Farewell Rilley

This is the one blog entry that I have always dreaded writing and it may very well be my last post.  I knew the day would come but I honestly didn't think I would have to so soon.

Today we said goodbye to our beloved beagle.

Early this morning, around 4:45am, Sara and I awoke to something that has not happened since before Rilley's surgery all the way back on November 4, 2010...he was in the throes of a grand mal seizure.  Unfortunately it would last for close to an hour and a half and was one that he would not over come.  There is no need to detail the horrible experience other than to say that we were blind-sided by this event as it was so completely unexpected.  But rest assured we did everything we could for him, including rushing to the University of Guelph Veterinary Hospital...arguably the best place in the province for him to go.  The vet there advised us that given the length of time he had been seizing (which would have continued had they not intervened) and the rapid increase in his body temperature that there would most certainly be considerable collateral damage to his organs, if not his brain.  We knew what she was saying, it was time to say goodbye.

As I sit here reflecting on the past four years of Rilley's life, I guess we shouldn't be surprised that this day had come.  We have, on several occasions, counted the milestones, birthdays and holidays that we were lucky enough to spend with him as "bonus" days.  A lot of dogs would not have survived as aggressive of a tumour as Rilley had, so really, he cheated death once already. Of course he didn't do it on his own as he was fortunate to have been accepted into the ground breaking brain tumour research at the University of Minnesota.  He may never have known it, but he was, in his own little way, helping to improve the lives of human cancer patients.

Sara and I left Guelph with heavy hearts.  When we arrived home we broke the news to the girls.  I think they had hoped that since he was saved once before, it could happen again.  Needless to say they were devastated that he was gone and would never be coming home.  They were so young when we got him that they don't know life without him.

There are many things that run through your mind at a time like this, but I'd like to leave you with what I would say to him given the chance.

Rilley, the day Sara and the girls decided they wanted a dog, I have to say I wasn't convinced.  You see, I had never had a pet growing up and never considered myself much of an animal person.  But when we found you at the Orangeville SPCA you were cute, friendly and most importantly seemed to form an instant bond with the girls.  When we brought you home at two years old, you were already house broken, but were in desperate need of immediate obedience training...something, which I fear my old friend, was something you did not take to.  You always did your own thing, if you wanted something there was no regard for anything or anyone, even yourself.  If I were to tally all the damage you caused...well, let's not even go there.

Over the ensuing years you proved that what you lacked in discipline, you more than made up for in love.  You were always excited to see us whenever we would come home.  When either of the girls was hurt or sick, you would always cuddle up next to them...instantly making them feel better.  You even managed to soften the skeptic in me and found a special place in my heart.  Yes, I may have outwardly said that I merely "tolerated" you...but that was just male bravado...you know that in reality I really, really loved you.  Today was the most difficult of my life, saying goodbye to my buddy, a faithful companion, not to mention the only other male in the house!  Rilley, you have been through a lot, but I want you to know that you were more than a pet, you were a much adored member of the family.

As we said our goodbyes this morning, I placed your favourite stuffed animal between your paws.  Winnie-the-Pooh has seen you through your darkest days and it only seemed fitting that he accompany you now on your next journey.  Take good care of him, I know that the two of you will be fine.

Farewell my friend.  We will all miss you.

National Dog Day - August 26th

Today is

National Dog Day!

So celebrate the beloved best friend in your life!  More importantly remember that every year there are countless dogs who need to be rescued.  If you don't have one but have often thought about welcoming a dog into your life, then perhaps today is the day to visit your local shelter and see if there's one that's right for you.

After all, if it weren't for the many dedicated shelters across our country, our family may never have found Rilley, and we'd like to think that we're all better off for it.

Visit www.nationaldogday.com for more information.

Tweet about it with the hastag #NationalDogDay.

Share it on Facebook or Google+!

Four years since Rilley's life changed forever

"Wow, four years ago you say?"

We just wanted to post a small note to acknowledge that it was four years ago on this date that Rilley had his first Grand Mal seizure...at least his first that one of us had witnessed (poor Sara, it really frightened her).  It was this day that thrust him into the world of cancer and specifically brain tumours.

