THIS IS ALL ABOUT LOVE AND ONLY LOVE
Posted: Tue Mar 08, 2005 5:27 pm
Dear Jennifer:
Thank you for calling me again. I have set forth below a summary of Sara's Story.
Sara is a 4-year old, pedigreed white German Shepherd. Nick Lozano, disabled vet from a parachuting accident that occurred during the time of the Gulf War, was with the Rangers.
[img]/animals/sara2.jpg[/img]
He has had Sara since she was a puppy, and had trained her to be his helper dog. It is my understanding that Sara was taken for lessons with a local obedience class, but she has never received any formal companion-helper dog training. Nevertheless, she was Nick's helper and companion and he adored her.
A series of missteps occurred that resulted in the situation we find ourselves in today. About a month ago, Nick came down to visit his parents in Oxnard for their wedding annioversary. He left Sara alone in a motel room for a very short while while he and his friend left to get some food when they first arrifved in Oxnard. They were staying in a room especially outfitted for the disabled. The door had a handle oin the inside instead of a door knob. Sara operated the handle, opened the door and got out presumably in an effort to find Nick. He and his friend came back and were horried to find Sara gone. Nick stayed in town for about a week in the hopes of finding Sara, to the detriment of his own health (he is a quad and operates in a motorized wheelchair himself). It was during the time of the very heavy rains, storms and winds here. Sara was actually located about a week after she went missing initially, but the animal regulation people reportedly spooked her and she ran off. Although animal regulations and local police tried to keep an eye out for Sara on their regular patrols, there wasn't any concerted organized effort to find Sara. That's when John and I first got involved.
John prepared professional looking flyers, in English and Spanish, offering a reward for Sara's safe return which we posted all over the Oxnard area. In additiona, several of us walked the walk in the areas where Sara was reportedly being seen. Tim Brooks, a retired Sheriff's Deputy, and his wife Susan, went out to the area where Sara was being seen, and actually found tracks which we felt were Sara's. John and I borrowed a cage/trap from County animal regulations, and my angel husband staked out the area where Sara was seen. We scented the cage with Nick's clothes and put food inside the cage in the hopes of getting Sara inside. She ignored it the first few nights - then on the 4th night she reached up and grabbed Nick's clothes and ran off with them. Then her collar disappeared although John didn't actually see Sara take it. Sara actually went inside the cage but not all the way and backed out - the cage was the kind where the animal had to go all the way in and step on a metal plate which would activate the shut door mechanism. John was waiting for her to return from her usual rounds and felt confident that this time she would actually go inside the cage all the way inasmuch as she had seemingly "made friends" with it. Sadly, it wasn't to be and Sara got run over as she was crossing the road on her way back to her hiding place.
[img]/animals/sara1.jpg[/img]
We were called - John and Tim met the Oxnard Police Dept., with Sara at the Pet Emergency and then after being stabilized she was transported to the Veterinarian Medical & Surgical Group in Ventura where she remains today. Dr. Dulish is her doctor.
Sara is paralyzed in the lower extremities and not expected to be able to walk naturally again. However, she is young, alert, eating and drinking well, and is extremely good natured and sweet, giving lots of kisses and licks. She is also showing inquisitiveness at her surroundings. Sara may not regain any use of her bowel and bladder functions and may require manual expulsion of urine and feces. She is a big girl - 80 pounds before being injured, a little less now. Given her age and disposition Dr. Dulish feels Sara may be a good cart dog and lead a happy life PROVIDED THAT a good (no, exceptional) home be found for her, one which will provide with her with the walks and exercise in her cart that she will need on a daily basis, and of course someone able to assist with her urinary and bowel function needs. AND, OF COURSE, LOVE, LOVE, LOVE!
[img]/animals/cart.jpg[/img]
Nick, her owner, is heartsick that he cannot have her back - however, Nick's wife has her hands full with taking care of a heavily disabled husband - she cannot take on the extra responsibility of a disabled dog even though Nick would be beside himself if he could get her back. Nick sincerely wants to find a wonderful situatuion for Sara - he doesn't want to have her put to sleep, and IU have tolkd him we are doing everything we can. I took the liberty of telling him you had called - and he is so grateful. Nick is comforted by the doctor's assurance that Sara is not in pain.
[img]/animals/cart2.jpg[/img]
So that's it in a nutshell (albeit a rather large nutshell) - John will e-mail you the photos when he gets in.
Thank you so much for all of your help and for yours and Richard's donation. We are also looking forward to seeing the tapes you are sending. We think your husband is the funniest man on the planet - the movies he made especially the ones with Gene Wilder, are classics! We feel privileged to make yours and his acquaintance.
