Time to Raise some Funds!

Since the blog went up a couple of weeks ago I have gotten responses from friends and family concerned about little Callie and the cost of her surgery. Several people have given me some great ideas for fundraising activities, and I am excited to share what I've come up with so far! Please take a look at these and add your comments and suggestions here or on Facebook!

IDEA #1 -- BAKE SALE
My friend Meg suggested that I get in touch with my university to see if I can put up a table somewhere and sell baked goods for a couple of dollars each. She and my friend Jen have already offered to donate goodies!  This seems likely to be the fastest and easiest event to put together. Plus, I could put up adorable posters everywhere - maybe something like this?

 

IDEA #2 - SAMOSA SALE

This one's almost the same as the last, except it involves buying samosas from a local restaurant and selling them!  Anybody have ideas for restaurants I can ask about this, or other food items I could try to sell?

IDEA #3 - PARTY WITH A DOOR CHARGE
For this I would probably need to find a large space with lots of fun stuff inside.  A rockin' Halloween party, a Guitar Hero party, etc.  Unfortunately... my apartment is quite small, a party like this could cost ME a lot, and I don't have enough TVs and game consoles to have lots of people playing games at once!  I'm still not sure if I can swing this one, but if anyone has tried something similar I would love to hear about it!

IDEA #4 - BENEFIT CONCERT
A friend said it might be possible for his band to throw a benefit show for my little pup!  I imagine this could be a real challenge to get together, but could potentially raise some solid funds for Callie's cause!

IDEA #5 - PHOTOGRAPHY?
So I'm a photographer with experience and equipment.  There must be a way to use this!

IDEA #6 - LEMONADE STAND!
A pitcher, some lemons+sugar+water, a few cups, and the cash should roll right in!  ...Right?  Okay, so maybe I'm not so serious about this one.  But I bet there's a way to get my neighbors to help somehow!

I think that's mostly what I've got so far.  If you can take a minute to give me some input, I would love to know:
a) which ideas do you think are strong and potential money-makers?
b) has anyone done things like this, and with any success?  I need help!
c) is anybody interested in contributing time, money, poster design, or goodies for one of these events?


I can't wait to hear from you all!  It's time to really get serious about the fundraising!  So far we have raised enough to get Callie in the door with the orthopedic surgeon, but not quite enough to pay for the cab trips and any tests or other costs that might pop up.  I took her out for a walk yesterday and the hops weren't as pronounced as some days, but she is definitely having trouble with that left kneecap.  Still, she seems happy enough when perched on her (newest) favorite sofa cushion...

First Day Home

Callie was born July 27, 2006 in Lavaca, Arkansas.  Daughter of a registered poodle (father, Curley Joe) and a registered pomeranian (mother, Sandy), Callie could have been a registered hybrid pomapoo if I had only sent in the form!  I visited Callie once when she was a very small puppy, and was given some photos to remember her by until I was able to take her home.  Here is Callie at approximately three weeks old:

On 9/22/2006 I picked up Callie from Green Acres Kennel - almost exactly four years ago!  She was nervous in the car, but quickly fell asleep on my lap; I think it took about 12 seconds to fall totally in love with this tiny dog.

When we got home she bounded exuberantly through the yard, sprinting, hopping and chewing in turns.  It probably took less than a day to start calling her our "little bear"; she was a tiny ball of fluff with something bearlike in her face and little black ears and claws.  At 16 weeks she weighed 2.03 lbs. and was extremely cuddly!

I've compiled a short video to give you an idea of our first (adorable) days with Callie.  For your enjoyment, here's The Little Hopping Dog's First Day Home!

Yearly Check-Up

Today Callie and I took a trip to the vet for her yearly check-up and to get a few vaccinations.  Clinique Veterinaire Journet is right around the corner - literally a block and a half away.  Even though it's only mid-September it was quite breezy outside, and with the clouds it felt much cooler than 65 degrees.  I noticed that Callie's limp seemed more pronounced than usual as we made our way to the vet; she seemed to pick up her left foot and carry it every other step or so, effectively hopping down the sidewalk.  Callie is only four years old, but I have definitely noticed her symptoms worsening in the two years since we moved to Montreal.

Dr. Journet told me that Callie weighs 5.8 lbs., has excellent teeth, and is surprisingly well behaved when receiving shots!  (Today she didn't even squeak.)  She cried a little when he inspected her back legs, but she is really a darling girl and puts up with a lot.  I wasn't surprised when he asked me if she limped, but I was distressed when he pushed for an x-ray.  Sure enough, the film came back with some scary results.

The circles in the image are around Callie's kneecaps.  Ideally they should be centered on the bones, instead of sitting so far out to the side.  Also, those lower bones should be much straighter than they are!  Basically, this x-ray shows that both of Callie's knees are severely dislocated, and the vet said he couldn't even pop the left one back into place.  No wonder our "little bear" has been limping!

Here is a link to an article that I think explains the problem pretty well.  It's on a website for bichon frises, but I think it applies to pomapoos as well!

Patella Luxation

Dr. Journet has given us a referral to an orthopedic surgeon, and our next step will be a consultation with him.  A disorder like this has a few possible treatments, but all of them sound pretty intense.  I don't know when we will be able to take Callie for the consultation, but hopefully she will stay relatively comfortable in the meantime.  She has been sluggish all afternoon, but I'm sure she'll be her playful self again by morning!