This may have been a dark day in Rilley's life but it did lead us to meeting many amazing people along the way and look where we are today...he is still a happy and healthy member of our family.

A Midsummer Night's Update

"Boy, am I glad to be home from the vet!"

Another summer is upon us and Rilley is enjoying every minute of it...well, sort of.  He didn't seem to appreciate the unplanned visit to the vet in the last couple of weeks.  Always vigilant about his health since the brain tumour, we feared that he may have had a bladder infection (or something worse) as he had been having a few accidents around the house.  So off to the vet he went...actually, since Sara and I were at work, off to the vet our kids had to drag him...but not before collecting a "sample" (yeah, the kids were impressed with that).

It turned out that the urine sample was inconclusive as it was too dilute...we had also noticed an increase in the amount of water he was drinking.  So, it was back to the vet that night to have some blood drawn and if that didn't provide any answers, Rilley would further diagnostics done.

"Look...I have an owie!"

The results of the blood test would be in the next day, but since our vet had begun her (much deserved) vacation, the new vet in the office would have to relay the results to us.  Yeah, I'm sure she was soooo looking forward to that.  First of all, Rilley's file must be the thickest one there but if that alone didn't frighten her, surely she must have heard stories about how freakish Sara is about her beloved pooch.  Nonetheless, first thing the following morning, as soon as the results reached the office, she called to let us know that everything was normal.

Whew, what a relief.  Yeah, it was just a possible bladder infection, but after having gone through what he has, it does make you wonder what, if anything, could happen next.  This fall will be the fourth anniversary of his surgery and involvement in the University of Minnesota's cancer research and we want him to live out his full life.  We are already looking forward to next year, while he was declared cured and cancer free on his first anniversary, five years marks the same milestone for humans and that would be an amazing gift.

Now, we all know that Rilley can be a source of some much needed comic relief, so here's one that made us chuckle.

"Ummm...hello there."

Last week we had him out for an evening walk.  Garbage had been put out for the following day's pickup and Rilley came across a lion...yes, a LION!  Obviously, it was of the plush variety, however it was also the same size as him and was standing on its own at the curb.  Well, Rilley had never seen something like this before and it quickly became apparent that he didn't realize it was just a toy so he cautiously approached.  Not just any approach, but his crouched, "I'm-a-tough-guy", approach he sometimes uses when he happens upon another dog on "his" sidewalk.

In the end, Rilley came to the realization that this strange being was no threat and continued on his way.  Although we're sure he was still a bit bewildered about this encounter.

The Legacy of Jake the Warrior

Every once in a while we like to break from tradition and post about something other than Rilley.  Hard to believe, we know!  However, we just wanted to pass along a fabulous initiative undertaken by a friend of our blog.

In 2011 Jake the Warrior was also diagnosed with a brain tumour.  His owners, Frank and Jenn Valentine of New Jersey, contacted the University of Minnesota and enrolled him in the Brain Tumor Program.  Unfortunately, despite the ground breaking treatment, Jake later succumb to the cancer.

The loss of "The Warrior" devastated the Valentine's but that didn't stop them from rescuing another dog.

Enter Dusty, a brown and white pit mix originally picked up off the streets in the Bronx.  After passing through the shelter system, he found his forever home with Frank and Jenn.  Since coming into their lives, he too has had his own battle with cancer but has come out the other side a survivor!

Now, he is the inspiration for a new project that Frank has undertaken.  Dusty's Dog House is a doggy daycare that will also be a foster home for one lucky homeless pooch.  The project is currently in the fundraising stage and Frank has launched an Indiegogo campaign to get things rolling.

It sounds like a very worthwhile endeavour and if you would like more information, or to make a donation to Dusty's cause, here are some helpful links:

Dusty's Dog House website:
http://www.dustysdoghouse.com/

Dusty's Dog House Indiegogo campaign:
http://igg.me/at/dustysdoghouse/x/6235609

Rilley has reached his teens!

