him run back and forth across our living room (except when he knocks down our toddlers) for, seemingly, no reason.

 

This is our loveable Anna Marie, she will be eight years old on 10-12-09 her mom was a Teacup poodle and her dad a toy poodle. She is our Princess, our pride and joy, as well as the best dog we have ever owned. She has been real sick for about two weeks. We pray she will get better. She is everyones friend.

 

These are our girls, Haley and Lacey, our collies #3 and #4. The only thing better than 1 collie is 2 of them. The girls give us so much and they keep us on our toes all the time. These two have given us permission to live in their home, but I suspect only because they can't open the food containers by themselves.
Sorry for the duplicate posts without the photo.

 

Darwin the Oh so serious member of the clan .

 

Crazy Maggie , Darwin's sister and the most playful member of the household. Maggie and I often play catch with her toys while Darwin scowls his disapproval from the next room.

 

Crazy Maggie , Darwin's sister and the most playful member of the household.

 

...Here is Taz, my 7 year old Rottweiler, and his new friend Katie. She is a 9 month old short legged Jack Russell. They had been running around my partners work at a paintball site and Taz was knackered! She wanted a kiss..

 

Olly, sometimes Oily !

 

TOBY
My wife and I went to a cat shelter to look for a kitten. We were taken into a room where there about 20 cats running around. All of a sudden I felt something around my feet. I looked down and saw a cat biting my shoe. I called to my wife and she fell in love with the little guy right away.
When we got home Toby jumped up on the sofa, as to say this is my home, and took over the family. He is a great loving cat and we are very pleased he chose us.

 

Josh, I feel your pain! We have had two dogs in the past that needed Knee or Hip replacement. Costing around $3000 each time. These were both free dogs we took in as pets. But we loved them both to death! One had a hip replacement and the other had two knee replacements.
We now have a new puppy, Alaskan Malamute, and that is what I'm posting to this message... She has already been a great addition to our family. Everyone in the house seems a bit happier and so do I. She has been a blessing to our home!
Jim Pink

 

Josh, I feel your pain! We have had two dogs in the past that needed Knee or Hip replacement. Costing around $3000 each time. These were both free dogs we took in as pets. But we loved them both to death! One had a hip replacement and the other had two knee replacements.
We now have a new puppy, Alaskan Malamute, and that is what I'm posting to this message... She has already been a great addition to our family. Everyone in the house seems a bit happier and so do I. She has been a blessing to our home!
Jim Pink

 

My Wheaten Terrier, Shamus - a rescue with lots of problems...

 

Our dog Lucy. She is where we should all be. Relaxing and taking things in stride.

 

Here's a pic of my daughter's cat whom she claims is a nice cat but, it once raised up and wanted to attack me, just like in this photo. Crazy cats.............. (Hope this comes thru..)

 

This is Doodle. He is a great dog like everyone else's but as poor specimen of a Dalmatian as one can find. Head too small, legs too long, back too long, tail too long, spots not dark enough, and he's nuts. Otherwise, he perfect..! Doodle was rescued from the dog pound in Seattle, WA and was about 1-1/2 years old when we got him. He still thinks he's 6 months old, and although he can be hard to keep up with, we still love him..

 

After just loosing our last dane our vet. had heard of situation where a couple had brought a dane all the way from Germany to our island Kauai, HI. When the dane arrived the couple found out that they were not allowed to have large dogs in thier complex. They had asked our vet if she knew of anyone that could give her a good home and the rest is history.. Almost every weekend we take "Nui" to the dog park and a good time is had by all. Nui loves the smaller dogs as you can see in" the race is on"

 

This is Dolly, my two year old Miniature Schnauzer. Dolly is a very sweet, special girl. She is two years old and was just diagnosed with Pancreatis, which Schnauzers are prone to have. She has been very sick off and on all of this year but she is now on the mend since we now know what she has and can treat her. She is on a special diet. Every night before I go to sleep I ask God to please watch over her.

 

Sorry could not upload a photo correctly. Was in a rush because my wife needed a hamburger..Quick! Had to choose..and the hamburger won causing the time to be up to upload the photo. At least my dog and I have a place to sleep tonight....Steve

 

Here is Remo in a wide-angle close-up:

 

This is Cat. He joined me in my first apartment when I was 24 years old. We was given to me by a girlfriend who found him. His tail was as big as he was. His first meal in the apartment was pizza. He lived to be 13 years old so he and I grew up together. He was a character. It's 40 years later from when I first got him, but, I still think of him when I see a Maine Coon.

 

I hate to imagine life without my furry family members . We now have Samson , a 1 year old Shih Tzu. He knows no strangers , loves everything and everybody. The kids in the neighborhood wait for me to walk him, they adore him and he them. One little boy will run to his home, open the front door and yell at the top of his lungs - MOM , SAMSON IS COMING . He even has kids who are afraid of dogs petting him.
Samson has a kidney problem, hopefully not too serious, but kind of a wait and see situation. This picture is of him playing , which he loves to do. If his health prevails, I hope to have Samson become a "visiting pet " to hospitals , and retirement homes.
We also have Miss Kitty, a rescue, about 9 or 10 years old. She sometime "walks" with us along the fringe the houses. Samson loves to curl up next to her and lick her face. Miss Kitty loves to drive him crazy, hiding and teasing him.

 

Can't forget Miss Kitty.

 

Dov in snowfall.

