Archived Featured Friends!

 

Our Courageous Friend Frisco!

Frisco arrives in the morning to spend the day at our house, with us, and with our pack of canine friends. Sometimes he stays for a couple of weeks when his human family travels away from home. Frisco is a quiet and sweet 12 year-old Siberian Husky with a deep spirit of courage and loyalty. Look into his eyes and you’ll see that he loves life, he loves his human mom and dad, Ana and Jay Alexander, and he loves being a dog.

Several months ago, Jay and Ana made a tough decision to undergo a very serious medical procedure to treat Frisco for bone cancer. His right front shoulder and leg would need to be amputated followed by a difficult regiment of chemotherapy. The surgery left Frisco with a stitched incision that ran from his spine to his sternum. It made it difficult to imagine that a dog could recover from something so intrusive. He lay quietly for days, sleeping, taking short hobbley walks into the back yard and then back again to rest. His appetite was sporadic and worrisome.

Within a few short weeks following the surgery, Frisco became a regular at the Smiths. We worked hard to keep our sympathies to a minimum as we called to Frisco to join in on all our activities.  He struggled with the stairs leading up to the back deck. He mostly avoided the other dogs, and, he really wanted to spend all his time in the house, lying down in his favorite spot below the window by our front door. There were moments when we winced at his pain and awkward movements. What was most striking though is that Frisco never fussed or complained about his condition. He just kept living a dog’s life with a calm balance that came from deep within.

The weeks that followed were tenuous, yet Frisco fought back hard and today is running (at this own pace) with the pack, enjoying the sun and the snow just like a Husky should. A Husky has what’s called a “drive” that is unique to the breed. You can see it in the way they run with deft swiftness and with the focus of an arrow shot from a bow. Frisco might have lost a leg but he did not lose his drive. Come watch him run through the meadow and you will feel it in every stride.

The questions that arise when a veteran dog experiences a life-threatening disease are challenging. In this case, The Smiths commend Jay and Ana for seeing clearly that Frisco could enjoy a quality life in spite of his fight with cancer. We will continue to enjoy our moments with Frisco here at The Smiths. His remaining years will prove that our companionship with our dogs is well worth the commitment and sacrifice, for both the dog and ourselves.

In May we celebrated Frisco’s birthday. All our dogs enjoyed a piece of carob covered liver cake from the gourmet doggy bakery at Wag-n-Wash. It was so good to see Frisco share a great day of love and appreciation for being such a great friend.

We love you Frisco! You are a loyal friend and very brave boy.