In human years Rilley entered his teens today.  Or thereabouts...as those who follow the blog will know 11 years ago today we picked him out from all the other deserving pets at the Orangeville SPCA.


The day for the most part was just as uneventful as many other days around our house in recent years.  But then again, that's a good thing isn't it?  I've often wanted to install some internet connected cameras to be able to see exactly what he gets up to while we are out during the day, however, now that he's older I bet he pretty much spends the day asleep.


For the most part, this birthday went by without much fanfare.  But he did enjoy some special treats and as we all know, food is his most favourite thing to receive.


Here's to many more food-filled birthdays Rilley!

HAPPY 13th BIRTHDAY!

Where has the time gone?

That is a very good question!  I can't believe spring is here already (the cold certainly doesn't help you to believe winter is over) and I have yet to make my first post of the year.  Now, you could say that is a very good thing, which is true because no-news-is-good-news and in Rilley's case it certainly is good news.

He is still with us and still causing his own special brand of trouble, albeit at a slightly slower pace.  You see, Rilley is still passing his annual physicals with flying colours but he is starting to show his age.  The poor little guy has been having occasional bouts of back pain.  He doesn't cry about it, but we can tell whenever he takes just a little extra care when climbing onto or off of the bed or sofa.

Wait a minute!  Who am I kidding?

"Takes a little extra care..."?

This is the dog who laughs in the face of danger!

Okay, maybe not laughs, rather he doesn't necessarily realize there's danger when he sets his sights on something...or more to the point, on food.  So that statement should more appropriately have read that he "actually takes care when climbing onto or off of the bed or sofa."

When this first started we took him to see Dr. Ewing and as usual she takes very good care of him.  It was determined that this is indeed a sign of age progression and it seems to be restricted to his lower back.  We've put him on some medication (Metacam) for when the issue does flare up and changed his food from Satiety diet (the "fat" food that we used to give him to control his weight) and put him on a Mobility Support recipe. The theory is that the new food has ingredients that will help to avoid the medication being used full time.

The only downside to the new medication is that it lacks the qualities to satiate his appetite.  This leads to him being extra whinny around dinner time and he begins to demand his food early.  The funny thing is, he is quiet in the afternoon until Sara arrives home from work.  Then he unleashes full whine mode directly at her, only trying it on me when absolutely necessary.  He seems to know that if he keeps it up, after a long day at work, Sara will give in just to keep him quiet.  Although, I think he secretly hopes for two dinners as he continues to beg at the table for scraps despite having been fed.  But we were warned when we adopted him...

"He is very food motivated."

Rilley's "Battle Scar" is that little
black line near the centre of his head.

That was almost 11 years ago now and it still holds true to this day.

Basically, what I am trying to say with this post is that, aside from one age related issue, Rilley is continuing to do extremely well since his bout with the brain tumour over three years ago.  Aside from those occasional (and I do mean very rare) breakthrough seizures of rapid jaw movements, and the now slightly more visible scar line on his head, you would never know what he's been through.

An Ice Storm Christmas

The last few days have certainly been interesting.  Ontario was hit hard by a severe ice storm this past Saturday night into Sunday morning.  We lost power for eight hours that night and we were one of the few extremely fortunate families.  Many others were without for days and some continue to struggle without electricity.  It has been out so long in some areas that the phone company has also lost the power required to run the lines.

We woke Sunday morning to some of the worst natural destruction our area has seen.  Not only did the ice down hydro lines, but also a vast number of trees.  Portions of our street were impassible due to trees having fallen across them.  With all the falling ice we were as careful as possible whenever we would let Rilley out,  but for some reason he thought it would be a grand idea to sit beneath our maple tree and look up!

Nonetheless, Christmas Day is here and in true Rilley-style, he brings some merriment to the day. (Whether he intends to be entertaining or not.)  You see, Elizabeth bought him a nice big bone as a gift.  Immediately upon unwrapping this magnificent piece of chewable goodness, he grabbed it in his mouth and headed for the back door.  Now, if I were a dog I would resist the innate desire to bury it and at least give it a chew or two first...but no, this is Rilley after all...