 

Dov and his new kid brother, Truman

 

Josh, neglected to wish a speedy recovery to your beloved puppy. Borrowing part of line from a commercial - they are priceless.
We too have spent more money than I ever dreamed I would on our babies. Good luck

 

I am heartbroken that our family member, Buddy was killed last week by dogs. This cat was one-of-a-kind.
I had never heard of a cat like this before I saw him with my own eyes: He would actually go on walks with us. He enjoyed going on car rides, stroller rides and wagon rides. He would go all the way around the block.
Buddy greeted our guests. He wasn't afraid of anyone or nearly anything. He was very friendly. He let the kids in our family do anything to him, without him ever raising a paw to them.
He wanted the neighbors to pet him. Some of them considered him their pet also. He was a starving stray when he came into our lives.
He was HUGE! We actually measured him once - from nose to tip of tail and he was nearly a world record holder. He was tall, muscular, had long legs, a big head and had a very long and curled tail.
He loved his people and we loved him very much. We hope he is in Kitty Cat Heaven. We miss him very much.
If anyone has any knowledge about what specific breed he was, I would appreciate it if you would let me know. Thanks.

 

Here is my friend Amber, feeling sorry for herself and a little embarrassed, after her successful knee op last June.
Her fur has almost all grown back now and she is back to her old self, although we have to restrain her a bit now, its too expensive to go through again!
Hope your fella makes a full recovery
Nigel

 

A better photo of Buddy - the first one showed his tail best!

 

Here's my boy Kody. The best darn dog on god's green earth.

Here's Pokie. He's actually the world's most affectionate cat and in this shot he's kicking back in the only place he seems to occupy.

New kittens, Lilly and Murray. They've made friends with the Gippsland panther who comes along most days of the week into Melbourne's great South East suburbs to use their litter tray. I've yet to meet this fella.

 

This is our beloved Summer. Very affectionate and loveable (unless you're a mail carrier).
Sorry, I couldn't figure out how to attach the photo. Believe me, she's adorable.

 

I remember (thanks Tim) driving 5 hours up to a country home in the very rural southwest corner of Tennessee. We were there to meet our internet dates, four of them, and decide if one would come home with us. They were all female and as different as four little pups could be. One was terribly introverted, took one look at us and sat facing the corner of the portable kennel. The second was all energy, bouncing all around, friendly, but not always paying attention. The third... ahhhh, the third was a beauty with perfect posture, friendly but somewhat aloof, and not a hair out of place. And then there was the fourth. One ear didn't quite meet standards and wanted to flop, the back feet tended to splay a tad, somewhat bashful but in the trauma of meeting complete strangers she waddled over to my daughter and crawled into her lap, turned over on her back and would not get down. So, we in effect, never did choose a pup that day... she chose us.
My wife complained that our previous dog was not attentive enough to her; so in her honor we named this one for her. This is "Martha's Heart of Dixie". Martha, for my wife and Heart of Dixie because it's our state (Alabama) motto. Little "Dixie" wasted no time worming her way into all of our hearts.
Dixie is a Shipperke, a little known breed but true to breed is quite the character. I have always made the statement, usually in a crowd with my children present, that "my cutest and most obedient child is black". My other children think I'm kidding ....

 

I remember (thanks Tim) driving 5 hours up to a country home in the very rural southwest corner of Tennessee. We were there to meet our internet dates, four of them, and decide if one would come home with us. They were all female and as different as four little pups could be. One was terribly introverted, took one look at us and sat facing the corner of the portable kennel. The second was all energy, bouncing all around, friendly, but not always paying attention. The third... ahhhh, the third was a beauty with perfect posture, friendly but somewhat aloof, and not a hair out of place. And then there was the fourth. One ear didn't quite meet standards and wanted to flop, the back feet tended to splay a tad, somewhat bashful but in the trauma of meeting complete strangers she waddled over to my daughter and crawled into her lap, turned over on her back and would not get down. So, we in effect, never did choose a pup that day... she chose us.
My wife complained that our previous dog was not attentive enough to her; so in her honor we named this one for her. This is "Martha's Heart of Dixie". Martha, for my wife and Heart of Dixie because it's our state (Alabama) motto. Little "Dixie" wasted no time worming her way into all of our hearts.
Dixie is a Shipperke, a little known breed but true to breed is quite the character. I have always made the statement, usually in a crowd with my children present, that "my sweetest and most obedient child is black". My other children think I'm kidding ....

 

My boy Morgan, giving his regal pose. He's an English breed of Golden Retriever.
He's also our resident lifeguard at the house. We've trained him to dive down to the bottom of the pool (8 feet) to retrieve things, including a training baby. He's a great swimmer and a great companion.

 

We just had to put down our wonderful dog Guinness. He was a 12 year old Shepherd/Husky mix and weighed in at 100 lbs. He loved his daily walks and playing with his soccer ball and was an impressive security dog. He is greatly missed.

 

Pets brings to us things that are priceless ...shared companionship, joy, and above all LOVE! Our dog Ginger often comes along with me and my wife Lynne on long walks on remote trails in the woods and open prairies where she can run freely. She loves the snow and blasts back and forth past us like a bullet! Earlier this year I happened to get a decent shot of her [I'm talking about my dog here!] running hard, kicking up the snow in her 'wake'! We had a great time and the photos help to remind us of those shared experiences ...and of all, that precious LOVE we share! Run Ginger run!

 

My bunnies Jack, Jasmine, Rosie and George give us many hours of pleasure. They have such little personalities!
Jack is the oldest at 7 and he has slowed down a bit. He's the one with a mohawk between his ears, but is the most amiable of all of them. He was recently sick, nearly died, so the vet bills have been a bit much lately. Thankfully he's recovering and is expected to live out his full 10 years or so.

Jasmine is our inquisitive and bossy 6 year old. She has to rule the house or there will be fights. Problem is she can't always back it up and gets herself injured, thus the loss of part of her ear.

