Sunset Cruisin'
Copyright SusanOgden
The very first person I met here on the Banks has remained a dear friend since day one. He rented an apartment to me in the off season during house hunting for a beach house of my very own. He allowed dogs... I had a cat, Loki, who ended up very sick the week before I was supposed to come down. I called...I explained and asked if I could push it off for a week. He very kindly said yes. That week went by and the cat was not that much better and needed to be subcutaneously given fluids every other day for another week. I called again and asked if his pet policy included cats. There was a hesitation and so I explained the situation. He asked if the cat was trained...no accidents outside his litter box. Yes, he is and he sleeps a lot and is very well behaved. He took pity on me and rented to us...we searched for a house for 8 days...and late on the 8th day found one of interest and so we asked about extending the stay until the upcoming Monday, after asking what it would cost to do that. This allowed us to get all the offer stuff and beginning negotiations in order before heading home. When we went to pay him the extra, he told us not to...that extra time was no big deal. My first experience in what was to be my new home began with the kindness of this stranger. I knew as he said goodbye when we left that he would be a good friend. I was also certain I would get his dog to like me!!!
We kept in touch thru the process of getting and renovating the house...and he kindly showed me around the island giving me hints of places good to eat and things to see, and where to shop! Rudder the Beach Dog was friendly but not exactly sure of me. On one of my jaunts to see something new, the wild beaches of Hatteras Nat’l seashore, I was pretty certain that my chances to make Rudder like me were dashed when Butch made him get into the back seat, telling him “Susan is our friend and you need to let her ride in the front!” When we got out, he took off over the dunes, found a driftwood stick and promptly dropped it at Butch's feet to throw, ignoring me completely. Sigh..... but then on the next appearance over the dune, he ran right past Butch and dropped the stick at MY feet! I was over the moon happy...I had been accepted into the fold!
Rudder is now receiving Radiation Therapy, after developing seizures and finding the cause is a tumor. I am assisting in helping to raise money for the balance of the radiation and vet bills ...3 more weeks of therapy to go. It is the least I can do for my special friends. Rudder is doing so much better after his first 3 weeks. The glint of playful mischief is back in his eyes and his beach walks are met with playfulness to other dogs. I am praying that this works for him because he is such a special friend, and is the sun rising and setting each day for his owner. They live on a sailboat...his owners dream come true and they are far from home at the moment as the tumor was found on their winter trip south. 4:30am wake up call to try and beat the Ft Lauderdale traffic and make the 2-3 hour drive to have the therapy and then back to the boat...another 2-3 hour drive. Prayers for Rudder and my dear friend Butch are what I ask. The support is as important as anything I can raise to help them financially...so please keep them in your thoughts and prayers for me. Thank you.
PS. Rudder is a Border Collie and hands down THE smartest dog I have ever met..it is scary sometimes how much he understands...and I honestly can say he is smarter than some humans I have met!!!
Sunset Cruisin'
Copyright SusanOgden
The very first person I met here on the Banks has remained a dear friend since day one. He rented an apartment to me in the off season during house hunting for a beach house of my very own. He allowed dogs... I had a cat, Loki, who ended up very sick the week before I was supposed to come down. I called...I explained and asked if I could push it off for a week. He very kindly said yes. That week went by and the cat was not that much better and needed to be subcutaneously given fluids every other day for another week. I called again and asked if his pet policy included cats. There was a hesitation and so I explained the situation. He asked if the cat was trained...no accidents outside his litter box. Yes, he is and he sleeps a lot and is very well behaved. He took pity on me and rented to us...we searched for a house for 8 days...and late on the 8th day found one of interest and so we asked about extending the stay until the upcoming Monday, after asking what it would cost to do that. This allowed us to get all the offer stuff and beginning negotiations in order before heading home. When we went to pay him the extra, he told us not to...that extra time was no big deal. My first experience in what was to be my new home began with the kindness of this stranger. I knew as he said goodbye when we left that he would be a good friend. I was also certain I would get his dog to like me!!!
We kept in touch thru the process of getting and renovating the house...and he kindly showed me around the island giving me hints of places good to eat and things to see, and where to shop! Rudder the Beach Dog was friendly but not exactly sure of me. On one of my jaunts to see something new, the wild beaches of Hatteras Nat’l seashore, I was pretty certain that my chances to make Rudder like me were dashed when Butch made him get into the back seat, telling him “Susan is our friend and you need to let her ride in the front!” When we got out, he took off over the dunes, found a driftwood stick and promptly dropped it at Butch's feet to throw, ignoring me completely. Sigh..... but then on the next appearance over the dune, he ran right past Butch and dropped the stick at MY feet! I was over the moon happy...I had been accepted into the fold!
Rudder is now receiving Radiation Therapy, after developing seizures and finding the cause is a tumor. I am assisting in helping to raise money for the balance of the radiation and vet bills ...3 more weeks of therapy to go. It is the least I can do for my special friends. Rudder is doing so much better after his first 3 weeks. The glint of playful mischief is back in his eyes and his beach walks are met with playfulness to other dogs. I am praying that this works for him because he is such a special friend, and is the sun rising and setting each day for his owner. They live on a sailboat...his owners dream come true and they are far from home at the moment as the tumor was found on their winter trip south. 4:30am wake up call to try and beat the Ft Lauderdale traffic and make the 2-3 hour drive to have the therapy and then back to the boat...another 2-3 hour drive. Prayers for Rudder and my dear friend Butch are what I ask. The support is as important as anything I can raise to help them financially...so please keep them in your thoughts and prayers for me. Thank you.
PS. Rudder is a Border Collie and hands down THE smartest dog I have ever met..it is scary sometimes how much he understands...and I honestly can say he is smarter than some humans I have met!!!