...this bone must be buried and it must be buried NOW! 

Okay then Rilley...out you go!

As you can see, the aforementioned ice storm foiled his plan.  The video above was actually his third attempt at finding a place to bury his new bone. 

Darn frozen earth!

After criss-crossing the backyard numerous times, he finally realized that this was a fruitless endeavour and brought his bone back in, settled down in the hall and began to chew away.

Nom, nom, nom.

Now, with the turkey cooking in the oven, and a lull in the activity, Rilley has decided to take a nap from all the morning's excitement.

Zzzzzzzz...dreaming of turkey.

And that's pretty much how Rilley's Christmas has been...his third "bonus" Christmas since undergoing his treatment.

So from our family to yours we wish you a

Merry Christmas

and a very Happy New Year!

National Mutt Day

Here's a little something to add to your "I did not know that" pile.

Today, December 2nd, is National Mutt Day.  Hey, I had not idea this existed either!  I only found out about it through my Facebook news feed and a post from the University of Minnesota Veterinary Medical Center.

Interestingly, this day is celebrated not once, but twice a year...July 31st and December 2nd.  So why am I writing about this?  Well, despite Rilley's rugged good looks, he is not a pure bred beagle, he is indeed a mixed breed, or mutt, as it were.  Furthermore, not only is he a mixed breed, but he is a mixed breed we rescued from the shelter.  You see?  This day seems to be far more important for Rilley than it would at first appear.

So there you have it!  As the saying goes, you learn something new everyday.

Happy National Mutt Day Rilley!  (And if we don't have one in Canada, may be we should!)

The Little Town that Rilley Loves

An interesting concept was presented to me a few weeks ago.  The website www.dogvacay.com has a photo sharing campaign through which you can show how your dog represents his or her home town.  Now I'm not one to randomly promote commercial endeavours, however it was through DogVacay's online forums that Sara had found some of the dog-friendly hotels that we used on our road trips to Minneapolis.  While that was a huge benefit for us, their main purpose is to help you find a dog sitter near home.

As those who have followed the blog from the beginning know, we adopted Rilley from the SPCA in nearby Orangville when he was two years old.  Since then he has been an official Georgetown, Ontario resident for 10 full years and he couldn't be happier!  Here are a few of his favourite things about our little town.

Going for car rides.

Exploring the trails of Hungry Hollow!

Winning the ribbon for "Dog with the Longest Ears" at
the Georgetown Fair! (Okay, this photo is a bit old...2004
but he did return to claim his crown again a few years later!)

Halloween!  Rilley dressed up in 2007 as "Underdog" to
"rescue" as many treats as he could.

And just looking adorable and happy to be alive!
Photo credit: Chris So of The Toronto Star

We may live in a small town, but thanks to the second chance Rilley has been given by being a cancer survivor he still has time to experience the many other things that our beautiful little part of the province has to offer!

To give credit where credit's due, this idea was passed on to me by fellow pet-blogger Shaye Walsh of Milwaukee who wrote a similar post about her dog Sheba.  Check it out:
http://simplyshaye.wordpress.com/2013/09/01/the-brew-city-that-i-love/

Rilley Goes International!

Publishing a blog results in a lot of information being posted, read, picked up by search engines and distributed.  Every once in a while we will sit down and Google phrases related to the blog in an attempt to track where our posts and stories about Rilley end up.  Most hits are links back to the blog or to the newspaper and television stories on their originating websites.

Today, however, I came across a German magazine called "Partner Hund".  They describe themselves as "Das Magazin für Hundefreunde" or "The Magazine for Dog Lovers."  Image my surprise when I found, in a section of their August issue entitled "News from the dog world", a short article about Rilley.  Judging by the pictures, they must have pulled the story that was written by Isabel Teotonio of The Toronto Star (June 1, 2013 - Saturday Edition) off a newswire service and written their own, condensed version.  Their story was called "Second Life for Rilley".