Rosie is also 6 and since she won't back down to Jasmine she lives in my daughters room. There have been too many fights and too many vet bills to want to keep them together. She is a cuddly bunny who is very much spoiled. She is just recovering from a broken hock so she isn't as active as she usually is.

The last one is George and he isn't quite 6 months old and he is the most laid back bunny I have ever met. He loves to run about the yard kicking up his heels and playing. However he loves just as much being held and giving you kisses and getting lots of love back.

 

Here it is without the links being broken...
My bunnies Jack, Jasmine, Rosie and George give us many hours of pleasure. They have such little personalities!

Jack is the oldest at 7 and he has slowed down a bit. He's the one with a mohawk between his ears, but is the most amiable of all of them. He was recently sick, nearly died, so the vet bills have been a bit much lately. Thankfully he's recovering and is expected to live out his full 10 years or so.

Jasmine is our inquisitive and bossy 6 year old. She has to rule the house or there will be fights. Problem is she can't always back it up and gets herself injured, thus the loss of part of her ear.


Rosie is also 6 and since she won't back down to Jasmine she lives in my daughters room. There have been too many fights and too many vet bills to want to keep them together. She is a cuddly bunny who is very much spoiled. She is just recovering from a broken hock so she isn't as active as she usually is.


The last one is George and he isn't quite 6 months old and he is the most laid back bunny I have ever met. He loves to run about the yard kicking up his heels and playing. However he loves just as much being held and giving you kisses and getting lots of love back.

 

<p>Hi Josh,<br>
Although we've owned - or rather hosted&quot; about eight cats so far, always in teams of at least or three, Gina is our first dog. She's the kind of very special mixed pedigree mutt only available at the SPCA, but within weeks of adoption developed an acute digestive problem (hypertonic phyloric sphincter) that required a $2,600.00 operation. She was worth every penny!<br>
Here's Gina smelling he flowers (or something worse) at her favourite place, a nearby wilderness park.<br>
<img src="http://erichK.zenfolio.com/img/v2/p757465761-3.jpg" alt="" /><br>
I really shouldn't give any further publicity to feckless felines. Trying to keep a &quot;weekday dog&quot; thread going for most of a year on DPreview made me acutely aware of how much harder poor dogs have to work to be noticed and photographed and proudly paraded, than their pusilanimous pussycat rivals.<br>
However, here are Tiger and Herr Doktor Muggles, another pair of SPCA refugees.<br>
<img src="http://erichK.zenfolio.com/img/v3/p77360735-3.jpg" alt="" /><br>
erichK<br>
saskatoon, canada<br>

 

Walking down Yonge Street in Toronto on a sunny afternoon, I passed by a water fountain and a dog swimming in it. He was havi ng the time of his life, barking and getting all excited. When the water was about to fall into the fountain from a teeter-totter like device above his head, he became even more excited - if that was possible, and sat right under the water that was about to cascade down on him and barked even louder. And then.......

 

Our sweet Katie rolling in the autumn leaves.

 

4
Here's a picture of my daughter and her puppy, Daisy.

 

This shot of Neela my first roll of film I'd put through a Leica. Certainly sold me on "Leica glass" 90mm Summicron.

 

These two pets are far more rewarding than the hamster, rabbit or giant (1 kg) African land snail.

 

This shot of Neela was on my first picture ever taken with a Leica..."sold" me on Leica glass. Summicron 90mm.

 

Neela my first roll of film through a Leica. (This time lucky with the attachment)

 

Josh,
Sorry to hear about your dog needing knee surgery. Dogs and other animals have always been a part of our life. We have been fortunate in our retireing years to live on a small mini-farm where we were able to have many different "critters" over the years.
Our "Jake" is truly a member of our family in many ways. Our first fully indoor dog and we just love having him around us all of the time. Jake is an extremely great watch dog alerting us when anyone comes down our drive.
A true friend is how I would classify Jake. He will be 9 in December
This is a pic of him last winter playing in some snow, we don't get too much of it down here and he really loves it when we do.
phil & colleen b
benton, ky

 

Apologies if I'm missing the point here. Been away from PN for quite a while.
Dogs, cats, whatever... Love'em all!
Domestic animals should be treated as part of the family.
If they're not, their owners need to be corrected/prosecuted/shot.
On 2009, July 18th, I lost a mate. We were inseparable for the last 19 years...
Thanks for the thread, Josh.

 

This is my first and so far only son, Dexter. He's 8 so he came long before the TV show by the same name.
Dexter is a purebred Parson Russell terrier, a breed I picked because they're energetic and I wanted a companion who could handle the outdoors and fishing with me.
The first time I took Dexter fishing, it was the opening of trout season. Dexter "caught" 2 porcupines, hurting his mouth pretty bad and requiring $300+ of work at the vet to remove the quills. That was one of the last times he came fishing with me.
Since then Dexter has been sprayed by 2 skunks, chased the FedEx truck around the neighbourhood, let himself into stranger's houses through sliding doors, caught raccoons, squirrels, a crow, smallmouth bass on a stringer under the boat, gone to tree-planting events with me (and helped dig!), and otherwise not stayed out of trouble very well at all.
He's far more than I could've hoped for in a dog, even with all his troubled exploits, he's a true gem.

 

This is Tom the Katt. He arrived at our door one very cold and stormy December about 6 years ago looking very close to death, skinny, but eager to enter our home. He went right to the litter box that was there for our cat and used it. He then curled up in front of our fire and slept for 10 hurs without moving. From that day he has made our family his own. We spent several weeks advertising and checking with local vets but no one claimed him. He is a great hunter and goes out most nights and returns in the AM for a snack in his bowl, a head rub, and a long nap. This is a shot of him in his hunting mode in our landscaping. He is eyeing out the squirrel action across the street.

