Lacey - by Kathy Friedberg

We had just came home after having euthanized our almost 17 year old Lhaso-Terrier, Bagel, and I knew that we had to replace her right away, so I immediately started surfing the net. I came across Dalmatian Rescue Of North Dallas and began looking at the photos of all the available Dals. None interested me until the photo of Lacey literally jumped out at me! What first caught my eye was the forlorn look on her face. From there I read her tale of woe…she needed the same surgery Bagel had had just about eight months earlier! (She, and Bagel, had a torn anterior cruciate ligament.) How could we not take Lacey into our home with such a connection to our recently euthanized Bagel as that?

Prior to bringing Lacey into our home, I read all the papers we were given on the care and handling of a Dalmatian. What intrigued me was the fact that Dalmatians smile. A dog that smiles?! No way!! Well the same day I brought Lacey home, I witnessed her smile and her devilish side. She came into the room I was in while talking on the phone and smiled at me then walked away. A couple of seconds later, I heard a rumbling sound. I followed that sound into the utility room where I found Lacey inside my 40 lb bag of dog food just eating to her heart’s content! Now I knew why she smiled at me!

Lacey had her surgery on March 20th and was walking on her leg quite well until the bandages came off. From that point on, she began to not use the left leg for some odd reason. We decided to get her physical therapy with Angie Faver and that has helped her immensely! The physical therapy Angie does with the extending and stretching has been helpful but I think the water therapy has been of the most help. Since we have a pool in our backyard, I take Lacey in there with me and have her swim for short periods of time. Week by week, Lacey became stronger and stronger. She did so well that she was ready to have her other knee repaired on July 10th. I had to literally run out of the waiting room when I left her with the attendant for her second surgery as tears began to well up in my eyes! The second surgery was just as successful as the first and when I picked her up the next day, I was given a paper with post-op instructions on it. The first intrrucdtion read "Decreased activity for 10-12 weeks post-op" Well, the person who wrote that surely didn't know Lacey!

Four days after surgery, I took her for her normal two-house walk and, when we reached the second house, and it was time to turn around, Lacey stood her ground! She decided she was ready to go on her full around-the-block walk and she insisted on doing so! Lacey recovered so so well after her second surgery that we didn't even need to need to take her for physical therapy. She seemed to learn from her first experience too. The second time around, she didn't even tear at her bandages. That is, until it was time for me to take them off! Now, that would have been a sight to see . . . b-o-t-h of us trying to take her wrappings off . . . me with my hands and scissors and Lacey with her teeth!

I was concerned that Lacey would pick at her stitches again. After the first surgery, she had staples in her leg and she picked at them and managed to remove a few. This time, she got stitches and she was unbelievably good. There was no licking or picking at all.; In fact, you can hardly see where the surgery was done already and it hasn't even been a month!   Talk about a quick recovery!

We are so fortunate to have come across Lacey. She is the most lovable dog! When little kids come up to her to pet her, she sits down and lets them hug and kiss her to their little hearts delight. The one thing Lacey fears most of all is stormy weather. If we are sleeping, she sits outside our bedroom door and cries until I let her in. Once in a great while, she’ll lay down on the floor beside and fall back to sleep. Other times she’ll climb into bed with us. On the occasions when she climbs into bed, I get out of bed and take her downstairs where she and I snuggle on the couch until the bad weather has passed. By snuggle, I mean s-n-u-g-g-l-e! Lacey puts her body right up against mine so tight that I can feel every breath she takes. If she sees I’m awake, she gives me kisses until I either fake sleep or actually fall asleep.

When we first got her, she was so attached to me that she wouldn’t do anything unless I was by her side . . . that included eating and going for a walk . . . she’s gotten a little bit better lately! The two majors problems I still have with Lacey is leaving the house without her and trying to go to bed without her. As soon as she sees me get my keys and purse, or even just head toward the door, she’s right by my side. I throw a biscuit in the opposite direction in order to get the door open and sneak outside. In the beginning, I was told that she sat by the door crying until I returned home. Thank G-D she doesn’t do that any more! Going to bed is a sight to see, even now! I run up the stairs and try to beat her into my bedroom. If I don’t succeed, she gets another biscuit thrown her way to distract her so I can get into my room before she realizes it.

Oh, and she loves car rides! One day I came home from grocery shopping and she jumped right into the car while I was unloading the grocery bags. When I was finished, I called for her to get out but she wouldn’t come. Knowing Dalmatians, you know how stubborn they can be, so attempting to pull her out of the car was unsuccessful, of course. Well, the spoiled brat won and around the block we went! How could I have forgotten the other thing she does?! She’s doing it as I type! Whenever I sit down at the computer, Lacey comes and sits by my right side . . . never my left side, always the right side . . . and nudges my hand with her nose and makes me drop my mouse, and/or prevents me from reaching the keyboard. How she knows I’m right-handed I’ll never know but she does!

All I can say is that I don’t know who’s the luckier one . . . Lacey or me for having Bagel bring us both together but I thank Bagel every day for doing so! Is Lacey loved? No doubt about it! Is Lacey spoiled? I’d have to say ‘yes!’ to that!

 

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