The interesting thing is that, despite The Star being a major Canadian newspaper, we never imagined it would be a conduit to his story appearing as far away as Europe.  As for the article itself, it was simply a very brief synopsis detailing the diagnosis, prognosis, clinical trial at the University of Minnesota, treatment and the promising outcome (with a bit of little-girl-loves-her-furry-"brother" thrown in to tug at the heart-strings). 

It's just too bad that they didn't try to contact us directly, I could have impressed them with my (very rusty) ability to speak German.  Well...maybe not...perhaps in the end it's best it didn't come to that.  (I had to use a translation website to help me read it...some of those German words are long!)

If you can read German there is an online version of the magazine, simply follow this link:

http://issuu.com/helicopeter1234/docs/partner_hund_-_august_2013

Pet Cancer Awareness Month

November is Pet Cancer Awareness month and throughout the month the Veterinary Medical Center at the University of Minnesota, where Rilley was treated, has been posting related stories on their Facebook page.  Today they wrote a post to commemorate Rilley's third anniversary as a survivor, including a brief outline of the their involvement.  I hope that their compassionate, caring and amazing team is aware of the far reaching impact of their work.

Taken from the VMC's Facebook page:
https://www.facebook.com/umnVMC?hc_location=timeline

Please take the time to visit their page.  If you are a pet owner, there is a lot of useful information and tips there.  If you're not, I'm confident you will find the stories interesting.

MILESTONE: Surviving for 3 Years!

Rilley with his new stuffed friend.

Today we celebrate another major milestone in Rilley's life.  It is hard to believe that it has already been three years since Rilley's surgery in Minneapolis.  Time has certainly flown since November 4, 2010.  It may be cliché, but it really does seem like yesterday that we were packing the Jeep to hit the road for the first time.

A lot has happened since then and we have documented all the ups and downs right here on the blog.   There have been many helpful and dedicated professionals along the way and I always thought it would be fun to list them all.  So here it goes:

Mountainview Animal Hospital

Dr. Stephanie Ewing

University of Minnesota

Dr. Elizabeth Pluhar

John Ohlfest, Ph.D

Dr. Matthew Hunt

Brian Andersen, Ph.D

Jessica Bedi

University of Guelph

Dr. Fiona James

Mississauga Oakville Veterinary Emergency Hospital

Dr. Meredith Gauthier

Dr. Carolina Duque

It is thanks to all those people, and the legions of staff that work with them, that Rilley has been able to make it to this point.  As I had said in a post near the beginning of this journey, Rilley really does have more doctors than most people!

Another pair of characters that have seen him through his surgery and beyond are his favourite stuffed animals, Winnie the Pooh and Bunny.  They've had put up with a lot.  Winnie not only came along for the ride on our first trip to Minnesota but he also comforted Rilley during his stay in ICU.  Bunny came along on subsequent trips and through it all they have been his favourite toys.  They have seen better days though.  Sara has had to perform many a reconstructive surgery on both of them whenever Rilley decided to go Tony Soprano on them and take out his frustrations.

As a way of commemorating today, Sara picked up a new stuffed buddy for him, complete with a scarf imprinted with the year.  Hopefully he gets welcomed into the fold of Rilley's little clan.

Here's to celebrating many more anniversaries Rilley!

And now for something completely different....

I thought it would be nice to share something entirely unrelated to Rilley or brain tumours.  This is a video that I came across today and it made me smile.  It was also right up my alley as it combines dogs, especially the drooling ones, and a favourite technology of mine...high speed video cameras.  It was created by photographer Carli Davidson in collaboration with a production company called Variable to promote her new portrait book "Shake", a collection of stills of dogs doing just that...shaking their heads.

Check it out...it will make you smile too.

SHAKE from Variable on Vimeo.

Rilley Rocked the Neurological Exam!

The Small Animal Clinic at the University of Guelph

Well, it's that time of year again!  Rilley had his annual neurological check up today with his neurologist Dr. Fiona James at the University of Guelph's Small Animal Clinic.