 

This is Tom the Katt. He arrived at our door one very cold and stormy December about 6 years ago looking very close to death, skinny, but eager to enter our home. He went right to the litter box that was there for our cat and used it. He then curled up in front of our fire and slept for 10 hurs without moving. From that day he has made our family his own. We spent several weeks advertising and checking with local vets but no one claimed him. He is a great hunter and goes out most nights and returns in the AM for a snack in his bowl, a head rub, and a long nap. This is a shot of him in his hunting mode in our landscaping. He is eyeing out the squirrel action across the street.

 

This is Poppy a twelve week old Cocker Spaniel. She is a friends puppy to replace her English Springer Spaniel who had to put to sleep recently at the age of thirteen. She is just the most gorgeous colour. She comes to visit and my English Springer Spaniel Bertie just is not sure what to make of her as she is just so bold nibbling his ears etc. Regards Steve

 

http://www.photo.net/photo/9837816

This is Poppy, my friend's new Cocker Spaniel puppy. She recently had to have her thirteen year old English Springer Spaniel Cider, put to sleep by the Vet. Poppy has visited our home now three times and my English Springer Spaniel Bertie is bemused by Poppy's cheek. She jumps on him and bites his ears. Not at all PC in dog terms. Regards Steve

 

Our silly but wonderful rescue cat, Nia.

unfortunately this one came out too soft... invisible corn on the cobb

 

"Lola" after a jog when she was a youngster (now 6.5 yrs old)

 

This is "Schmendrick" (Fool) in 1969. We got him and his brother Loco in 1965 from the animal facilty at the medical center I was working in at the time. He used to chase light beams (no laser pointers back then) from a flashlight and would jump to the top hinge of doors to grab a pipe cleaner hung on it. He and Loco lived long and happy lives, certainly better than what was in store for them in a lab experiment.

 

Here's "Loco" in 1970. He mostly liked to sit in someone's lap, purr, and watch the antics of his athletic brother.

 

Ant is a great cat. He came from a barn and was named "piss ant" luckily he moved and had his name shortened. He is most tolerent of the stupidest posing. His cute act is used to trick us into thinking his bossy brother scratches the furniture and other undesirable cat antics. He is a great campanion.

 

This is my inside baby, Ginger. I've never seen a dog so happy to see me when I come home (even if I've been outside for only 2 minutes!) She's our little sunshine!
I've really enjoyed seeing the posts and pet photos. Nothing warms the heart more!
Good luck with the surgery, Josh.

 

My birthday present this year was to be a dog and I wanted a Lab, but was overridden by the requirements of weight, a non-shedder and a few more that I can't recall. My girlfriend has always had small dogs, and we had put down her Shih-Tzu of 13 years about 2-1/2 years ago. I had not had a Lab in 7 years after the previous 20 with 3 of them. It was time.
We live a block from the beach and I wanted a dog to run and play with on the beach and in the water, but with the requirements given to me I figured it'd be another Shih-Tzu. I was right.
This is our little baby, her name is Martini. She was a mommy in a puppy mill that was raided back in 2/09. She's at least 3, and had probably never been outside of those little cages they were kept in. I googled the raid in North Carolina and found a video. It was extremely painful and disturbing to watch. I can't imagine the hell she lived in, but she bears some scars to prove how difficult it must have been. I ran across the spca worker that had fostered her and found out she'd been returned once to the shelter. These things explain why she is skittish and distrustful of humans.
She has come a long way in the past few months that we have had her. She loves my girlfriend, is still a little wary of me but that's ok. We are getting her out in the neighborhood and she's socializing well. At the beginning it was 3 days here before we knew she ate or drank. It was 2-1/2 weeks before she wagged her tail. She would play with her sqeaky toys, bones, etc only by herself. We could hear her upstairs or in the next room, but she'd stop and hide if we went to look. It was 2 months before I saw her wag her tail. We are at 3-1/2 months now, and I think she's understanding she's got a "home."
I can't explain how it makes me feel to help save this little soul.

 

Josh,
Good luck with the surgery.
Jaz, our Australian Cattle Dog had ACL surgery approximately 5 years ago. The surgery was successful. She already had her AKC Championship at the time. After the surgery she went on and earned an AKC Obedience title, a Rallye title, and a herding title or 2.
A year ago we noticed a lump at the site of the ACL surgery. A biopsy was in-conclusive. It could be very fast growing cancer, slow growing cancer, or some sort of scar tissue. We chose not to put her through surgery if it was a fast growing cancer. This January, she was still alive, so we know it wasn't fast growing cancer. The lump was larger so that pointed to one of the slow growing cancers. We opted to have her leg removed at the hip rather than just above the knee and risk leaving any cancer cells. The tumor was causing more and more discomfort so we had the surgery done this January.
Jaz is alive, doing most excellently, and doesn't even miss the leg. This picture was taken about a month after the surgery. She's happy, pain free, and able to do her morning 'job'...going to the road and bringing back the morning paper.
We're fortunate in that the vet that did the original ACL surgery was a country vet and did not charge high fees. Another country vet did the amputation and again, did not have to pay high fees.
Here is a link to a video I made the day after the surgery when we picked up Jaz to take her home. http://auntellensfarm.com/gallery/VID00002.AVI/view
Again, the best of luck with Griffen. And remember - a happy healthy dog makes for a happy non-grouchy dog owner<g>.
Mark

 

Jaz on a walk on the farm 3 months after amputation.

