It is with great sadness that I must tell you that Sofie Bear, my little Soda Pop, left this earthly plane on Friday, March 18, she was 11 years old. The pain is almost unbearable because she was my heart. We never expected to lose Nine, the cat, on March 10 to cancer and then lose Sofie ten days later. She had significant hip issues and could no longer get up the stairs or walk easily without pain. These issues only exacerbated her aggressive behavioral issues, where she was attacking Charles and the cats, and biting Louise in the neck and mouth.
Sofie was always my troubled furchild. She suffered from behavioral problems which started when she was about 2 or 3 years old. It has been so long that I can’t remember her without them. Her anxieties were off the charts most of the time. She had night terrors. She had noise and thunder anxiety. She had separation anxiety. She ate through 3 doors and the wall-to-wall carpet. She had to nibble on a lovey all the time and then protect it (resource guarding). Yet, I guess, I thought my love, commitment, training, and medication would help her. I had trainers, behaviorists, tons of vets, tons of meds, to the point she was taking 6 different medications and herbs at the end with every meal and in-between. I had several vets tell me that anyone else would have ‘put her down’ years ago. But, to me she was worth fighting for.
I know that she is out of pain now and not scared of anything. That is what I wanted for her. I hope she is chasing sheep in the meadow beyond the rainbow bridge waiting for me along the road with Nine and all the others. The back door picture above was taken on the day she left us. It looks to me like she was prepared to be out of pain and to be in a better place. The sun shine was perfect to show the warmth inside her when she could quiet for a moment or two.
I might not be able to blog for a while. This one-two punch has knocked me for a loop.
Do Not Stand At My Grave And Weep by Mary Elizabeth Frye
Do not stand at my grave and weep I am not there.
I do not sleep.
I am a thousand winds that blow.
I am the diamond glints on snow.
I am the sunlight on ripened grain.
I am the gentle autumn rain.
When you awaken in the morning’s hush I am the swift uplifting rush Of quiet birds in circled flight.
I am the soft stars that shine at night.
Do not stand at my grave and cry; I am not there.
I did not die.
Not Just another DogDaz morning at the zoo ❤ 
Tags: Dog People, DogBlog, DogDaz, lorian lipton, pet blog, Sofie
Sofie has made it to the Top 5 in America’s Favorite Pet contest. She is currently 3rd. Voting for this round goes until March 10.
You get one free vote every day.
Help her win $5,000 to help with Louise’s vet bills.
Thank you thank you thank you thank you.
Just another DogDaz morning at the zoo ❤
Tags: americasfavpet.com, Dog People, DogBlog, DogDaz, lorian lipton, pet blog, vote for sofie
I was so surprised when I got an unexpected package from Chewy.com, the pet supply service, and it contained a real painting of Mr. Charles on canvas. I guess we were the lucky recipients of a customer service initiative where they paint a picture of your pet from its profile picture and send them to random people. They really know how to do customer service, that is for sure. Now I want one for everyone at the zoo, but they actually don’t offer it as a service.
Isn’t he handsome?
Just another DogDaz morning at the zoo ❤
Tags: Chewy.com, customer service, dog, Dog Art, Dog People, dog rescue, DogBlog, DogDaz, Dogs, lorian lipton, Pet, pet art, pets, pomchi mix
UPDATE: Sofie is currently in 2d place and made it to the top 15 round. Now she is in the race for Top 10. Then they do another week with Top 5. Then the win in April. This is so exciting. You can vote FREE every day.
Sofie is trying to win $5,000 to cover Louise and her medical bills. What a wonderful gift it would be if she won. You can vote through Facebook once a day for free. Currently, she is 3rd in the competition which closes in about 4 days.
Please Vote if you can: VOTE HERE
THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU!!!!
Just another DogDaz morning at the zoo ❤
Tags: americasfavpet.com, competition, Dog People, DogBlog, DogDaz, dogster, lorian lipton, pet blog, Sofie
Sofie is trying to win $5,000 to cover Louise and her medical bills. What a wonderful gift it would be if she won. You can vote through Facebook once a day for free. Currently, she is 3rd in the competition which closes in about 4 days.
Please Vote if you can: VOTE HERE
Just another DogDaz morning at the zoo ❤
Tags: americasfavpet.com, competition, Dog People, DogBlog, DogDaz, dogster, lorian lipton, pet blog, Sofie
I came across this picture from winter 2017 when we first got Charles. 5 years is a long time in ‘dog years.’ A dog year is an interesting concept. In the 1950s, A. Lebeau, a French researcher created a system to determine the age of a dog. No one really knows where the ‘multiple each dog year by 7’ comes from, that wasn’t what Lebeau did. He had “life-stage markers” to determine dog age by life events, like puberty, old age, etc. That was OK but around 1997, a bunch of veterinarians created a chart to do it more accurately (via National Library of Medicine NIH).
Where ‘dog age’ is the chronological age of the dog and ‘human years’ is the physiological age by weight group. The scientists decided that size matters when it comes to two dogs the same age unlike with humans.
So, that means Charles, who is 13 and 17 lbs is about 65 years old, Sofie at 11 and 60 lbs is 62 years old, and Louise at 12 and 65 lbs is about 66 years old. I guess they all could apply for social security payments (Bark Out Loud). Actually, I would have thought that size would have made a larger difference.
How old are you in ‘Human Years?’
Just another DogDaz morning at the zoo ❤
Tags: Blog, chow mix, dog, Dog People, dog rescue, dog years, DogBlog, DogDaz, Dogs, human years, lorian lipton, Pet, pets, plott hound mix, pomchi mix
In ancient mythology, hiding in murky waters near Argos, was a nine-headed serpent with poisonous venom, called the Lernean Hydra. My monster only has 2 heads, 8 legs, and 2 tails and will lick you to death but I thought they looked kind of similar to the one in the Hercules tale. Have a wonderful Wednesday.
Just another DogDaz morning at the zoo ❤
Tags: dog, Dog People, dog rescue, DogBlog, DogDaz, Dogs, Hercules, hydra, lorian lipton, Pet, pets
January 2, 2022 – 63 degrees – t-shirt walking weather
January 3, 2022 – 18 degrees – 9 inches of snow –
Mom said no walk today – go make your own path!
What a difference a day makes.
Just another DogDaz morning at the zoo ❤
Tags: Blog, blog hop, dog, Dog People, dog rescue, DogBlog, DogDaz, Dogs, lorian lipton, Pet, pets
See you next year. We are gonna take a few days off and start blogging again in 2022.
HAPPY NEW YEAR!
Your Friends at DogDaz Zoo
Louise, Sofie Bear, Charles, Noel (the Christmas Cat), Nine, Stella, Mini Cooper, and Mom
Just another DogDaz morning at the zoo ❤
Tags: Blog, cat rescue, cats, Dog People, dog rescue, DogBlog, DogDaz, Dogs, lorian lipton, Pet, pets
DogDaz Zoo 