Thank you Bladeforums from Stevenkelby and Senna.

stevenkelby

stevenkelby

Joined
Feb 27, 2010
Messages
622
Hi All,

One of my dogs died on the weekend and other needed surgery. I can't afford the bill so I listed my knives for sale here:

http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/s...l-sale.-Hinderer-BM-FK-Spyderco-amp-lots-more.

I've been extremely moved by all the support and donations people have sent, it has all helped an awful lot and made the worst time of my life more bearable. I'm 34 and can't have kids, these 2 dogs were the next best thing.

I was able to bring Senna home tonight, he is going to be ok but is also obviously missing Lena a lot. I hope he eats something tomorrow night, when I can feed him.

This is him when we got home:

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And 2 minutes later:

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He's curled up on the bed now

The vet bill totals about $4300. In the last 24 hours I've received $1100 from you guys and girls which has been a massive relief, I can give that to the vet and he says we can work out a payment plan for the balance.

Over 40 people have bought a knife or sent a donation and every cent has been equally appreciated. I'm going to do something to try and repay this generosity but I don't know what yet.

I feel like you all are a part of my family now, and Senna owes some of his life to you.

I'm really moved by the amount of support from ex-strangers.

She won't read this but I also owe a lot to my wonderful girlfriend, she's helped me immensely through this, I love her.

We miss Lena terribly, my eyes keep leaking, I hope the pain will fade in time but I can't imagine how. You guys have made it easier to cope though.

I will reply to all the emails and PMs tomorrow, I want to be with Senna now.

Thank you all.

Steve.
 
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Again, my deepest condolences for your loss. I'm glad to hear that Senna is back home and resting. You don't need to do anything to repay us. I truly believe that the people in the BF community are good people and we don't think twice about extending a helping hand.
Stay strong and keep well. My best wishes to you and Senna. Our hearts go out to you.
 
That's right ,no payback required,this is a dog loving crowd on here.I have lost a few and it really hurts....When youre feeling better get Senna a new mate-He's a good looking dog-All the Best Butch
 
Man, my dogs are my family, too. I love them almost as much as my kids. You did a great thing, money doesnt matter, that dog curled up on your bed does. I sent what I could, and would send more in a heartbeat if I had it. Updates on Senna are payback a-plenty. Good luck, and God bless.
 
Hey Steve, ...Mate..I have lost two dogs, and I realy do feel your loss bud.
Now your sick wee friend has to get better, and then start to cope with no friend...Im sending you a donation so hopefully you can go to a shelter, and pick up a wee friend who needs to fit into this space that has so horribly forced its way into your home.
Im sorry man.
 
Wow! - I'm so sorry for your loss. It can be like losing a member of the family. We get so little time with them.
 
Steven, glad things are looking a bit better...i'm also very proud to be part of this supportive community!! Please keep us informed of any changes.
 
Thanks everyone, I've finally got time for an update, I sure owe you guys one.

I haven't wanted to think too much about Lena because it's hard for me to not get emotional about it still. Plus I've been working extra hours and not had spare time but and I want to put up some pics of her and it will be healthy to remember her life.

This is what she did for half the time I would be on the computer (a few hours a day). She would just sit, not even lie down most of time, and watch, looking at me, presumably wondering what I'm doing:

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Senna would be asleep but she would just watch. She had a nervous disposition and would jump at any noise so she rarely slept while I was awake and around. She was affectionate and wanted to be pat at as much as possible. Senna was always happy just to be close and he would rest easy.

She was always eager to please and never had to be asked twice to come, sit, drop etc. I never had to train her either, she just started copying Senna from 8 weeks old. I would say sit, he would sit, she would copy him.

When I would say drop, she wouldn't drop like a normal dog, instead she would throw her paws up in the air so her body would slam into the ground, as quick as possible, every time. I wish I had video of it.

She was always fun and happy and never attempted to challenge her place in the pack, which is very unusual for a Vallhund, Senna is always trying to train me to get him some bacon from the fridge!