 

We are a Golden Retreiver family, having up to three at one time. In February we added our third because the other two boys were so close that I feared something happening should we lose one. They were 11 and 8. As Fate would have it, we lost our 11 year old, Sunny, a few months after adding Cooper to our family.
Sunny was beloved and he is missed every single day. Enjoy your time with your buddies!

 

We are a Golden Retreiver family, having up to three at one time. In February we added our third because the other two boys were so close that I feared something happening should we lose one. They were 11 and 8. As Fate would have it, we lost our 11 year old, Sunny, a few months after adding Cooper to our family.
Sunny was beloved and he is missed every single day. Enjoy your time with your buddies!

 

Cooper and Max

 

This is Rocko...a great friend, protector and companion for 10 years. I recently lost him to cancer.

 

We started adopting ex racing greyhounds sixteen years ago after falling in love with this gentle, intelligent breed. In 2005 after our first greyhound Keats died of old age, my husband picked Bond (James Bond) when he found his profile on a rescue website.
Bond may not be a good racer, but he certainly is a wonderful friend. This is his morning kiss.

 

Collie at Christmas =)

 

These are our three beasts - Tannoy, our little brown Burmese, Tilda the Dally and Charlie, who used to be my mum's dog, before she died. The pic of Tannoy was taken before his two-week disappearance a couple of years ago. When he returned, we found his pelvis had been broken and mended itself strangely and his spine was broken where the tail joins the body. The vets put it down to malicious acts by person or persons unknown. He's still a lovely, affectionate cat, though nervous of strangers now. He walks in an interesting way, but can still climb and cause trouble to the dogs. He takes a bit of care because there was significant nerve damage and you can guess the rest. We all get on famously, though both dogs would like to be boss. Can't do without this sort of presence in the house. Good luck for your pup in his surgery Josh.

 

Haven't done this before, here's Tilda I hope

 

And here's Charlie

 

Our rescue Samoyed, Woody.

 

This is Joe!...His eyes are very scary but he is the mouses enemy!
Great to be friend with him!

 

...I lost Mamzie a year ago. After 13 years of being my faithful, pugs' face, lovable, special friend. When we said goodbye on the vet table, I cried as I felt my guts were pulled out of me for a moment. I was with a dear friend who loved Mamzie very much too and I could not, like him, stay a minute more when Life had left her. It wasn't her anymore on the table. She was gone...
Well, time has passed and yesterday I finally adopted a new girl cat. She is a sweet girl, has been rescued first before ending up in foster care for a while. I saw her picture on the web...a funny good feeling came to me when I first saw her. She would not replace my Mamzie. She would be a new friend. I guess at my age (45+), perhaps for the rest of my life... Big decision. I did drive an hour to go and finally meet with her. She had all I was hoping for: the curiosity of a cat, the beauty of a cat, the grace and all. She IS a cat. I am happy I brought her home and now she is exploring her new digs... Welcome my dear.

 

(Above) Angelina was a stray dog I found in the Bay of Los Angeles in Baja while camping with some friends exactly 10 years ago this month. She's been my best buddy and has a demeanor that's the very definition of 'mellow'. A couple weeks ago she had surgery to remove a cancerous tumor, and so far so good. The vet says she may well be good to go for a couple or few years more...

 

Shakespeare, lost him this summer at age 10 years and seven months, a few years ago he was in the lake with some trumpeter swans

 

Last summer I had to put down my companion of 17 years, Ernie. He'd cry when I'd leave the apartment and meet me at the door when I got home. He was afraid of no one and was called the "watch cat". I still miss him very much. A few months before he departed I rescued a feral kitten and Ernie sternly taught her some house manners.

 

Here's my new companion, never leaves my side and she also cries when I leave. She's a real sweetheart and very affectionate. Her name is Mercedes Sosa, named for the Argentine singer who coincidentally passed away this morning.

 

Wilbie was named after Wilbur from Charlotte's Web. I chose this name for him because when he came to me at 8 weeks the plan was to sell him for my relative who had bred him. Everyone in my family was intent on selling him, except me. I felt like the young girl in Charlotte's Web who had fallen in love with Wilbur and wanted to keep him. The joke around the house was, he "will be" sold, or he "will be" given to a new home. In the end, it was he "will be" staying with me! I had fallen for him.
Within the first year, Wilbie need knee surgery on both of his hind legs. Chihuahuas are prone to needing this surgery, but the bad breeding by my relative worsened the conditions for Wilbie. I didn't hesitate on having the surgery done. For each of the surgeries, I always nursed him back to health. The way I see it is, sure the surgeries were expensive; however, I have helped another living being have a fulfilling life. And Wilbie has repaid me time and time again with his undying devotion to me. He has helped me get through some pretty tough spots. Besides... how could I ever say no to a face like this?

 

This is my first time posting. Here is the photo of Wilbie:

 

This is Kenny, my beloved dog. He is an amazing being, full of joy and energy. I can't even begin to express my gratitude towards this little guy. He fills my life with magic and happy moments, and has been there for me unconditionally. We have traveled allot together and in this particular photo we were in Cuetzalan, Puebla (in Mexico where I live) for New Year's of 2007. I hope your dog's knee surgery goes well.
My best wishes to both of you,
Marichelo Alzati

 

This is Mojo and Maka Koa both brothers from different litters ...both are HUGE (18 lbs) and they bring us nothing but joy (lots of laughs and hot nights with the two of us and the two cats in bed - hot!) and mommy gets to practice making pictures with them! Don't mistake them for "cute" kitties. We actually call them the Siamese mafia - they walk out the door and will likely be the ones beating up some other cat in the neighborhood.

