Welcome Home, Natasha

This morning, we got up, set up some crates and headed to Sarasota to meet Natasha's first guardian angel. Outside of a baseball complex set up for the Orioles, we met Natasha. I wasn't sure what to

Natasha enjoying a little attention

expect, since I knew she had a spine injury that requires surgery. She is happy, friendly, lovable and surprisingly active. However, she has not been hard to keep calm. We have a rather large crate from when Kony was with us, before we realized he didn't need one. About 5 of her can fit in it. We also set up a quiet area in the den with pillow and stuff for her.

She seems a little sore tonight, probably because of the car ride. As someone with a pain disorder, I'm pretty sore myself, so I can only imagine how she feels. She does have painkillers to help her stay comfortable. She does shift around a bit and every now and again, a shift comes with a whimper. But for the most part, it seems more discomfort then pain. It was obvious the care she received with her first angel has done wonders for her.

Sid and Natasha sniffing each other out

We have let her and Sid meet, with her in the crate. They seem ok. There is barking and growling, but tail wagging is accompanying it. It seems to be more a play thing. Sid is a bit jealous of the attention she is getting, but this is normal for the first day or two of a new foster. And the fact that he can't play with her, is probably only making it worse. Though he does seem to enjoy another dog being in the house. He actually ate tonight, which hasn't happened on a regular basis since Andrea was adopted.

Fundraiser for Natasha

She has also had the first encounter with the cats. She either ignores them or wants to sniff them. She does not appear to be aggressive towards them though, which will be helpful in keeping her calm.

I am sure as she gets settled we will learn more about her. She has vet appointments and a surgery to be scheduled. The treatment will not be cheap. Husky Haven is doing their best to raise money for her treatment as well as the treatment of a few other dogs who are having health issues, from heart worms to seizures. They don't turn away the hard cases. If you would like to help with Natasha's surgery, there is a fundraiser set up. There are other ways to donate too. Natasha is a very sweet dog. She deserves a shot at a life of being a normal dog. To be able to run and play. I am already seeing a lot of Diefenbaker personality traits in her. This dog is so full of life, love and intelligence. She's happiest when near a person. I'm sure her road to recovery isn't going to be super short, but it will be worth it. And she has a lot of people pulling for her, ready to step up and help in whatever way they can.