Get To Know The Pack: Now Introducing Babe

I want to keep introducing you to our pack members so you really get to know us.  Today, I want to introduce you to Babe - our survivor and champion.  Babe is a Wire-haired Terrier Mix and as of 2014 is about 7 years old.  Babe has a big story to tell about her life and what she has been through.  She lost her family, survived Stage 2 Kidney disease and is the champion of our hearts.  

Babe originally belonged to Crystal's grandmother.  Crystal recalls the phone call from her beloved Granny the day Babe came into their lives, "I remember Granny calling me and being very excited that she just bought a chihuahua puppy.  She paid a pretty penny for Babe from a so-called breeder and was just so happy.  A few weeks went by and she called me again and was really irritated when she told me she didn't think this dog was a chihuahua at all.  That is when Babe got thrown outside the house and into the backyard for 3 years of her life.  Granny loved her animals but they lived on a farm and the animals all served a purpose - so Babe became the barn dog of sorts - she would go down to the barn with Granny and catch mice and help keep the barn critter free."

A few times a year, Crystal would go visit her grandparents and play with Babe when she was there.  She even asked her grandmother to let her have Babe but Granny always said no.  Sadly, Crystal's Granny and step-grandfather, Howard, got really sick about the same time and both were diagnosed with cancer. Crystal asked if she could take Babe when Granny was sent to hospice care and everyone agreed that was best.  Not too long after that, Granny and Howard both passed away within a few hours of each other.  It was a very sad time but Babe was in a good place.  She was frightened and wasn't sure what was happening but she adjusted well and soon fell in love with our family.

Babe inspired our family to start Jack's Pack Pet Planet because of her near-death experience with Stage 2 Kidney Disease.  It all started when Babe quit drinking water and started refusing food one weekend in the summer of 2010.  By the time she made it to the vet she was severely dehydrated and going into kidney failure.  The vet put her on IV fluids and kept her for several days while they ran test after test on her.  She was sent to the Emergency Vet Clinic and a vet specialist in San Antonio, Texas where she was diagnosed with Stage 2 Kidney Disease.  The process to figure out what was wrong with Babe was very expensive and not something that our family family could afford on our own.  We put the initial cost on a credit card and started doing fundraisers (after getting it all legalized with the courthouse of course) in our hometown to help raise the money to pay for Babe's medical care. The town of New Braunfels, Texas really pulled together and helped us out and Babe's medical bill was cut in half - which ultimately saved her life.  Babe was put on a prescription diet and strict nutrition plan.  She has been following this plan since then and she has to have 1 Pepcid AC every day.  

This event was very trying and scary for our family.  We all loved Babe and wanted to do whatever we could do to help her.  This was a disease that could be managed - but we had to get Babe through the initial trauma that the kidneys were going through in order for her to survive.  We knew that Babe had a lot of life left in her and so we decided she was worth the fight.  This entire situation in our lives made us aware of so many things - such as how many people really love animals and are willing to help other pet owners in tough situations; how hard it is to make a decision of life or death when the only thing preventing death is money - and we all know how hard money is to come by; how expensive vet care really can be when things are serious; how nutrition plays a major role in keeping your pets healthy (well duh! but there are different nutrition needs we had to learn for a dog with kidney disease) and so much more.  It was an experience our family would not wish on anyone but it was an experience that helped inspire us to want to do more for our pets and to help other people going through similar situations.  

Part of the future plans for Jack's Pack Pet Planet is to help other pet owners going through medical situations by connecting them with support groups that may offer grants, helping with fundraising ideas, providing information on certain diseases such as kidney disease (so more owners are aware of what can cause this disease and how to manage it afterwards) and just to help support them during the process - even if it is just emotional support.  We know how hard it is and we know how sad it is to lose a pet or be put in a situation where you have to make the decision to end your pet's suffering and let them go.  We know and we have cried so many tears for our own pets and many tears with our friends for their pets.

We want to thank you so much for reading our blog and learning more about the pack members of Jack's Pack Pet Planet.  We want to thank you ahead of time for helping us meet our goals so that we can really start making a difference in the lives of pets and their people.  We hope that Jack's Pack Pet Planet grows to meet its potential and that we can truly accomplish these wonderful plans to help others as others have helped us.

Oh and Happy Father's Day to all you Dads out there.  Happy Father's Day to all you Moms out there that fulfill both the mother and father role.  And let's not forget...Happy Father's Day to all our pet parents out there too!