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PEPPER
(PEEK-A-POO : BORN 1990 )
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PEPPER CAME TO LIVE WITH US IN MARCH 1993. SHE WAS 'OWNED' BY A MEMBER OF MY FAMILY WHO DEVELOPED SEVERE HEALTH PROBLEMS & WAS UNABLE TO CARE FOR PEPPER ANY LONGER.PEPPER WAS NEVER ABUSED OR TREATED HARSHLY, SHE JUST WASN'T GIVEN THE LOVE SHE DESERVED. THIS IS ONE VERY SPECIAL DOGGIE. SHE HAS NEVER HAD ANY SERIOUS HEALTH PROBLEMS. HER BIGGEST TROUBLE IS ALLERGIES : THEY CAUSE HER TO SNEEZE ALOT. WHEN OUR SECOND CHILD WAS BORN, PEPPER HAD HER FIRST RUN-IN WITH A SNAKE. THERE WAS A COPPERHEAD (RATTLESNAKE) ON THE THRESH-HOLD OF OUR BACK DOOR.I HAD NO IDEA ! PEPPER WAS BARKING & I THOUGHT SHE WANTED OUTSIDE TO POTTY.I UNLOCKED THE DOOR,& BENT DOWN TO GIVE PEPPER A HEAD-RUB TO GET HER TO SETTLE DOWN & WHEN I OPENED THE DOOR THE SNAKE STRUCK. PEPPER JUMPED BETWEEN THE SNAKE & THE BABY. SHE WAS BITTEN RIGHT BETWEEN THE EARS. I RE-ACTED QUICKLY, PLACED THE BABY IN HER CRIB IN HER ROOM & RAN BACK TO THE DOOR. I KILLED THE SNAKE, PLACED IT IN A BUCKET (TO IDENTIFY IT @ VETS)& OFF WE GO TO TRY TO SAVE PEPPER. WHEN THINGS SETTLED DOWN, WE REALIZED, HAD IT NOT BEEN FOR THE QUICK INSTINCTS OF PEPPER, THAT SNAKE WOULD'VE BITTEN OUR NEWBORN ON THE FACE ! AMAZINGLY ENOUGH, THE ONLY SIDE-EFFECTS PEPPER HAD WAS A MILD TEMP. & WITHIN AN HOUR SHE WAS BEGGING FOR PLAY-TIME. NO ANTI-VENOM WAS REQUIRED. TO THIS DAY, HE STILL HAS 2 SCARS ON HER HEAD.NEEDLESS TO SAY, PEPPER WAS TREATED LIKE ROYALTY AFTER THAT.
SHE TOOK HER 2ND SNAKE BITE, FROM THE SAME TYPE OF SNAKE, LESS THAN 2 WEEKS LATER. SHE SAVED OUR OLDEST FROM BEING BITTEN BY HURLING HERSELF UPON THE SNAKE WHEN IT STRUCK OUT AT HIM.THIS BITE WAS TO NECK. IT SWELLED UP AND SHE RAN A TOUCH OF FEVER, BUT NOTHING ELSE. HER VET THINKS SHE MIGHT HAVE BUILT AN IMMUNITY TO THEM. SHE TESTED WITH ONLY A SMALL DOSE OF POISON IN HER BLOODSTREAM & WITHIN THE HOUR , SHE TESTED NEGATIVE. WE HAVE NO EXPLANATION FOR IT. OTHER THAN SHE'S A VERY SPECIAL GIRL AND WE ARE HONORED TO HAVE HER AS PART OF OUR FAMILY.
EXACTLY 2 WEEKS LATER, PEPPER WAS BITTEN BY A DEER TICK. SHE WENT OUT TO POTTY AND RAN INSIDE THE HOUSE CAUSE IT STARTED TO RAIN. HER BODY BARELY MADE IT INSIDE THE DOORWAY, WHEN SHE COLLAPSED. WE TRIED TO GET HER TO STAND UP, BUT SHE COULD NOT.
