As submitted to LeoZeit, the official magazine of the Deutscher Club für Leonberger Hunde (German Club for Leonberger Dogs) for publication in their September 2019 issue:
In June 2009, a Leonberger puppy was born who would become my absolute best friend in life. I had no idea at the time when he entered my world at eight weeks old that he would become the catalyst for so much change in my life. “Meeko,” registered name Noble Löwen’s Because You Loved Me CGCA THD LTA, quickly became the Champion of My Heart. Over the next decade, we would together overcome adversity and build a foundation of love so strong and secure that nothing could stand in our way.
My boy had a relatively normal life for the first three years as an adolescent. He was first and foremost a family dog who offered companionship and comfort through life’s everyday ups and downs. He completed basic obedience training and became certified as a therapy dog by the time he was 18 months old. We were getting ready to embark on a journey of volunteering as a therapy team when devastation struck and blindsided me. In November 2010, I lost my father to suicide, just two weeks after I turned 20. From that very morning, my dog became the one constant in my life; the only unshakable source of love and security I felt for the next few years. He would lay on my feet during grief support counseling, lick away my tears when my PTSD woke me with nightmares of my father, and ultimately, he saved me from following in my father’s footsteps during my darkest days.
My early twenties were not easy years. They were not typical and I had no interest in enjoying the very early stages of adulthood. The tragedy I suffered sent me into such a deep depression that I walked away from the relationship I was in, I lost a friendship with my best friend of almost 15 years, and for the first time ever, I lost my job. Through all this, Meeko was always there, always understanding, always offering a mane of fur for me to hang onto like a life saver ring thrown to me in my drowning waters. I spent many days in bed clinging to him and crying into him, knowing he at least wouldn’t judge me. I struggled to maintain any interest in life, all I wanted to do was sleep to shut off my emotions, and when I couldn’t sleep through them I would compulsively eat to get a brief feeling of satisfaction. I gained so much weight in the immediate years after my father’s death. I ended up hating myself and my body. The only thing in life I could love was Meeko. And I loved him hard.
About a year after my father’s death, the emotional numbness started to wear off and I began to understand that I had to accept my losses. I realized if I wanted to return to any quality of life that it was up to me to command change in my circumstances. One thing I’ve come to know about myself as I’ve entered my late twenties is that I don’t stay down for long. I don’t know how to remain defeated. I don’t like feeling broken. As I began to heal and learn to move forward with my life, my bond with Meeko strengthened and I recognized his instinctual ability to offer comfort in the exact way I needed it. He was truly therapeutic for me. I knew I needed to find something to keep me busy and keep my mind off my pain. I needed to take responsibility for uplifting my own spirit as I began to rebuild my life – even if I didn’t always feel like I had the strength to do so.
I knew I needed this step forward to not only include Meeko but he needed to be at the center of whatever it was I chose to do. He was my strength and my hope. At the time, it only made sense for me to finish goals I’d started before my dad died. To redeem what little bit of myself remained after his suicide transformed me into a very different young woman. Picking up where I left off was all I felt I had the energy to do, so I chose to begin volunteering with Meeko as a certified pet therapy team. I knew that if Meeko could bring a smile to my face in my moments of deep despair, he could just as well bring solace to others suffering their own afflictions. We were already certified, we just needed to get ourselves out there and around those who needed us. Doing so proved much easier than expected.
Being unemployed at the time, I threw myself into volunteering with Meeko. I filled up my schedule with as many therapy visits as possible, got screened and accepted by several hospice centers, and became affiliated with nursing homes, day programs for the mentally disabled, and school programs for children. There were often days where Meeko and I would make two therapy visits to different locations in the same day. I still had my days where I couldn’t bear to leave the couch, but for the most part volunteering with Meeko gave me hope that I could eventually return to a life of purpose and happiness. For the few moments I saw a patient in need smile at my dog, I felt relief from my burdens. I felt joy that the animal I loved so much, and who saved my life, was helping to make others feel better too. And it came natural to him. It was effortless.
Less than a year into our therapy “work” we got hit with another wave of tragedy. At the very young age of three years and three months, Meeko began limping on his right hind leg in September 2012. Radiographs and biopsy confirmed a cancer diagnosis, Grade I (low-grade) chondrosarcoma – a rare malignant tumor that starts in cartilage cells and spreads to surrounding bone tissue. Meeko’s tumor was in his knee joint but luckily the lesion had clean margins. After several oncology consultations and research into the possible prognosis, it was clear that amputating the limb was the best option. On October 1, 2012 Meeko underwent complete rear leg amputation. The tumor was biopsied again post-surgery to confirm diagnosis and it came back again as low-grade chondrosarcoma. He did not have to go through chemotherapy or radiation and it was an easy choice to amputate when his oncologist explained that he had a promising prognosis – two years with some studies even showing dogs who lived six years after amputation.
