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VICKIE-HEROINE OF THE
NIGHT
FIRST LETTER
Again, for the second time, Vickie took charge, as leader of the
pack, and defended us all. She, Dolly and Smokey, 5 mo old pup, were all on the floor of
our bedroom and Belle was at the foot of our bed. Calvin woke me and said there was a
rattlesnake on the floor. "How do you know?" "heard the rattle." Turn
on the light" I screamed!
. Got the dogs out of the room. Calvin ran barefoot out in the rainstorm
and dark to get a weapon. Got the snake under the shovel and killed it.

THEN, thought to check the dogs.Only Vickie had taken a hit.

. Met our vet, who said he believes she will live thru it. She had snake
venom last Oct, so this time she only was given steroids and a lot of morphine like drug
for the pain. Back in with Vickie this morning and the swelling has gone down - more
morphine. She can hardly walk -won't eat, drink or go potty. She looks really bad. Jowls
are all swollen. Dr McElyea said had the snake gotten her 2 centimeters over, it would
have gotten the eye, which would cause the brain to swell, the eyeball could fall out,
lose her sight and most likely would not have made it. Had she not challenged the snake,
causing it to rattle, we would not have woke up -- hard telling what disaster could have
happened. Dr Mc said had the pup been bitten, she probably would not have made it.

Last Oct we had 3 rattlers outside our front door - I was only aware of
two. The 3rd was about to strike my leg, when Vickie grabbed it. Vickie got bit, snake ran
and Dolly chased it clear across the yard. She was pretty bad that time also. Dr Mc said
she had probably built up some immunity this time and that should help her. My poor Girl
is 11, getting frail, arthritis in her feet and I have been babying her and giving her
special treatment -- Now she has to face this ordeal.
Next time anyone comes to visit, would you like to sleep in our bedroom???
Love to all.
Laverne--Las Cruces, New Mexico
SECOND LETTER
Many thanks for all your well wishes and messages of encouragement!! We
tend to forget sometimes, just how important kind words are. Vickie finally started eating
today - albeit the expensive canned food from the vet and medium well liver!!! Still has
nothing to do with her normal dry food, or hamburger! Her mouth, gums and lips have been
really sore and full of swelling -- not to mention her swollen tongue. Yesterday she would
take a couple bites, but only if I hand fed her with my fingers!
Dr Mc says she will be fine -and next time a snake breaks in, her immunity
will be even higher. Belle was begging for some of that expensive food and I had to remind
her that all she did was stand in the middle of the bed and look at the snake -- she said
she was tracking it. As Dolly begged, I reminded her that all she did was stand on the
other side of the bed and tug at my elbow -- she said she was only trying to wake me up.
Dolly never sleeps ON the bed, but the first night after the snake slithered in, she ran
ahead of everyone and jumped right in the middle of the bed - didn't want to sleep on the
floor!
And, as sick as Vickie has been, the first night and every night since,
the first thing she does is check the area around the sliding glass door. She is a one in
a million dog!! Thanks again for caring about us..... LaVerne, Calvin and Vickie --Las
Cruces, New Mexico

Miss Vicky
Oct 12, 1990 - Feb 18, 2002
Early Monday evening Vicky collapsed. She died in my arms around 10:30.
If ever a dog possessed all the German Shepherd traits, it was my "Girl".
Loyal, faithful, protective, intelligent! She was leader of the pack right up to
the end. On two separate occasions, she took rattlesnake bites meant for me.
She treed a man on the kitchen table who had broken in.
She stopped a second burglar with a bite and hold position in the kitchen.
We buried her under an evergreen tree, close to our other shepherds,
Yashica, Tanya, Hondo, Akela, Elizabeth and JoeJoe.
Death has put yet another hole thru my sunshine.

Do Dogs Go To Heaven? Absolutely!
Laverne (Las Cruces, New Mexico)
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