Thank you.
Sincerely,
Barbara & John K.
Thank you for calling me again. I have set forth below a summary of Sara's Story.
Sara is a 4-year old, pedigreed white German Shepherd. Nick Lozano, disabled vet from a parachuting accident that occurred during the time of the Gulf War, was with the Rangers.
[img]/animals/sara2.jpg[/img]
He has had Sara since she was a puppy, and had trained her to be his helper dog. It is my understanding that Sara was taken for lessons with a local obedience class, but she has never received any formal companion-helper dog training. Nevertheless, she was Nick's helper and companion and he adored her.
A series of missteps occurred that resulted in the situation we find ourselves in today. About a month ago, Nick came down to visit his parents in Oxnard for their wedding annioversary. He left Sara alone in a motel room for a very short while while he and his friend left to get some food when they first arrifved in Oxnard. They were staying in a room especially outfitted for the disabled. The door had a handle oin the inside instead of a door knob. Sara operated the handle, opened the door and got out presumably in an effort to find Nick. He and his friend came back and were horried to find Sara gone. Nick stayed in town for about a week in the hopes of finding Sara, to the detriment of his own health (he is a quad and operates in a motorized wheelchair himself). It was during the time of the very heavy rains, storms and winds here. Sara was actually located about a week after she went missing initially, but the animal regulation people reportedly spooked her and she ran off. Although animal regulations and local police tried to keep an eye out for Sara on their regular patrols, there wasn't any concerted organized effort to find Sara. That's when John and I first got involved.
John prepared professional looking flyers, in English and Spanish, offering a reward for Sara's safe return which we posted all over the Oxnard area. In additiona, several of us walked the walk in the areas where Sara was reportedly being seen. Tim Brooks, a retired Sheriff's Deputy, and his wife Susan, went out to the area where Sara was being seen, and actually found tracks which we felt were Sara's. John and I borrowed a cage/trap from County animal regulations, and my angel husband staked out the area where Sara was seen. We scented the cage with Nick's clothes and put food inside the cage in the hopes of getting Sara inside. She ignored it the first few nights - then on the 4th night she reached up and grabbed Nick's clothes and ran off with them. Then her collar disappeared although John didn't actually see Sara take it. Sara actually went inside the cage but not all the way and backed out - the cage was the kind where the animal had to go all the way in and step on a metal plate which would activate the shut door mechanism. John was waiting for her to return from her usual rounds and felt confident that this time she would actually go inside the cage all the way inasmuch as she had seemingly "made friends" with it. Sadly, it wasn't to be and Sara got run over as she was crossing the road on her way back to her hiding place.
[img]/animals/sara1.jpg[/img]
We were called - John and Tim met the Oxnard Police Dept., with Sara at the Pet Emergency and then after being stabilized she was transported to the Veterinarian Medical & Surgical Group in Ventura where she remains today. Dr. Dulish is her doctor.
Sara is paralyzed in the lower extremities and not expected to be able to walk naturally again. However, she is young, alert, eating and drinking well, and is extremely good natured and sweet, giving lots of kisses and licks. She is also showing inquisitiveness at her surroundings. Sara may not regain any use of her bowel and bladder functions and may require manual expulsion of urine and feces. She is a big girl - 80 pounds before being injured, a little less now. Given her age and disposition Dr. Dulish feels Sara may be a good cart dog and lead a happy life PROVIDED THAT a good (no, exceptional) home be found for her, one which will provide with her with the walks and exercise in her cart that she will need on a daily basis, and of course someone able to assist with her urinary and bowel function needs. AND, OF COURSE, LOVE, LOVE, LOVE!
[img]/animals/cart.jpg[/img]
Nick, her owner, is heartsick that he cannot have her back - however, Nick's wife has her hands full with taking care of a heavily disabled husband - she cannot take on the extra responsibility of a disabled dog even though Nick would be beside himself if he could get her back. Nick sincerely wants to find a wonderful situatuion for Sara - he doesn't want to have her put to sleep, and IU have tolkd him we are doing everything we can. I took the liberty of telling him you had called - and he is so grateful. Nick is comforted by the doctor's assurance that Sara is not in pain.
[img]/animals/cart2.jpg[/img]
So that's it in a nutshell (albeit a rather large nutshell) - John will e-mail you the photos when he gets in.
Thank you so much for all of your help and for yours and Richard's donation. We are also looking forward to seeing the tapes you are sending. We think your husband is the funniest man on the planet - the movies he made especially the ones with Gene Wilder, are classics! We feel privileged to make yours and his acquaintance.
Thank you.
Sincerely,
Barbara & John K.
