Lola baby

Thursday, January 21st, our sweet Lola had to be put to sleep. The vet finally determined that she was suffering from distemper, which is pretty common in puppies. Due to this disease, she began having seizures Thursday morning. The vet informed Mike of what would happen as the disease progressed (the survival rate for puppies is only 20%). Mike and the vet decided it was best to put her to sleep to keep her from suffering the major symptoms of distemper - leads to mental damage.

Needless to say, I was devastated! She was the perfect puppy for Mike and me. I have been praying for strength, and that has really been helping me through this. I have also gotten a lot of encouraging words from family and friends. It helps to know that Lola was able to experience having a family that loved her and wanted to take care of her. It also helps to know that Mike and I have grown and learned from this. We know that the Lord has the perfect plan. What's neat is that last Sunday, our sermon was on Psalm 23:4 "Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will feel no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me". Our pastor spoke about how we all WILL go through these valleys throughout our life, and it is important to remember that the Lord is WITH us to help us the whole time. It's amazing how the Lord works! He knew what we would be going through, and used that sermon to help prepare us. What a wonderful God!

The next step is figuring out when I will be able to get a new puppy. Mike would like to start looking pretty soon. I'm not sure yet. While I'm a lot stronger today than I was Thursday, I would like to wait at least a few weeks before looking. I think it would be too hard to start the process all over again so soon. In thinking about this though, I realized that I would love to find another Border Collie mix - and Mike agrees :-) Lola's personality just made us want another puppy similar to her. Now I have to realize that I won't find a puppy that looks just like her....she was just too precious!!!! Hopefully in the next few months we will find another Border Collie mix that needs a good home.

Learning to have Faith

We brought Lola home 1 week ago today, and have been watching to see if she would get better. While she seemed to get a little better, she still had a runny nose, hacking, and heavy breathing. So, Mike called the vet this morning and decided to take her back in. The vet wants to keep her and try some new medications to see if they will work. They are still not positive about what she has because the symptoms that she has could be from a few different illnesses.

I don't know how many times I've cried over the last 2 days. It's been hard watching her hack and breath heavy. All she wanted us to do was hold her and love on her. I was hoping that we wouldn't have to take her back, but it's what's best for her. The vet knows how to get her healthy more than we do (I keep having to remind myself of that). It was hard going to visit her today. She was put back in a room with a bunch of cats and looks so sad in her little cage. I could tell that she really liked my holding her again.

I pray that the vet will give her the right meds that will help her to get over whatever it is that she has. I want her to come back home!!!!

Lola Fleisher

Meet the newest member of the Fleisher family....Lola!!! We were able to bring her home January 12th...which was also our 2 year anniversary :-) She's still sick with the canine flu, so we have to give her 3 different meds daily. She's also still coughing and hacking every now and then. We're hoping that by this time next week she will be back to normal (the canine flu can last up to 3 weeks). Here are a few pics of precious Lola...


Lola sitting in our kitchen. Her favorite spot is either at our feet or under the kitchen table :-) She is still trying to figure how to go underneath the chairs...haha!



Lola exploring her new home. We keep her in the kitchen and laundry for potty training purposes. She's been very good about going into her bed when she's ready to sleep. She's also begun eating A LOT!!! This is good because she has lost a lot of weight since being sick.


Mike playing with Lola. She loves her carrot and rope. She'll pick one up and carry it back and forth in the kitchen. She's so cute when she prances around like that!

Please Pray

As some of you know, Mike and I found a puppy that we adopted last week. We found her in Little Rock when she was 4 weeks old last Tuesday. We were told we could pick her up the next day. Well, it's been over a week and she's still not been able to come home because she is sick. Her brother developed Kennel Cough (they think), and she soon started showing signs of the same thing. She's had a runny nose, but has been in high spirits. Mike and I have been calling daily to get updates from the vet who has been very sweet. We have also gone a few days to visit and hold our cute puppy!

I am asking you to pray because we want her to fight her illness and be able to come home...and soon! The Lord knows that I have a problem with having patients, and it's really been tested this past week. I've also been trying to have more trust and faith in the Lord and His plan. I understand that it's best for her to stay with the vet because they can give her the medication that she needs for her young body. It's just so hard looking at her cage and toys everyday, not know when she will get to come home.

It was especially hard today because we found out that her brother didn't make it. The vet said after he was sent to a foster family last Wednesday, he didn't make it through the night. After hearing this, I got in my car and cried. I know it sounds trivial because it's a dog, but I'm already so attached to her and want her to come home.

Please pray that she will be able to fight this illness and come home with Mike and I. I am trying my best to put ALL of my trust in the Lord to get her healthy. I was led to these verses to help me with my trust:

"Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in me". ~John 14:1-3

"Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight". ~Proverbs 3:5-6

"Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God". ~Philippians 4:5-7