Doggy Knee Surgery

Probably one of the hardest things to go through with our little girl thus far has been her knee surgery. While chasing squirrels in the back yard, Thelma tore her doggy equivalent of the ACL and ruptured her meniscus. After her first soft tissue injury, the nervous parents Anthony and Danielle rushed her to the vet for x-rays and it ended up being completely not serious so we tried not to panic again. Three days later while in the vet for her shots, the vetrinarian urged us to do radiographs which confirmed his fears that she had in fast torn her CCL (dog equivalent to the ACL).

Prices for this type of surgery range from $3,000 to a more affordable $1,000. Anthony and I were both a little freaked out by the sticker shock as that was exactly what we had saved for a new car. I did what any smart person would do. I got on the phone and started calling EVERY specialist that performed dog knee surgeries within a 50 mile radius.

I finally found the Jacksonville Humane Society Hospital which opened approximately a year after we adopted Thelma next door and they said they understand costs concerns especially for adoptees so Thelma and I met with the surgeon veterinarian Christian Broadhurst. He was amazing! He was able to review everything with me, go over the prices, and assure me that even though we weren't going with the most expensive surgery ($3k) that Thelma would still have a great quality of life. So the real reason I am telling you this whole story to tell you how wonderful the Jacksonville Humane Society and Dr. Broadhurst is. The day of her surgery, I dropped her off and she was a little mad at me because she was hungry but was so excited to be going on an adventure... little did she know just how much of an adventure it would be. So Anthony and I were nervous most of the day but when I got the call from Dr. Broadhurst himself at 2:30 p.m. to tell me how well she did and how much work had to be done to correct the problems with the meniscus I felt so much better. He assured me that she was resting comfortably and would be ready for pick up the next day.

I picked her up that Friday and I am so glad my friend Brenda warned me about how groggy she would be and that she might cry a little in the car. Let's just say that car ride home was the worst and I don't know what I was thinking by making plans for Anthony and I that might but after the trauma of Thelma trying to stand and walk in the backseat and then she cried and then me cried. It was awful. I will never ever never pick an animal up from surgery alone. Her are some of her pictures below:

Day 2 - Leaving the hospital after surgery

Day 4 - She was super loopy on those pain meds. You can see the love on me look in her eyes.

Day 6 - Feeling better, sitting up but still not barking at the vacuum yet. You can see her 3-4 inch scar here.

 Anyway, we are 3 weeks out from surgery and our little champ is doing great. She has a gnarly scar and the hair on her leg hasn't grown all the way out yet but she is walking like a champ and even walking more than she did before the initial injury. We have a long way to go but this member of our family will be around for years and years and years. She'll be a great big sister to a human Bennett baby someday.

Thelma Discovers Bubble Wrap

This post is simply about the excitement about Thelma had when she realized that bubble wrap popped when she chewed on it.

Sure I'll help you unwrap the new dishes from Wendy!

... but wait! What is this?

That was fun!

Happy Father's Day!

Well, last week we sent out 4 Father's Day Cards to Doug (my dad), Dickie (Anthony's dad), Jim (my mom's bf), and Mark (Anthony's stepdad). Ugh! I didn't even touch the grandpas which would include on my side Grandpa Allen, Poppy, Grandpa Jean, and Grandpa Aho. Wow!

Anthony got to celebrate Father's Day today because we consider Thelma to be our dog-daughter. She got him Jelly Beans from WACOs in Marianna and after Jacksonville West Stake Conference, Doggy-daddy got to play video games, watch movies, and work on his most recent project! It was a much needed relaxing day after laundry, a BBQ, and Stake Conference's Adult Meeting on Saturday.

Here is the picture of Anthony and his little girl--- don't mind the mess in the background!

Our Dog Daughter- Thelma "Starfish" Bennett

It is true what they say. Soon after becoming husband and wife, Anthony and I felt the urge to hear the pitter-patter of little feet on the hardwood floors. So with some convincing by myself we went to the Jacksonville Humane Society on Beach Blvd to adopt our very own cat or kitten. We figured that would be the perfect companion for this loving and busy family of two but of course, the cat selection was low and my slightly (or extremely) superstitious Italian husband vetoed the idea of a black cat. We were ready to head home but then I thought what about a dog.

Walking through the cages was so sad. With little wagging tails and eager faces, these furry babies just wanted a home. After talking with an adoption counselor, she said she had just the pup. Viva was her name and they guessed she was a two year old pug and beagle mix which they were wrong about on both accounts. After spending sometime in the outdoor play pen with her and letting her run with Anthony, we couldsee that this viviacious dog already loved us. She came home the next day.

Thelma on her ride home from the Humane Society

Where did the name Thelma come from? You must find it odd to name a dog Thelma but she loves her name. Anthony said there was no way in this world he would call out, "Come here Viva." And he immediately declined my mom's suggestion of naming her Diva instead. So we had to find a name with a strong "a" sound at the end and after going through a list of ideas, we came up with Thelma after my great grandmother on my Dad's side of the family. The starfish was a nickname given to her by my friend Mandy who said that when she lays sprawled out on the floor, she looks like a starfish. I like it so it has become a middle name.

That is her mess in the background and she is not ashamed!

Isn't she the most precious little lap dog?

Daddy's girl is playing football

May not have ended up with the name Diva but she has to rest in style

So four-legged feet may not have been the pitter-patter that you had originally imagined at the start of this story but she truly has brought a lot of joy and education to the Bennett family. We've learned how to clean up again, again, and again after little messes. We've been woken up in the early light to a crying pup wanting to go out and we've come home to a destroyed mess that would put Chance from Homeward Bound to shame. Even with all the work, it has been worth it. Knowing that Thelma keeps Anthony company when he runs in the evening puts me at ease and the way she respects and loves her Daddy is so special. Thelma loves playing with squeak toys, footballs, and sticks and since joining the family has traveled to Destin, Marianna and even went camping. Going from rags to riches, this pooch makes us appreciate the things we may have otherwise taken for granted and we love how much love she brings us.

Fun Things We Do with Thelma

• Go on a walk as a family- Nice talk time for us... Thelma's kind of quiet.
• Check out local dog parks- Great place to meet other dogs and catch fleas.
• Go camping- Do NOT share a tent with the dog. Thelma ate Anthony's wallet, didn't sleep a wink, sat on my head, chewed up a bar of soap, and pretty much kept us up ALL night. The outdoors was so much fun though!
• Doggie Play Dates- We went on a play date with Maximus, TJ's bird dog. It was great because we got to chat while the dogs got to play.
• Play football- Thelma likes to tackle people that are already on the ground. Mahony and Andrew fell victims to Thelma's killer tackling skills... once they were on the ground first.
• Throw sticks- Reminds you that sometimes the simplest things can be fun.
• Training Classes- Thelma can sit, stay, lay down, roll over, and bang! (bang = rolling around and falling dead on the floor) Anthony called this class a diploma mill but he is so proud of teaching Thelma bang! She plays wounded and still moving a little better than dead.
• Run with the dog- Anthony is the only one that does this. I don't know how to run.
• Go to a Pet superstore- Pet superstores are amazing for humans and pets! We can look at all the cool stuff and Thelma can try before we buy. It is also a great place to get some stranger love from small children, pet lovers, store workers, etc. and Thelma loves the attention too. 
• Cuddle- Our precious 35 lb. pooch thinks she's a lap dog.