Nelly can't stop smiling. Check this out!...The barn raiser is inching up, steady as she goes. We're now only 963 bucks away from meeting Pedal Berkey's 10K matching gift challenge! Once we hit that mark, the bar will hopscotch right up the chart - on our way to halfway home. Huzzah!A big shout out to our friends in Los Angeles, Found Animals Foundation for their most generous gift towards this match. We met Found Animal's staff at the HSUS Expo in Vegas this year and learned about the innovative advocacy work they're doing in a very challenged part of CA. Many thanks to FAF pit bull ambassador Rufus for inspiring their work as well as the love match given in Petal Berkey's honor.
Below. Nelly and cuddle buddy Leroy try to remind us that friendships last longer than bad news on the telly.
More Nelly Pix - Courtesy of foster mom Sara Scott.
Nelly is doing fine, by the way. We've been in a holding pattern with her, and have been trying to let her tell us how she feels. She's perpetually happy, but hearing her gasp for air reminds us how much work it is for her to breathe. For now, she seems to be telling us that her first-ever summer in sunny CA is worth the extra work of not having a nose. Dog bless ya, Nelly.
Our Heroes.These are the names behind the wood and timber of the barn-to-be. Thank you kind people! Patricia Marquez, Thomas and Carol Zientara, Timothy and Lynn Boyle, Sarah Deluna, Loretta Abeyta, Scott Cunningham, Melea Cassell, Karin Campbell, Inga Sheffield, Will Stearman, Ping Ping Dai, Karen Delise, Karen Keaton, Jim Lemperis, Mary Doll, Marisa Piovarcsik, James Ogg, Gail Moon, J. Pav Designs, Terri Blouin, W P Hawthorne Jr and Sons Inc., Deirdre Doyle, LeeAnne Miller, Stephen Kahn, Michelle Harrington, Gilbert Brown, Elizabeth Dranow, Judy Holte, Sharon Jue, Katherine Pitts, Laura Bennett, Lissa Stiles, Todd Antonuk and Rufus and his friends at Found Animals Foundation.
It's almost certain that I've accidentally dropped a barn raiser's name from these lists. If your name hasn't shown up or if I've fumbled and misspelled into something unrecognizable, please let me know so I can fix. I'll sleep better - Thanks!
17 comments:
Can't we find a plastic surgeon who does reconstruction on people that can help Nellie?
Thank you for the update and photos of Nelly. She's got some smile there! Good to see she's enjoying life -- she sure deserves it.
s&b/mtry
Ah, doesn't it feel a bit better getting back to the business at hand? It sure does for me! Great news on the barn raising and its such a delight to see pix of Nelly!
Thanks for sharing! And its also great to feel part of a greater group of pitty advocates - this blog has become part of the morning ritual and really helps energize me for the day's work! Thank you Bad Rap!
Lynn in N. Cal
Fabulous photos. I really love the first one and that huge smile!!
Nelly sure is an inspiration to me to suck it up. I'm now offically embarrassed about every pity party I've ever thrown for myself and I promise to do better. Thank you Nelly :-)
Agreed Lynn - it feels so much better to focus on the things that we can all rally around rather than the events that drag us down. Much lighter! Thanks for the happy feedback on the blog community.
Millie - We had a surgeon open Nelly's nose up to see what could be done, but her sinuses are as deformed as her skin and she doesn't have any airway passages to build on. The surgeon warned us that drilling into her bone to create new passages would put her at great risk, especially with the blood disease she battles. We walk a tight rope with her and are trying to stay honest about quality of life issues. You know how pit bulls are - they'll suffer thru a lot of discomfort if it means they get a little bit of fun.
Nelly is quite the trooper. We puzzle over her daily!
If Nellie were born human, she would be throwing her self a daily pity party. Instead, she was born a dog, and not just any dog, a pit bull. That gives her more drive and ambition than the average dog, and she doesn't whine or pout about it like we would. It is what it is. She knows no difference, so she just keeps smiling that beautiful smile!
Dogs are awesome!
thanks for sharing those pictures of nelly. though it is hard to imagine what it must be like for her, she sure seems to be having a pretty good time with her doggy friends. i have terrible sinus problems, so though i can't fully relate to having no sinuses at all, i can only breathe out of one side of my nose, i have a severely deviated septum. surgery can be done but not in a hurry to do it. anyway, pitbulls are quite the troopers. my girl jade i had years ago, died of cancer at 9 1/2. i know she was hurting but she still wagged her tail and had that pit bull spirit til the end. dog bless ya nelly girl. you are beautiful and very photogenic.
God how I love Nelly. She is such an inspiration. Thank you so much for saving her. I have a picture of her on my desk at work & people always ask about her. You are all my heros.
Dona
I adore the light in Nelly's eyes!! You did that!! did you guys get the "weenie of the week" clip I forwarded to your email???
Joanne - thank you. Yes! Love it!
Weenie, indeed.
Oh Nelly!!! How cute are those pictures! She looks so happy with Leroy and I'm glad she's been able to enjoy a lovely summer.
martine
'Warms my heart to see Sweet Nelly looking so happy!
Dear Nelly,
I am madly in love with you! Your sweet face makes my heart smile! The nell-nose photo is my favorit thing today! Thank you and xoxoxox!
Does the barn have an official name yet? If not, would you consider something along the lines of "Nelly's Refuge" or something similar?
Doesn't Nelly exemplify the pit bull persona: beating the odds, making good despite tremendous obstacles, always having a wonderful attitude and marvelous smile?
She's a little hero and an inspiration.
s&b/mtry
i wanna kiss nellys nose, she is adorable. what a girl!
Oh, yay. As many have said by now, it's great to see that bar go up, and Ms Nelly so happy...
I think the lag between my paypal donation being made and finally clearing (echeck)made my name get lost from the list. I've been checking to make sure the donation got through...
Woo, barn raising! x k
Kirsten! Send me details on your gift so I can do a check. I seriously loose sleep over things like missing donation acknowledgments!
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