 

This is a photo contributed by my son David. This is Bella, an 11 year old mixed breed dog who is my son's family pet. Josh, you in particular, I suspect, can understand the anguish a family experiences when a beloved pet requires budget-breaking life-saving medical care. Somehow we found the way and Bella had the necessary surgery at one of NYC's finest animal hospitals. Today Bella continues the loving and beloved family pet. She is getting along fine four years after the amputation of her left fore-leg because of cancer.

 

My wife and I have 3 fantastic animals, two female cats one called "Jaz" and the other "Cleo". Jaz is the oldest cat that took to me and had little to do with my wife. We got Cleo for my wife and she was close to my wife until she had a litter of kittens. She still stays close to my wife. Our third animal is a beautiful golden labrador called "Molly", when we go out she displays her disapproval by removing her blanket from her basket.

 

Cleo

 

So my husband and i have been married for over a year but have been together for 8. Our parents continue to pester us as to when we might be having kids. So here they are. They are a whole heck of a lot less expensive than human kids, we can leave them for a day and not worry, and they don't talk back. One does have farts which might be considered biological weapons, and the other tried to climb up the fire place the other day, but generally speaking, we couldn't be happier. They are both sisters: Slinky and Dagny.
Up first, Dagny.

 

up next. Slinky, maker of atomic farts.

 

Another go, see if I get it right this time Josh,
My wife and I have 3 fantastic animals, two female cats one called "Jaz" and the other "Cleo". Jaz is the oldest cat that took to me and had little to do with my wife.

Jaz
We got Cleo for my wife and she was close to my wife until she had a litter of kittens. She still stays close to my wife.

Cleo
Our third animal is a beautiful golden labrador called "Molly", when we go out she displays her disapproval by removing her blanket from her basket.

Molly

 

Molly

 

http://www.photo.net/photo/9862371
Jaz

 

Cleo

 

My photo shows Sugar (mother) and Spice (son) a month after we adopted them from our local Animal Humane Society. They are absolutely inseperable, and do everything in unison. Twice in their lives they were found living in the wild after being abandoned, and twice more given up to shelters. Hopefully we can provide them with a Forever Home.

 

This is Simba, our miracle kitten. She's a Manx kitten who, with her twin, was mercilessly dumped on our property by someone with no heart at an approximate age of 3 or 4 days old. Her sibling passed after a couple of days with us but little Simba soldiered on and managed to make it through feedings every 2-3 hours, near-constant toileting, and seemingly hundreds of bottles of formula. She's the most beautiful kitten you'll ever meet and has both of our hearts wrapped around her own, but she returns the love she's been raised with in abundance. This was taken about a month ago at 3 1/2 months old. I think she grows a little every hour! She's a lucky kitten and I guess in the end, it's a good thing she came to us. She'll have a wonderful life.

 

Junie Junie Moon on a hike in Lonesome Hollow. Best photo hiking dog ever.

 

OK, I give up. Tried every imaginable way to upload a photo and it's not going to happen! Next, tried to delete my "empty-of-photo" post, and can't make that happen, either! Bad night in Brentwood. Sorry, but you'll miss seeing a photo of a beautiful black Mini-Schnauzer and as well as a gorgeous red/orange bi-color kitty who wears orange nail caps on his front paws.

 

Nice idea for a thread Josh, too bad there aren't any animal lovers out there. Good luck with the dog, I've been thru similiar straits. Here's one of one of my dogs trying to steal my prosthesis. I always having trouble uploading to this site, so bear with me.

 

Photos like these are one of the reasons for photography. Whether digital, or film. Black & white or color. They are all important little snippets of our lives. Pets add so much joy to our lives, and ask so little of us. Many of these fine photos of these furry friends brought back wonderful memories for me. Thank you all for posting them.

 

dog

 

We took care of this little one for about a month this summer. I felt like a kid again. It was really great having a dog around. We eventually had to send her to her 'mommy' who had just moved to Indonesia. We will probably get a dog next summer, if things work out as planned.

 

I'll play. This isn't my cat, but she thinks she is. Her name is Millie, but I never have to call her - she just comes to me if I'm at my g/f's home. Acually belongs to my girlfriend, but is intensely loyal to me. Ignores my g/f all week, and then jumps into my lap when I arrive, sleeps on my side of the bed. If I'm not there, she sleeps on my housecoat. If I don't let her on my lap while at the computer, she climbs up on the furniture above me and just stares as I type.

 

I have two Minature Schnauzers that are my life. They bring me unconditional love, and I can always count on them to make my day.

 

Sorry I couldn't figure out how to upload pictures on my post before and can't seem to edit it to add pictures so it is on this post.

 

Sorry I couldn't figure out how to upload pictures on my post before and can't seem to edit it to add pictures so it is on this post.

 

This is Cody who my girlfriend, whilst helping run an animal sanctuary fostered when no-one would.....she was with severe OCD and therefore discarded from the farm where she couldn't work. Girlfriend eventually found her a home with a lovely couple in Harrogate and has since, with the help of her two dog friends snapped out of the OCD and is now doing agility. The most amazing thing about Cody is that she is also stone deaf.

 

This is LJ, he was my favorite pet of all. We lost him last year. He had a laid back attitude and loved everyone.
He always let me take a lot of photos of him but once he was done he would look away and refused to participate anymore.
Josh, I hope your dog will be okay.