Meeko’s amputation went smoothly. He stayed at the vet hospital overnight and I went to pick him up the following morning. I remember falling to my knees in tears when they brought him out and I saw him hopping over to me. It was as if he had already adjusted to walking on three legs and his only goal was to get to his Momma. To make sure I was OK. Other than some stomach issues from all the pain meds, his recovery was almost entirely uneventful. He did develop a minor bacterial skin rash from being shaved, but it was easily treated. He also had a surgical staple that kept rotating and made a very small portion of his incision slightly difficult to heal. I slept on the living room floor with him every night for almost two weeks so that if he needed help getting up or needed to go outside I would be right there. He impressed everyone who encountered him with his ease in acclimating to life on three legs.
Once he was fully recovered from surgery, we began physical therapy and rehabilitation. This started about three months post-amputation. The goal was to strengthen Meeko’s remaining hind leg, teach him how to balance better, and keep his front-end strong because he would be using it so much more than a four-legged dog. We started off with hydrotherapy and eventually incorporated an at-home conditioning routine that consisted of stretches to keep both sides of his body as evenly balanced and limber as possible. We also made use of a few select strength building exercises and added in short walks in sand. Meeko loves the beach.
He didn’t stay down for long and we quickly returned to therapy work, diving right back into making regular visits. Meeko was an active therapy dog for the entire duration of 2013, 2014, and 2015. While volunteering, Meeko earned several awards and titles: Bright & Beautiful Therapy Dogs Trrrific Award (November 2013), AKC THD – Therapy Dog Title (March 2014), LCA Leonberger Therapy Award (April 2014), and AKC CGCA – Canine Good Citizen Advanced (May 2014). As the years passed, he began to slow down and before it became something he no longer enjoyed, I retired him from therapy work in June 2016. He made over 100 visits during his career as a therapy dog and touched countless lives.
Meeko is now approaching his seven-year anniversary of being a cancer free amputee. Other than arthritis and some muscle atrophy, which were to be expected, he is a healthy senior dog. Most importantly, he is happy. He smiles every day and has such a zest for life. We celebrated him turning 10 on June 5th of this year and held a family party in honor of him joining the Double-Digit Club. Throughout the years, we have used various modalities to treat his arthritis and manage his joint pain: cold laser therapy, photonic light therapy, massage, reiki, and most recently, acupuncture and Chinese herbs. He’s on a robust supplement regimen comprised of Dasuquin with MSM, Duralactin, fish oil, and CBD oil. As a senior dog, he has his good days and his bad days. Right now the good days far outweigh the bad and we take it one day at a time.
I spend as much time as possible with Meeko and take him with me wherever I go. I’ve been a member of the Leonberger Club of America since 2013 and am President of an affiliate regional club, the Northeast Leonberger Club. Through membership and working my way up through the Officer roles, I’ve been afforded many wonderful opportunities to travel regionally. Together Meeko and I have taken road trips to dog shows, national specialties, draft trials, social gatherings, summer swim meet-ups, educational seminars, and performance/working dog events. Meeko participated in the LCA’s 2014 draft trial at the National Specialty in Vermont. He was, to the best of my knowledge, the first tripawd dog to enter and participate in a sanctioned draft trial. He successfully completed the basic obedience and course maneuvering portions of the test, despite a windy day and a hilly course. We refrained from participating in the freight haul and as a result, did not pass the test. We didn’t enter to pass though – we entered to show what’s possible when you possess heart and drive to overcome adversity. I will remember that day forever. His spirit and determination left a good portion of the spectating crowd in tears – rightfully so.
Because I’ve spent so much time out and about with Meeko, I had a custom leg brace made for him to offer his hind leg more stability. He also has a versatile harness he wears on certain outings. In addition to the mobility harness, I sometimes use special waterproof boots from a company called Pawz. They are grippy and each one looks like an extra thick balloon that slips over his paws. They’ve proven very helpful in giving him confidence and traction when walking on slippery floors such as hardwood or tile. Flooring and stairs are always big considerations for me when planning to travel with Meeko. At home, he is provided the comfort of a fully carpeted floorplan, air conditioning on full blast, and an extra-large orthopedic foam dog bed.
My life with Meeko has not been conventional, but I wouldn’t have it any other way. He has taught me that no matter the odds against you, you can always try harder. You can always push yourself further, set higher goals, and give back more. He motivated me to lose all the weight I gained after losing my dad. I lost it all and then a bunch more – eighty pounds in total. Whenever I didn’t want to go to the gym or eat healthy, I would look at him and be reminded that I was the only one standing in my way. Meeko has also taught me the value of rest, of recognizing when you need to put yourself first, isolate to where you’re most comfortable and remain there until you feel whole enough again to re-emerge with purpose and vigor. I’ve always loved the saying, “You can’t pour from an empty cup.” Meeko’s love is what refills my cup on a daily basis. He’s the consistency, stability, and companionship that I need to navigate this thing called life. I can only hope that he feels as lucky to have me as I feel to have him. My greatest blessing is having Meeko by my side in life. He’s my heart. My soul. My everything. And I will forever be thankful for the life lessons he’s taught me.
Canine Love, and Coffee 