Lena was a lovely little dog and was constantly wagging (twitching) her tail. She had perfect recall too, even if she was chasing a cat she would stop and come back if called. I walked her on the leash in town but she didn't need it. Even at the dog park she would never stray more than 20 feet from me. Senna disappears and wants to make new friends, he's very curious.

Here are some pics of her in the backyard a few months ago:

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In the background, always watching me:

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Using my slipper for a pillow:

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One last pic:

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Senna is doing great now, he was obviously very depressed for a few days and kept looking for Lena, kept wanting to go outside and sniff around her old spots to lie down during the day but we've spent tons of time with him and he has got his appetite back now.

I think wanting to cheer him up has been good for me, I've been trying to be positive so he can see that everything is going to be ok. He's been sleeping on the bed and he wakes up happier every day, licks his paws, wipes his face and wags his tail, then nuzzles up to me.

He had his stitches out yesterday. We took him to the dog park today and he seemed much more interested than usual in having some canine company, he normally hangs around people but was very keen to play with other dogs today. He ran around a little bit but he must be sore and weak, he lost a lot of weight. He was 14.9kg before he got sick and is now 11.5. He could only eat a small amount of caned food each meal after the operation, but it's time to fatten him up again now :)

He would normally chase the greyhounds and whippets around the park for hours on end, he's a natural runner. When I used to get home from work I would say hello to the dogs then tell them to go play and they would chase each other flat out around the back yard for a while. Now Sena just follows me around but I think he will be ok when we get another puppy.

Here he is on the couch now checking out the latest EVO magazine (I got a subscription for my birthday last year):

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He needs another friend and a puppy will help make it easier for us to get over Lena too.

We rang around the RSPCA and shelters for something like we want but didn't find a dog we want. I know it's a difficult thing to justify but I spend so much time with the dogs and put so much effort in that I really want an 8 week old pup with a temperament that will be most suitable for myself and Senna.

I think we are going to get a Malamute pup, there is a litter of girls currently 6 weeks old and they sound perfect. I have friends with Malamutes and they seem just like Senna only much bigger. Independent, strong willed and very challenging to train, but also very rewarding if you put in the effort, which I will. Lots of fur to brush but that's ok, I brush the dogs every day for a couple minutes, not much comes out most of the year but it's good to check them out etc.

I'll let you know what happens with getting a puppy, they bring a lot of joy into a house which will be nice.

The vet says I can pay off the rest of the bill at $500 a month for the rest of my life (seemingly) which is good, with the money you guys gave us it's a big relief.

When Lena had x-rays I was worried about how to pay the ~$500 for that, then when she needed the surgery which was $2400 I figured I can sell all my knives and pay for that, when Lena died I didn't care about money anymore anyway. When Senna needed the surgery I was back to stressing about money again but the support of you guys has taken a big load off my mind, not just financially but psychologically too.

I have kept a list off all the emails that I have received money from but haven't replied to everyone yet. I will ASAP.

Thanks again,

Steve.
 
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Glad to hear things are evening out Steven. Beautiful pup, hope the recovery is quick.
 
Time for a quick update.

I still miss Lena a lot, especially at night when I can't sleep (always been an insomniac) but we did get a puppy for Senna, she's a Malamute named Meika. Here are some pics:

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She's a great dog, 12 weeks old now and a beautiful nature, easy to train, playful and sweet natured. Senna and her play great together, she is already bigger than him.

Thanks again to everyone who helped with the vet bills, I owe you all.

Steve.
 
What a nice puppy! Glad your dog has someone to play with. Thanks for the update :)
 
Thanks for the update - beautiful pup! btw, we had a Siberian and a Miniature schnauzer that loved to play together.. the size difference will be similar for your two dogs, and it was fun to watch them play.
 
sorry to hear about your situation. this may be a dumb question but what kind of dogs are those they are beautiful!
 
Thanks everyone. Senna is happy again.


AhRan said:
sorry to hear about your situation. this may be a dumb question but what kind of dogs are those they are beautiful!
Click to expand...

In the last post with pics the boy is Sena, 4 years old Swedish Vallhund (Lena was a Vallhund too). The puppy is an Alaskan Malamute, Meika.

One more of them at the park:

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Meika:

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