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You are my Sunshine, my only Sunshine
You make me happy, when skies are gray
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You'll never know dear, how much I love you
Please don't take my Sunshine away ... |
SUNSHINE UPDATE – 4/15/08
We just received an update from Sunshine’s foster family. She is doing very well these days and, in the words of her foster dad: “Sunshine is one of the sweetest dogs I’ve ever met. If she had a theme song, it would be ‘My Tail Wags for You.’”
She is very Velcro and can be needy in getting attention from you. She and the other golden in her home get along great and enjoy playing tug – in fact, the resident golden will literally drag Sunshine around the house with a toy! Her foster dad it’s so funny they could sell tickets to the Sunshine-Aubrey show!
When not playing tug, the two dogs enjoy wrestling and roughhousing. Sunshine also adores the cat and vice versa. She is truly well-named – she is a ray of sunshine in your day and is sure to make you smile. She loves going for walks, but is often not able to make it too far. That issue was solved by getting Sunshine her very own stroller. So now, if she gets tired, into the stroller she goes for a rest, and she’s still able to enjoy the walk and be a part of the family.
Her foster family adores her but would really like to help other dogs by continuing to foster for GRRMF, so we’re hoping some special family will come along for Sunshine. We thank everyone for their notes and concern – please keep sending lots of positive vibes her way!
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| Update 10/21/07:
Sunshine is doing very well in her foster home! After a lengthy evaluation and diagnostic testing, our veterinarian determined that Sunshine did not have distemper, as initially feared. That’s good news. But the bad news is that she does suffer from some neurological effects of a previous illness – it could have been heat stroke (her temperature was 106 when we brought her in from a shelter) or a virus. We will never know. But in spite of all she’s been through, Sunshine is doing very well! Her foster folks report that Sunshine is a real sweetheart and gets along great with the other dogs in her home, as well as the cat. Good girl, Sunshine!
She doesn’t know any commands, but we’re working on that, starting with “off,” as she does like to jump up in her excitement greeting people. Sunshine is quite intelligent and is very eager to please, so she’s picking up the basics very quickly. She is not enamored with her crate, but once inside she will lie quietly, without a peep.
Per the foster folks: “One funny moment last night was when she stepped on one of the rag squeaky toys. I don't think she's had much exposure to toys. She and Aubrey, our golden, were trying to learn to play together with the toy (absolutely no resource aggression) and Sunshine stepped on the toy. It squeaked and she bounded high! Very funny! Sunshine will make some family a wonderful pet. She does have special needs but absolutely nothing that can't be overcome because I can tell you already she is too good a dog. She might even make a great therapy dog later on. She could be a great confidence builder for children and adults.”
Update 8/29/07:
Sunshine is still under veterinary care for a condition as yet undiagnosed. She has good days and bad days as far as her mobility is concerned, and all tests have been inconclusive to date. GRRMF is currently consulting with a neurology specialist to see if we can try to figure out what is clouding Miss Sunshine's recovery. We are very puzzled and deeply concerned about her. We have promised her that we will do everything in our power to make her well, and we will never let her suffer. Please keep her in your thoughts - Sunshine deserves to be loved and to have an opportunity to live a normal life. She is only 1 year old, and the thought of losing her just breaks our hearts.
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The story of our sunny 1-year-old girl starts at an animal shelter. Some kind person found her unable to walk or stand, thought it might be heat exposure and brought her to a local shelter. The shelter director, a strong advocate for GRRMF and many other rescues, called us immediately. She knew she could not help her with the proper vet care within the shelter … but she knew that we could. She even offered to bring her to one of our Orlando area vets, Dr. Bill Ehlers at 434 Animal Hospital. We took her up on the offer, and Sunshine found herself in an air-conditioned place surrounded by people who fell in love with her.
Sunshine is still in the hospital. She is undergoing a battery of tests to determine the source of her unsteadiness. It is not heat stroke. It could be one of myriad illnesses, so she is getting every test there is to determine the cause and if a solution can be found. We will do everything that can be done to ensure that she has every chance to live a long and happy life.
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Sunshine is as sunny as her name. She doesn't realize that her body is not doing what her mind asks her to do. She gets better as the day goes on but each morning it seems to be a reset of the progress and she starts from square one. She has trouble standing at first, but by late afternoon she can stand and do a Bambi-on-ice routine on unsteady legs. She is currently on medications that are a stop-gap until the final diagnosis can be found. Her appetite is good and her tail goes non-stop. Best of all, Sunshine has that true golden personality. She is sweet as sugar, and it would be hard not to fall in love with her.
GRRMF is committed to doing whatever is necessary to help Sunshine. She's only a year old and has so much life yet to live! We are keeping all fingers and paws crossed in hopes that she'll begin feeling better soon.
We will update her site as we learn more about her condition and what can be done.
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Summer undergoing tests to find out exactly why
she is so unsteady on her feet
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It's hard not to fall in love with Sunshine!
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We hope we'll be able to find the cause of Sunshine's condition and she'll have sunny days ahead
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Meanwhile, if you'd like to be a part of our effort to help Sunshine, please consider sending in a donation today. GRRMF is 100% volunteer and donation supported, so your financial support is desperately needed as we take in more and more dogs like Sunshine with extensive medical needs and expenses.
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Donate today by clicking on the box below!
We will send you a receipt for your donation.
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