AGAIN, WE RUSHED HER TO THE VET AND HE TOLD US SHE WAS PARALYZED. WE QUICKLY STARTED CUTTING HER HAIR OFF TO GET TO HER SKIN. THE CAUSE OF HER PARALYSIS WAS A DEER TICK LOCATED UNDER HER ARM. IT WAS REMOVED AND PEPPER WAS GIVEN 4 SHOTS BEFORE SHE WAS ABLE TO START MOVING HER LEGS AGAIN. THE VET SAID IF WE HAD WAITED A MERE HALF AN HOUR LONGER, IT WOULD HAVE COST PEPPER HER LIFE. WIERD HOW THE POISONOUS SNAKES DO NOT AFFECT HER, YET A TICK BITE NEARLY KILLS HER. SINCE THEN, PEPPER IS GUARDED CAREFULLY. WE HAVE NOT SEEN ANY SNAKES IN THE YARD SINCE THEN, THANK GOODNESS. PEPPER TURNED 10 YEARS OLD THIS YEAR. HER HEALTH IS STILL GREAT! SHE RUNS AND PLAYS LIKE A PUP AND IS IN GREAT SHAPE.IF NOT FOR THE GREY HAIRS ON HER CHIN, YOU'D NEVER KNOW SHE WAS OLD.
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" PUPPY " :
(WE ARE NOT SURE WHAT BREED HE IS )
PUPPY CAME TO US IN OCTOBER 1992.HE WAS ONLY 7 WEEKS OLD AND THE GUY THAT HAD HIM WAS TRYING TO SELL HIM . WELL, WE WERE BROKE (AS USUAL) AND OUR SON, WHO WAS 2 AT THE TIME, REALLY WANTED THIS PUP. HUBBY TRADED HIS HONDA 750 MOTORCYCLE TO THIS GUY SO OUR SON COULD HAVE THE PUP.
THEY HAVE BEEN LIKE TWINS SINCE THEN. THIS CUTE PUP NEVER GOT A 'REAL' NAME : ALL OUR SON WOULD EVER CALL HIM WAS PUPPY. SO, THROUGH THE YEARS, IT JUST STUCK.
PUPPY IS A TERRIFIC DOG, A BIT OVERPROTECTIVE AT TIMES, THOUGH. HE ASSUMES EVERYONE IS UP TO NO GOOD AND BARKS HIS HEAD OFF.
PUPPY HAS ONLY BITTEN ONE TIME THROUGH-OUT ALL THESE YEARS. I'LL DEFEND HIM ON THAT. IT WAS THE UPS MAN. THE MAN JUST ASSUMED PUPPY WOULD BITE JUST CAUSE HE WAS BARKING. I TOLD HIM THAT PUPPY HAD NEVER BITTEN, JUST LEAVE HIM ALONE AND HE'LL SETTLE DOWN. WELL, THIS GUY DECIDED TO SPRAY MY DOG WITH PEPPER SPRAY TO 'SHUT HIM UP'.HE SPRAYED HIM FROM A DISTANCE OF LESS THAN A FOOT & DIRECTLY IN HIS EYES. WHEN HE SPRAYED PUPPY (YES, HE WAS CONTAINED WHEN THE GUY SPRAYED HIM), IT BURNT REAL BAD & PUPPY BIT HIM. I SAY THE GUY DESERVED IT. I TOLD HIM IF HE EVER SPRAYED ONE OF MY ANIMALS AGAIN, ESPECIALLY WHEN THEY WERE IN A FENCE, THAT WE'D SUE HIM FOR IT.
THIS GUY QUIT DOING OUR ROUTE SHORTLY AFTER THAT.
IN THE MANY YEARS SINCE THEN, PUPPY HAS NEVER EVEN ACTED AS IF HE'S BITE. HE STILL BARKS, AND ALWAYS WILL, BUT WHEN HE SEES THAT WE KNOW WHO IS OUTSIDE, HE QUITS BARKING. NO-ONE HAS EVER EVEN THREATENED TO HURT HIM AGAIN.