Recently there have been a couple things that had us concerned, so today's follow up appointment came about at the right time.  Two weeks ago, we had taken Rilley for a walk, one that was a little bit longer than usual.  When we returned home his hind legs were shaking.  Then the next evening Rilley experienced a breakthrough seizure.  It was his third in almost as many years and presented itself in the exact same manner; rapid, uncontrolled jaw movement that lasts for about 10 to 15 seconds.  It could also be described as teeth chatter, although his teeth never contact each other.

Rilley waiting to be called in to see the neurologist.

When we arrived, Dr. James was just finishing up a procedure with another patient, so we met with one of her residents who had briefed herself on Rilley's history beforehand and knew the major points of his case.  She took him off to meet up with Dr. James so they could perform the physical and neurological exams.

We are pleased to report that Rilley passed the physical and neurological exams with flying colours and he had even lost some weight!

To follow up on our concerns, Dr. James' advice was, as we had been told by Dr. Pluhar in Minnesota, that seizures are not an uncommon occurrence in dogs who have had tumours removed and since his have been so minor and infrequent, we should not be overly concerned.  As for his back, beagles are apparently prone to some disc compression in their lower backs as they age and that may contribute to the shaking.  Additionally, the shaking appears to be positional; meaning that it only occurs when he sits or stands in a certain way...if we notice him shaking, a slight move is all it takes to make it stop, which a lot of times Rilley will do on his own anyway.

So all in all, the recent concerns were not an indication of any decline in his health and Dr. James was pleased to see that Rilley is continuing to thrive.

Way to go Rilley, you really did rock the neuro-exam!

(You'd think that with all the time he's spent at universities that he'd be close to getting his own Ph.D.)

Happy 1K Day Rilley!

Wow, 1000 days and still going strong!

Today marks yet another significant milestone in Rilley's life.  It has now been exactly 1000 days since his surgery to remove a lethal brain tumour.  That is certainly much longer than the six weeks he had been given at the time of diagnosis.

We couldn't let this momentous occasion pass without giving it the recognition it deserves; this truly is a landmark day.  If a simple beagle from small town Ontario has won the fight against cancer thanks to the work being done at the University of Minnesota, the future looks very bright for the human beneficiaries of the research he took part in.

A screen capture of the "surgery" counter from earlier today.

We can honestly say that, aside from thrice daily medication, life has returned to normal...almost as if the tumour never existed.

Happy 1000th day Rilley!

The Inside Story: The Life of Rilley

Now that Rilley is on his way to three years since he underwent treatment for the meningioma, there is a renewed interest in his story.  In June the Toronto Star published an article about him in their spread on veterinary medicine.  I know many people saw that story, but it also drew the attention of Avery Haines from CityNews. She contacted us and asked if we would share our story for her series "Inside Story".  This story has always been so much bigger than Rilley himself, so any time we can draw attention to the advanced research being done at the University of Minnesota, we are always up for it.

Avery's story aired tonight (three times in total) and Sara and I are very happy with the way it turned out.  It was a great balance of the seriousness of the subject matter along with the lighter side of life with Rilley...fridge lock, anyone?  The whole family took part.  The girls were in it and we even managed to get Sara on camera as well.   I know it's hard to tell a complex story like Rilley's in the timespan of a news story, but Avery and her team did it very well.

After it aired, Sara noticed that the @CityAvery Twitter feed had some chatter on it about the story.  All the feedback seemed to be positive.

Have a look for yourself, just follow this link:

http://www.citynews.ca/2013/07/18/the-inside-story-rilley-the-dogs-cancer-treatment-may-help-humans/

Rilley the Water Dog

In all of his 12 years, there's one thing that Rilley has never done.  Unlike most dogs, he has never before gone swimming.  Well, this past Saturday that all changed.  With the current stretch of hot weather we thought the timing could not have been better.  So we took him down into the ravine near our house where a creek runs through.

Nice cool water on a hot day.

