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| Hula and Walther are happy to welcome Summer! |
Hula joined our family in January, 2013. We had recently lost one of our Cairns (CP's Caryn) in November, 2012, to kidney disease, and our other Cairn (CP's Walther), was very lonely as an only dog. After much discussion, my husband and I decided to apply to adopt another CP kid. As both Caryn and Walther had come from puppy mills, and as a result had some special emotional challenges, my husband requested that this time around we adopt a dog that was an owner surrender, even if it came with health issues.
When
looking through the available Cairns,
we were drawn to Hula right away. We
were not deterred by the prospect of adopting a diabetic dog. We have a diabetic cat that requires insulin
twice a day, and both my husband and I are diabetic ourselves, so we were
already very comfortable with giving injections. We were drawn to Hula’s laid back, yet
playful nature and thought she would be a good fit with our family. We
were very pleased when we were approved to adopt her!
Hula
flew from sunny Florida up to frigid Michigan at the height
of Winter. Her Foster Mom and I were concerned she would have trouble
acclimating, but it turns out that she loves the snow and was not at all
affected by the cold! The moment she walked into our house, despite
having just had a long flight and a stressful time at the airport, she went
right over to the dog toy box and selected a toy to play with, brought it over
to us, and asked us to throw it for her!
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| Hula loves her Special Blinking Ball! |
Even
with her vision issues (she has cataracts as a result of her diabetes), she
immediately made herself at home. Her only difficulty was
learning to go up and down the stairs. With patience, and some treats,
she learned to master those in just a few weeks.
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| Hula always welcomes a great belly rub! |
Hula
quickly bonded with Walther, my husband, and I. She and Walther love to
snuggle and play together. She even gets along with our cats and chickens!
She still barks a bit at the horses, thinking, I believe, they are just
really big dogs and wondering why they won't play with her!
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| The family that naps together… |
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| Hula has mastered the art of relaxing! |
Now
that the weather is warmer, Hula enjoys sitting on my husband's lap as he
swings in his hammock chair. She has amassed a large collection of toys,
including Cuz toys (her personal favorite), tennis balls, and various squeaky
toys. I was even able to find some
blinking light up balls that she has an easier time seeing. She sleeps on
our bed at night, and is extremely polite, always staying near the foot of the
bed.
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| Hula loves to sit on Daddy’s lap… |
Hula
is such a joy and a true little ray of sunshine! Her calm, laid back
attitude is such a benefit to Walther, who still sometimes gets scared of
things like thunderstorms and loud noises. When he sees her
taking everything in stride, it helps him to feel more confident and relaxed as
well.
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| …and always enjoy a relaxing backrub! |
We
are working closely with our vet to keep Hula’s diabetes under control, and she
goes in for regular testing and check ups. She is such a delight and so
easy going and patient that the vet techs all love working with her!
We
are so grateful to have Hula in our lives!
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