PUPPY LOVES CHILDREN AND WHEN HE GETS WITHIN 50 FEET OF ONE, HE STOPS AND ROLLS ONTO HIS BACK FOR A BELLY RUB.
HE WILL ALWAYS BELONG TO OUR OLDEST SON, BUT WE ALL THINK OF HIM AS FAMILY AND HE GETS THE SAME TREATMENT ALL OUR ANIMALS DO.
PUPPY MIGHT NOT BE WITH US MUCH LONGER, AS HE IS GETTING OLD AND AFTER A NASTY CASE OF PNEUMONIA, HE WAS LEFT WITH LUNG DAMAGE AND A VERY WEAK HEART. EACH DAY WTH HIM IS A TREASURE.
HE HAS ALWAYS COME THROUGH FOR US AND BEEN THERE, RIGHT UP TO THE DAY HE ATTACKED THE BOBCAT IN THE BACKYARD CAUSE IT WAS TOO CLOSE TO OUR HOUSE.
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The "after Easter" crisis has hit. As usual , we opened our doors and our hearts.
We now have 2 "Easter Bunnies" living with us.
Peter : female and Buddy : Male. They live in seperate habitats we built for them.
I think bunnies are the ONLY animals that we haven't taken in. Until now, that is. So, as usual, we are learning as we go. Of course, any advice/helpful hints are MOST WELCOME.
These 2 are just great ! They have really warmed up since joining our family. Naturally, they both underwent a quarrantine period before we introduced them to the other 4-legged 'kids' or let the children handle them.
We were totally UN-Prepared to house bunnies. I searched for days on end trying to find a habitat large enough to suit my taste. Even the largest I found seemed too small, so we built them homes. They are happy and have plenty of room for their favorite past-time : running around the 'house' for hours on end and jumping up & down.
BOTH bunnies get free-time daily where we let them out of their homes for play time and to exercise. I do not allow them out together, cause we do not wish for baby bunnies, but they each are out several hours . We bunny-proofed the rooms so they wont get hurt. Their biggest thrill is hopping down the hallway and jumping in the air. They are adorable . I do not leave them out unattended---EVER! Even though we bunny-proofed, bunnies are naturally curious and can locate trouble in a matter of 2 seconds.
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ABOUT THE BUNNIES...
Peter {PICTURED ABOVE} came to us on April 14, 2000 . She is now owned by our youngest son, Christopher {age 4}. He jumped right in , eager to have the responsibility of tending to a bunny. He faithfully feeds , waters and cleaned up after Peter EVERYDAY. We are very proud of him. He takes this serious and makes sure 'his bunny' has everything her heart desires.....and then some. Christopher named Peter. He knew it was a girl, but he just liked the name, so we didn't argue. {recall that these kids named the pups :Prince Samson & Princess Natasha}. We've found that by allowing them this small privaledge, they seem to adjust better and accept the never-ending parade of unwanted pets we end up with.
We have Terrific kids & are very proud of them all ! They are always eager to help animals in need . God willing their attitude on this will never change & they'll grow up to one day do great things to help preserve our animal life.
Anyway...........
They are housed seperately until we can get them spayed/neutered. Right now, their homes are side by side . They are so adorable when they stick out their heads & smooch on each other. LOL. These 2 get along great . They are constantly interacting ---never a squabble.
Both were weighed on May 7, 2001 . They both weighed 5 pounds. This breed should weigh 9-12 pounds when grown, so they have a bit of growing to do.
We love our bunnies. They are really not any trouble at all. Plus, they provide tons of entertainment . We sit & watch them play for hours. They look so happy.
We've bought alot of supplies for them, from water bottles, to Timothy hay, treats, mineral wheels, lambskin perches, etc.
Hopefully , these 2 will live a long full life here. Goodness knows we'll do our very best to take care of them and keep them happy/healthy.
**UPDATE**
We lost Buddy in 2001
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