Now this is much better

Mommy has not stopped laughing since she came back from the evil place that took her away for 8 hours. She came back smelling of all kinds of interesting things and people, including my cousin Thulku the pit bull and of baby. I am very upset she didn't take me wherever she went, but she says that I wouldn't have liked it anyway and at least she left me three nice juicy bones to play with.

This little excursion also came with some rewards for me! You see, usually, at Christmas, I get abandoned for hours with a bone and then mommy comes home and that's my present, getting her all to myself for days until lots of people come over to adore me on granddaddy's birthday. But this year in the family gift exchange, my cousin Thulku's mommy picked MY mommy, which means that I'M the one who got all the presents! Mommy came home with a nice, big, soft cushion for me to sleep on. I love being comfy when I sleep! And unlike some huskies, I like keeping my right to soft things to sleep on, so I don't tear up cushions and stuff. So I got a nice, comfy cushion that's big enough for me and so soft that mommy said that if I didn't want it SHE was stealing it. It's a little warm for my hot husky self, but it's good for lying on a few hours, at least. I also got this weird thing to wipe off my paws that's blue and shaggy and that I just want to eat and some hand-booties for mommy so that she doesn't lose a finger mushing, this winter because that would not be good. All nice me-oriented gifts, as it should be. Mommy is laughing at me and telling me I'm spoiled. I'm just ignoring her from my nice new throne. Mommy says I actually look all tiny, curled up on it, not huuuuuuuge like she knows I am when I sleep in her bed (that is totally mine when she's not around. Just saying).

I also have some very sad news. My cousin Thulku who, like me, is a former shelter dog and who unlike me is elderly and is like bionic spinless Sammy has no hip, has just been diagnosed with cancer. Even worse, it is leukemia and since it is in his front left leg, on the same side as his hiplessness, it cannot be amputated to keep the cancer from spreading. His chances for recovery do not look good and his mommy is very sad. Thulku is an old dog. He is not a very pretty dog and he can be a bit of a grumpy dog, but he is a good dog and he has spent a very, very long time of his life as an abused dog. Unlike me, who has a rather good story, as shelter dogs go, he was one of seven dogs bought from an abusive owner who decided to liquidate her "stock" of dogs. When the shelter came to take the six they had been called for, the mean person said "oh, yeah there's this other dog you can take too and him you can have for free" and showed them to a back room where an old, depressed, uncastrated male pit bull was lying, in bad shape. He moved painfully and he had most probably been used for breeding pit bull puppies irresponsibly. He had quite possibly never known love, was despondant and showed signs of physical abuse. That was my cousin Thulku. My mommy's aunt was looking for a dog and fell in love. She made sure he got the surgery he needed, even went to Ontario to get the best care possible for him. She gave him physiotherapy and, most importantly of all, she gave him all the love and affection a dog needs. He went from a depressed, moth-eaten old mutt to a happy, smiling, stub-wagging (you just can't call that a tail...) family dog. He has had a wonderful two years and I would like all of you that can to spare some good thoughts and hope that he does not suffer and manages to stay with us a long while yet.

Here's to you, Thulku.