 

So, when we first got 'the dog' ( a gift for one of our children) my husband was adamant..'it better not bark, it better not dig, it better not shed, it better not..bla, bla bla...So, I come home from work, it's about 2 am, and I see this little brown thing on the end of the bed. It's 'the dog' and there is no way that tiny little thing jumped up on our bed..no sir, she had help! So, I asked my husband the next morning..'Honey, how did Coco get up on the bed?" I asked, sweetly. "Well, I didn't want to hear her crying all night!' He said, all pretend gruff-like! They've been best friends ever since, although I know she loves me best. So..there you are, looking at my dog, Coco..

 

I would like to start off by saying animals are my weakness and I am my husbands weakness They are all wonderful with different personalities. They keep us on our toes!
Clockwise Lexi, Tubby, Tidbit, Pilot, and Jack our 6 month old sheltie. Jack is my husbands first dog.

 

Hi guys,
meet Martin, our highly beloved guinea pig, which on this photo seems quite content that we came to visit him after his tooth surgery at the vet's. I never thought that such a small little fellow could dominate a whole human family!
Martin passed away one week after the photo, due to complications, but we are still (and often) talking of getting a new one, or rather two, so they can play with each other, and not be bored.
Excellent thread idea, Josh! Am I saved from banishment to the "No words" forum now?

 

Holly!

 

I'm a bit late to this thread, but better late than never and all that.
In 2002, my significant other managed to persuade me that we should get a cat and so in one evening we went to see a litter of kittens her coworkers cat had given birth. The most active and curious of them was this attractive little girl:

(sorry about the image quality, this was taken with an old, very, very cheap compact)
I got convinced that we did indeed need a cat and a few weeks later that little girl (whom we call Keksi) moved into our household and has been a steady part of our life since that, now a handsome adult cat instead of a little kitten, but she still reminds us daily that she hasn't forgotten how to have fun.
After I graduated and started working full-time, we thought that we should perhaps get her a companion, as she now had to spend a large part of her day alone. So in the summer of 2004 we gave a home to a stray cat that the vet assumed to be about half a year old; she had been found wandering in a forest. At first things were difficult because she was apparently grown-up enough to be seen as a rival instead of a kitten by Keksi, but in a few weeks they adjusted to live together nicely:

The newcomer got named as Noki (can be translated as "soot", due to some black areas of hair on her head and tail).
Of them, Keksi is by far more the calm and practical one (although she has picked up a few quirks, such as occasionally very pointedly leading me to her favourite sofa and expecting me to lie down so that she can use me as a pillow), and Noki the erratic and loud diva who loves drawing attention to herself (we suspect she has some oriental cat in her ancestry). But both of them are very lovable to us in their own way and we hope to enjoy their company for many years to come.

 

Ok i will play The Bernese(black one) died last year which broke the heart of my two kids. Fortunately the Pyrenees is still alive and keeping company to my family while i'm away on my long trips abroad.

 

Josh: Do women count as pets? How about men for women? I am a little past the dog stage, Love 'em but can't keep up with them.

 

This is Bertie, my English Springer Spaniel. He is not a pet but my Soul Mate and companion. We walk for two hours a day, every day on the hills and in the fields where I live (I walk and he runs).He is partial to Pheasants (if he can catch them) and water, any water!
http://www.photo.net/photo/9871592

 

This is Zoey a St. Bernard collie mix that was a tiny, sickly, mangy, pup that the kids brought home, now she is an 80 lb happy healthy 7 yr old with two speeds on and off from running full bore and rolling in the snow to taking up the whole couch lying on her back in 15 seconds. I posted this photo before and someone commented "exuberance" thats a perfect description for her on mode

 

What an enormous response this column has received. Tear-jerking stuff too! I just have to post an image of my British Shorthair (all 8.5kg of him) - Harley! He is the most relaxed cat to have around - a bit like Garlfield, except he's blue-grey.

 

This is our old girl, Sally. We have 3 dogs and 4 cats. All are rescue or foundlings. Sally was thrown out at a rest area on I-85 in GA. She was a big skinny starving puppy with feet as big as dinner plates. Of course, we took her home. She is a bit dog aggressive, but loves all humans. She has been a punishing big sister at times to the other dogs, but she can't move so well now, so the others have no problem in avoiding her wrath. Plus she has mellowed a bit in her old age.. She is about 12 now.

 

And I have to give equal time to at least some of the cats. Here are Atom and Daisy. Atom we found ten years ago in the engine of our car after driving several miles to go out to eat. When we stopped we heard the meow. My husband crawled under the car and rescued him from behind the radiator. His only injury was a singed nose. The restaurant gave us a box to put him in while we ate. He is a big cat now, and does not like to be picked up, but enjoys a lap for sitting if it is his idea. Daisy Mae came to us. Our granddaughter was playing a Pet Shop game on the TV. But when she stopped the game, I could still hear a kitty crying. Daisy was on our front porch, a little ball of fluff and skin and bones. She ain't skinny any more. We have two other cats who are actually our Grandkitties, Leona and Hal. There are photos of them in my PN portfolio if anyone cares to look.

 

This is our favorite brown bunny Madeline hanging out inside a cardboard bunny maze. She feels safe in there.
It's pretty dark inside the maze so this was one of my first shots with wireless flash. I put the flash inside the enclosure and bounced it around a bit resulting in the mixed lighting.

 

Here's Rufus. Our Springer Spaniel

 

indriði in the parking lot.
not my pet, but he used to be a good friend

 

Thank you for this thread, Josh. How can I not smile at this pictures? Wonderful...everyone. This is Luna. She is our australian shepherd. She turned 12 a month ago. Although in good health right now, she was very sick a couple of months ago. I began to realize that I should really pay attention to everyday with her. We have 2 kids and she has always been patient, loving and tolerant towards them (perhaps more than I have). She has taught them to be kind and gentle to animals. She is teaching me a great deal right now. Everytime I feel my patience dwindling over one of her "older doggy problems", I take a breath and remember that raising my voice at her would be like yelling at an old lady. We love Luna so much. I hope she is with us for quite awhile longer.

