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Friday Morning, April 2, 2021

Gem of the Day: “His ears were often the first thing to catch my tears.”

~ Elizabeth Barrett Browning~

Dear Small Pawsers,

On this Good Friday, leading up to Easter Sunday, my heart is heavy this morning, yet rejoicing in the miracle that is these truly amazing Bichons.

This coming May 31, Small Paws will be 23 years old. Bill Adam, (wadam43@gmail,com) has been my close friend, and a loyal and loving supporter of Small Paws from the very beginning back in 1998.

He first lived in New Jersey, but now calls Florida home. 

I want to tell you a story. It’s a love story that began with a miracle. Yes, a true miracle.

The veterinarians who were there that day, listed “Miraculous Recovery Post Death” on this particular dog’s vet records.

What I’m about to tell you is true. I promise on all that is Holy, what you are about to read is true.

Some of you will remember this story, back when it happened,

Go back with me in time to the year 2002.

We had just taken in several Bichons, including puppies, from an Amish puppy mill that had been closed by the USDA, for horrible abuse and neglect. (And for the USDA to actually CLOSE one of these places, it had to be really bad.)

One little Bichon, born on November 4, 2001, came from the mill with a terrible eye infection, which would later cost him that eye. He was almost a year old. I named him Billybob, a respectable Southern name. Ha!

After being rescued by Small Paws, that little boy was on the table about to be neutered, and for the one and only time in our almost 23 year history, tragedy struck from anesthesia.

I received a phone call from the operating room that morning that I will never forget.

I heard the sounds of silence, that you can imagine going on after surgery when something has gone horribly wrong, in the background.. People moving. No talking, Mo machines.

It was our vet calling and our baby had just died on the table.

The vet was trying to tell me how sorry he was and how this pup must have had a problem processing the anesthesia.

I didn’t panic, although it may have seemed that way to the vet and all of the technicians because I was very specific and probably loud, in my immovable instructions.

These weren’t MY instructions to them. These were God’s instructions to ME.

I told them to take the phone to his little body. The vet softly argued, telling me it was too late and that the dog was deceased.

“TAKE THE PHONE TO HIM NOW!!”

My first thought wasn’t to cry. My FIRST thought was to PRAY.

And I began to pray right there on the phone, in front of God and everybody.

They resumed CPR as I prayed for this puppy to be brought back to us, ALIVE, in the name of the Father God, so that he could be a witness one day of God’s miraculous love!

I was praying to the ONLY One who had the ability to do what I was asking.

It’s the ONLY time I have prayed for a dead dog to be brought back to life in my now 64 years.

I remember the vet trying to convince the crazy praying rescue lady on the phone that our dog had died and there wasn’t going to be a change in his status after so many minutes with no heartbeat.

DO YOU THINK I STOPPED PRAYING WITH EVERYTHING THAT WAS WITHIN ME NOT EVEN MAYBE I WAS JUST GETTING GOING!!!

Soon, it happened. I heard a scream. It was one of the female vet techs who screamed, “He took a breath!!”

(I think she didn’t know if she should be thrilled or terrified, as veterinary employees certainly know how to identify a dog that has already passed.)

I continued to pray until I heard the calming sound of “beep, beep, peep” from the heart monitor which had miraculously began to function again.

“Billybob” was alive. I KNOW how crazy that sounds, but it’s true.

Our baby had flatlined, with no pulse or heartbeat, for long enough for the vet to call and make the death notification to me.

He was dead, yet he was alive.

On this Easter weekend, does that remind you of another story that happened over 2000 years ago in Jerusalem? The greatest love story of all.

Billybob remained un-neutered for several years for obvious reasons until his adopter, Bill Adam, found a vet who specialized in problem anesthesia cases and he was finally able to be neutered and had the bad eye removed after a year of trying to save it. He also had frequent teeth cleanings with no more anesthesia issues.

But before there was Billybob, there was Billybob’s best buddy,  a little girl named SPR Annie-doo. She was born on August 5, 1999 and also adopted by Bill.

Many of you have been to the Florida Bashes and you got to meet these two precious Bichons.

Last November, Bill called me from the vet’s office. His voice was breaking up.

Bill Adam and Anniedo.

He was there making the difficult decision to euthanize Annie as she was now 21 years old, non stop seizing, and she was bleeding from her eyes. 

Billybob began to decline shortly after losing Annie last November.

Yesterday morning, Bill texted me at 6:15. It wasn’t good news and I called him immediately.

Billybob was going downhill fast. His bloodwork from the previous day showed that his kidney and liver values were off the chart. He had stopped eating and was wasting. 

Bill and Billybob last year.

He was now 19 years and almost 5 months old. I cried with Bill as he made the final decision for his precious boy and yesterday morning, Billybob and Annie-doo were reunited.

Billybob was also reunited with the One who brought him back to life that day, over 18 years ago, the Lord of Lord and King of Kings, who Himself was dead, yet He lives and reigns forever and ever!

This is the day I spoke of, when all those years ago I asked God to bring him back to life so that one day I could tell Billybob’s story, and the story of God’s unfailing love.

Bill is of course grieving terribly. I’ve spoken to him three times since Billybob’s home going, yesterday.

Bill said that Anniedo and Billybob were his best friends for nearly 20 years.

He wants you all to know how much he loves this organization, and I assured him that we love him too.

I also wanted to let you know of two Bichons, that I knew personally, that lived to be 19 and 21 years old. And they were both pretty healthy right up until the end. These two dogs were given the best of everything. They were Bill’s kids.

As many of you know, there is no pain like that of losing our Bichons after loving them for so many years.

The pain is there and it’s real, but oh the joy they brought to us! I wouldn’t have missed any of my past loves for anything in the world.

This is why, with your help, we do this important work.

To make a difference in the lives of the dogs AND of the people who love them.

Godspeed, little Billybob. You were loved beyond compare. And Bill, we love you and Randie too. All My Love, Robin

Prayer Request from Anne Rutten.

On Mar 30, 2021, at 8:58 AM, “Rutten, Anne” <anne.rutten@allstate.com> wrote:

Hello Robin,

I would like to ask for prayers from the group.  Ms. Diva my Small Paws Rescue was attacked by a dog yesterday evening during our walk. She has tooth marks around her neck but the biggest issue is she had to have her right eye removed.  The dog was behind a fence and somehow got out and went straight for her.  She is really shaken and so am I.  She seems to be resting on my office floor now.  Walking the dogs is my favorite thing and I’m trying not to let this ruin it.  We walked past that dog 50 times.  I’m really struggling. I’m feeling sick and sad, poor Diva she can’t catch a break.  15 years old going blind and now this.

Pray for Ms. Diva and Anne – Praise the Lord for he has Risen!

We have also now added Text-to-Donate feature! It’s simple and secure. You can use any major credit card as well as Google Pay and PAYPAL! Text the number 44321 (how easy is THAT number to remember?!) and type the letters SPR ( all capitals) in the message area. A secure link will come up with simple instructions. After that, you can text a donation of any amount to Small Paws anytime without filling out your information again! We hope you enjoy the ease and security of Text-to-Donate, to help the Bichons!

 

 

 

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