We found a great spot where we could just walk in with him, but with deeper areas so that he could try to swim.  He seemed to welcome the cool water running across his paws, but was a bit tentative with the deeper water.  So, to help out, I picked him up and lowered him into an area where he could swim without touching bottom.  When I let go, he kept his head above water and swam back to shallower water.

"I can do it!  I can swim!"

Given that this was his very first time in the water, he didn't seem to stress about it at all.  He swam as if it was the most natural thing for him to do.  However, while he really seemed to like it, a few times in and out and he had enough and trotted off to shore.

If the dog days of summer continue to be hot, Rilley now has a choice to chill in the air conditioned climate of the house, or to go for a short walk and cool off in the the creek!

Rilley...a real "Toronto Star"!

Photo: Chris So, The Toronto Star

Back in January, the Toronto Star ran an article detailing the Slaight family's generous donation of $50 million to the Princess Margaret Cancer Centre.  In it Dr. Benjamin Neel, the centre's director of research had said:

"Targeted treatment and immune therapy — a way to reactivate the immune system against tumours — could lead to cures"

Immune therapy is exactly how Rilley was treated for his brain tumour, and it ultimately saved his life.  So I reached out to writer Isabel Teotonio through an email saying that immune therapy can indeed work; after all we have proof in a four-legged, furry friend.  Ever since we participated in the trial at the University of Minnesota, where Rilley benefited from the hard work and dedication of the late Dr. John Ohlfest, Dr. Liz Pluhar and the rest of their team, we've wanted to bring them as much exposure as possible.  It's just our little way of trying to give back for all that we have received from them...our family could never thank them enough.

A few weeks ago, Isabel paid us a visit to interview Sara and I for the article and photographer Chris So came to get some photos.  We sat down and discussed Rilley's entire journey...interestingly it reminded us of just how far he's come.

Rilley seems to have taken a real liking to Toronto Star photographer Chris So.

This weekend the June 1st edition of the Saturday Star is running a series of articles about veterinary medicine including one chronicling Rilley's unique story.  Isabel did a fantastic job writing it, so look for the article entitled "Veterinarian: Rilley the Miracle Dog" in the Life section of the paper or click on the image below to be taken to the online edition.

The Emperor's New Collar (Rilley's 12th Birthday)

Happy 12th Birthday Rilley!

Rilley and all his Birthday spoils!
"Keep your paws off!  They're mine!", he says.

Today marks Rilley's 12th Birthday; another monumental occasion given the incredible second chance he has been given. Well, as I've said before it's really the anniversary date of the day we brought him home from the doggie adoption agency.  That was 10 years ago when he was just two years old.  As usual, we took him out to one of the many pet stores and let him pick out something special, and as tradition dictates around our house, it would be a new collar.  He has received new collars for such things as birthdays, Christmas, trips that we've been on including one from the 2010 Vancouver Olympic Winter Games and most befitting, one from the University of Minnesota.

A selection of collar's past, including from the University of Minnesota and the
2010 Olympic Winter Games.

The store we chose this time was Petsmart on Argentia Road in Mississauga.  While we were shopping, the staff checked if there was anything we needed help in finding.  Sara had wanted to find him a collar that said something like "Happy Birthday" on it...while I knew the chances of finding that were slim to none...Sara insisted that we ask, after all we did get him a Christmas collar!  Of course, there were no birthday-specific collars to be found, but this tipped off the staff to his special day.  A little later, while I was still shopping, the staff member who we had spoken with came up with two toys and asked Rilley to pick one.  When he seemed to settle on the one in the picture above, she removed the tags, said "Happy Birthday" and gave it to him.  That was very nice and when I thanked her, she said it wasn't everyday that a pet comes in on their actual birthday!

Unfortunately, I was not paying enough attention to get the lady's name, I really would have liked to thank her properly here on the blog, or even have mentioned to their corporate office that they have some wonderful employees.

When we checked out, the cashier saw the toy and asked "Is this the Birthday Boy?"  It sure was.  He really is a very lucky dog.  Oh, and yes, he did get a new collar!

Happy Birthday Rilley!