 

Thanks Josh for posting this. I hope the surgery goes well.
This is Desi and Mini (Desi's a lab blue heeler mix and mini is a minature dachshund) Desi is 7, we got her from the pound (it was going to be her last day.. ) she was one and she is just the best dog ever. She was real quiet when we first got her and now she has one of the best personalities. We got Mini when she was a baby from a local breeder. She is now 5. When we got her she had a mo-hawk and it hasn't gone away since. Makes her unique. super cute! She likes to bark and make lots of noise but she is a great dog! I love this picture because it really shows there personalties. It always brightens my day every time I see this picture.

 

Here is Baker. He was abandoned on the front steps of my Vet's office. They nursed him back to health and he became the 'office cat.' I snapped this shot one day as I was setting up for my semi annual 'Pet Portraits for Charity' and they used it in the flyer...shortly thereafter, he had several families that wanted to adopt him. He's fat and sassy and king of his domain in his new forever home.

 

This is Carly, the heart of our family. She goes to work with us each day and pretty much everywhere a dog is allowed. She's a show off when it comes to the camera and hams it up each time I get it out.

 

Annie B is our 3 and half year old Rottweiler. She weighs 105 lbs and she is very strong. She loves kids and other small dogs and plays nicely with the big dogs. She acts like the "hall monitor" where ever she goes; teenagers on skate boards, for example, will get an earful as they whiz by. She goes with me everywhere so she is quite used to meeting and greeting folks around town and at the shopping mall. Jake is our Weimaraner of inderterminate age - probably at least 7 or 8 years old, maybe older. Jake is the household burlgar alarm - he can hear folks approaching from down the street and runs around the house howling and baying when they do. He thinks he is pretty clever when he does this.

 

This is Jake

 

My dog Lily is a Blue Nosed Pitbull. She is the life of the party, that's for sure.

 

This is my boy Tyrus. He just turned 10 this week. He is an awesome pal and is great with my kids who are 9, 8 and 8. Yes they all came home to the face of a golden.
Tyrus had surgery when he was 8 months old as he had Osteocondrosis Desacense (sp?). Basically he had the cartilege removed from his elbows as it was tearing away. Removing it surgically allowed it to grow back intact. He's doing quite well although shows signs of stiffness when overworked.
We love him

 

Our 12 1/2-year-old Shih-tzu, Buddy, loves to chase things in our house -- usually soft toys or a hot pink rubber ball. When I ask him if he wants to play, he'll often come running into the kitchen and do a leap right where the linoleum meets the carpet of our family room. I was able to get this shot one evening. It's not perfect, but it has drawn consistent response from friends and family members who've seen it.

 

Our 12 1/2-year-old Shih-tzu, Buddy, loves to chase things in our house -- usually soft toys or a hot pink rubber ball. When I ask him if he wants to play, he'll often come running into the kitchen and do a leap right where the linoleum meets the carpet of our family room. I was able to get this shot one evening. It's not perfect, but it has drawn consistent response from friends and family members who've seen it.

 

I've had animals as friends all my life, horses, llamas, donkeys, sheep, cats, parrots, rodents and a pig once, but the best of all, and constantly, dogs. They are a constant source of joy and amazement to me. It really does not matter what kind they are, if they love you and you love them, that is enough. I'm currently limited to three dogs.
This is the one and only Suzi, a mutt, long time companion and number one dog I guess.

 

And then there is Dot. Now 14 and 14 at the time of this photo, a 5 time Grand Champion Pit Bull Terrier that took a best of show and a best of breed over the number 1 pit bull in the world at a show at the age of 9.
She is now deaf, stiff and has no teeth, and I afford her the comfort that she deserves in her last days.

 

And finally a recent addition is Miss Piggy. Seventy pounds at 24" shoulder height. Well, she commands respect simply by her looks. No matter how lady like she really is.

 

Sammy is my mother's darling. Sammy is keen on eating ROHLIK (a small baguette). I buy a few every morning when I visit my mother , Sammy waits ouside the small bakery, then she will get 1 and she carries it quickly home (some 200 m) . and then , at home, she eats it in a frenzy that lasts 1 second. She is very funny when she likes to bark and cannot because her mouth is full.

 

Buster, to whom I am grateful for years of companionship.

 

Dusty the GSD

 

My dog Mia wearing her satellite dish after ACL surgery. She claims she get Animal Planet while wearing it.

 

The pot-bellied pig who lives down the street - Seymour

 

Jordie was such a loving and even an adoring cat. Jordie was the only cat I have ever had that really loved me. She was so devoted to me and would follow me around like a three year old toddler, up and down the hall, back and forth until she finally would get tired and give up. She would sit by the kitchen door and wait for me to come home from work at night. Every night she would come sit in my lap while we watched t.v. She would let me hold her on her back like a baby and would just purr and purr. When we would go to bed, she would sit on top of me like a billy goat. She would actually “log roll” on me when I turned over just as long as she could stay laying on me! Jordie always went camping with us in our motor home. She has been gone since 8/9/09 from renal failure and we miss her terribly. We Love You Jordie!

 

Sorry, I screwed up posting Jordie's picture! So here we go again.

 

Hope it's not too late to submit to this thread. I took this image about 2 years ago when Ouzo was a puppy. My cat Remy loves to terrorize him. Ouzo is a 55-pound brick house now, but still frightened of the cat!