Shanna Maidel (1997-2006)

I can't believe that it was one year ago today that we had to say good-bye to her! Time certainly does fly - TOO FAST! Here is our Shanna's story --

It was in June during the week that Joel laid his dad to rest that he suggested why not get Cinny a companion. Through word-of-mouth we were given the name of a breeder, Amaroq Siberians, that had a litter of Siberian puppies soon to be weaned. We were invited to come out & see the litter. Oh, they were so cute - a bunch of little squealing & mewling black & white, adorable puppies. I got down on the floor among them & I was in ‘Sibe puppy-heaven!’ One came over to greet me & I thought that I had found the one that would eventually come home with us. While I was playing with this little fur-ball another smaller puppy came over to me, climbed up on my legs, & walked onto my lap & plopped down, closed her eyes, & went to sleep. Well, this little one had picked me! The breeder called her ‘2 stripes’ on account of she had 2 stripes running down to her nose (notice something similar in Juneau’s pictures?). We named her Shanna Maidel, which means ‘pretty little girl.’ We were told that we could come back in 3 weeks to take her home. The breeder took us down to her kennel to meet the mom & dad of the litter. They were beautiful & very friendly. She also had a red & white female named Origa who looked much like our Cinny. When I called her name she talked & wooed a whole story for me. In Origa’s run was a dog house. She didn’t like to sleep in, but rather sit & sleep onto it. I was very impressed as to how clean & maintained the kennels were kept. When we went back to get Shanna, the whole family went - Joel, me, Josh, Erin, & my mom & dad.

At the first visit with our vet, Dr. Sweeney looked at Joel & told him to be prepared. He looked at me & told me that he thought that we should give her back to the breeder. She had a heart murmur & sounded like an open valve in her heart. Since we had dealt with health problems with our other Sibes in the past, he didn’t want us to start out with her knowing she had a problem. Well, I started to cry (he knew me & that’s why he told Joel to be prepared, smart ass!) He said that he would give her 1 month. Sometimes this happens with puppies, like humans, & as they grow the valve can close. At the next visit if the problem was still there, we should return her. I agreed & when we went home I called the breeder. She told us that she would hold back Shanna’s sister from being sold until she heard from us. Well, at the next vet visit there wasn’t any heart murmur & the valve had closed.

Cinny loved her little adopted puppy. They were inseparable. Shanna’s birthday was May 10 (the same as mine), and Cinny’s birthday was May 18 (our wedding anniversary). Cinny loved to nap in her favorite spot in front of the bookcase, Shanna slept on the first shelf right above her until she couldn’t fit anymore. When Cinny tore her ACL in her leg & didn’t heal, Shanna learned to play by herself since Cinny wasn’t able to anymore. After Cinny crossed the Rainbow Bridge we thought about getting another companion for Shanna, but she didn’t go through the mourning stage as did our other dogs in the past. Shanna was my companion. She loved everyone in the family, but she was constantly by my side. She was a very healthy Sibe, didn’t eat socks or scrunchies (like a lil demon we all know!), loved to play in water, loved to play with her toys, but didn’t do much ‘talking or wooing.’ She would sit, lay down, give you one paw, then give you her other paw. She loved to eat apples with Joel, taking pieces very daintily from his fingers. Shanna was an obediance school drop-out. I had a trainer come to the house for 8 weeks to work with me & her. The woman agreed that she was 'one stubborn girl!"

When she was 8 yrs. old on a Saturday around 6:30am, Josh came running up to our bedroom to tell us that Shanna couldn’t get up off the floor & was screaming. We ran down to his room in the basement & found Shanna in a lot of pain. We called our vet & found out that he didn’t have Saturday hours any more. So, Joel wrapped her in a blanket & we took her to our horse vet’s small animal clinic. All of the vets there were at a conference. They gave us the name of the vet who we are using now & who is also an emergency clinic. They told us to bring her at once. Nothing showed up on the x-rays. They said that she probably just bruised her leg & gave her doggy motrin & pain medicine. The vet showed us Shanna’s x-rays. She said that there were no signs of hip dysplasia & that her skeleton was strong. She bounced back from whatever had happened to her.

It was just 9 months later in the evening in March 2006 that she slipped on the ice on the side run & couldn’t stand. Joel & I rushed her to the vet. Shanna had torn her ACL & their orthopedic specialist would be able to do her surgery the next day. I was a basket case over this remembering what we went through with Cinny. They didn’t understand why I was so scared about her having the surgery since they didn’t know us at the time Cinny went through this. Joel talked to her while I was in the bathroom. The vet took me aside & said to remember that Shanna is much younger than Cinny was & that she had strong legs & back. I agreed for the surgery. Met Vet Animal Hospital was great - they did everything they could for her, but it was a nightmare. She rejected the stitches & they had to go back in 2 more times in 2 weeks. They wouldn’t let her leave the hospital until they thought she was ready. Joel took me out to visit her during her stay there. We got through the healing time period, but her beautiful fur did not grow back over the surgery site. Her thyroid stopped working right which showed up on the blood work. Once she started the meds, her fur grew back fully. Erin & I noticed that she wasn’t walking very well. She wasn’t in a lot of pain though. During her hard rehab, she had developed hip dysplasia on the side where she had the surgery. I had a gut feeling that we wouldn’t have her through another winter.

One year ago today, I had left her in from the side run. I went upstairs to ride my exercise bike. All of a sudden I heard howling & shrieking. Shanna had been coming upstairs to be with me, had tripped on the landing, & I knew she tore her ACL in her ‘good’ back leg. I sat on the landing & held her & cried. I helped her downstairs & called Joel. He had been taking my mom food shopping. He came home & we took her to Met Vet. This was it, I knew it, Shanna wouldn’t be coming home with us! The vet took x-rays & came out to tell us what I already knew. She had torn her ACL, she would make it through the surgery, however, she would not be able to deal with the recovery because her other leg would not be able to support her through it. Well, this time was the hardest of all others in saying good-bye! She was only 9-1/2 yrs. old!! But, she was in so much pain I couldn’t put her through the surgery just to buy her some time with me. I laid on a blanket on the floor in the examining room for 2-1/2 hrs. holding her until my daughter was finished with work & my son could also be there. Shanna was a member of our family & all family members including Carter wanted to be there. I held her in my arms until she crossed the Rainbow Bridge. Shanna Maidel was a wonderful, loving companion. I would sit on the floor & she would come & cuddle up in my arms while I watched TV. I still miss her. AND, thankfully, I have Cosi & Juni to keep me company when Joel is not at home. The house would be too, too quiet. I have never been alone in the house without a furry companion by my side.

-------------------------------------------------
Oh, the tears are falling as I write this! But in getting it out, I do feel so much better. Sorry this is so wordy. I’m not a great writer - just write down what comes from my heart!

Cosmos was the fellow that I needed to help me get through losing her & I am so thankful that he came into our lives! We decided to get him a buddy & now he has Juni to wrestle with - AND THE SAGA OF THE MULLIN CLAN CONTINUES!