Being in a forever home is the most important part of a rescue dogs life. Once there, they become secure, happy, and being to live the way a dog should live. As I was getting rid of things in preparation for the bicycle journey, Antigone became nervous. Finally she, calmed down and said: "If the Companion is here, and I am with him, I am home."

An excerpt from Antigone's book

This excerpt is taken from Antigone's book. I thought it would be nice to share a photo with a meme (something you can share with your friends) with quotes from her book, and to give a short excerpt. A taste of her work. Please feel free to comment and to share with your friends. In this eexcerpt Antigone is trying to communicate with me (The Companion) telepathically. (Her diolague is marked with a dash). Communicating with me is one of our struggles as we crossed the country.

--Keep going. You are doing great. It’s hard to do what you are doing with my Lady Wind working this way, I said to him. Even though I kept giving him positive reinforcement, I was unsure he heard me.

I don’t understand why he doesn’t hear me all the time. He hears me I’m sure from time to time because he does what I want him to do. Sometimes I like to sit on the sofa in the corner that he has warmed up for me, and it has his scent strongly. I’ll walk up to him, sit and look at him and say,
--I’d like to sit in that corner please.

He’ll look up from his work and stare at me for a second. There is a delay when talking to humans. “You want your corner don’t you?” Then he gets up and moves.

Antigone Puppluepagus Passes Away

It is with Great sadness that I announce Antigone's passing. She died in June of Cancer. In November, she was diagnoised with malignant oral melanoma. The vet found it rather early, but he was unsure if removal would help as he didn't know how big the tumor really was. I, the Companion, did research on this cancer and found that there was no cure, only treatments. The treatments could extend her life a few months; unfortunately, extending is all the treatments would do. After watching her recover from teeth cleaning and removal, I decided to do palliative care instead. So, If she wanted to eat, I fed her. If she wanted to walk, we walked. I would pet her for as long as she wanted. Palliative care was rewarding, and she was in good spirits up until the last few da


She died on Friday morning between 4:30am--6am. I suspected that she ahd started the dying process that Tuesday, as she stopped eating that day. She had breakfast but nothing else, and no snacks. When I came home from work that night, Antigone got up and greeted me and went outside to releave herself. However, on Wednesday, I knew for sure she was in the dying process. however, she came to me to greet me, but she was having trouble standing. She still did not eat, and she was having trouble standing up. Once up she could still walk. She and I lay in the hallway for over an hour that night. She had her head on my arm, and I watched her breathing become labored. I talked to her, told her she had done great things, and she would still do great things once I found a publisher for her book. I told her that I loved her, and appreciated her being in my life. I also told her that it was ok, all she had to do was to relax and go to sleep and that was all. Her cancer tumor was bleeding and the blood ran down my arm. I didn't want to disturb her, so I didn't move it.

After an hour, she woke up and sat up and saw my arm. She began to clean it for me. She rarely cleaned me like this, so I allowed her. She then stood up and walked to my father's room to sleep. I let her.

The next morning she was in the same. I came home between classes to spend more time with her and make sure I was there when she passed. That night, I put her in the bed with me, and layed with her the same as the night before. I tried to stay awake but eventually, I fell asleep. Antigone was laying by my side, with her head on my arm, and my hand petting her stomach. After I fell asleep, she passed away.

Friends have told me that Antigone waited until I was asleep before she let go. I don't know if it is true, but it does make me feel good. She died next to me, I was there: she was not alone.

Thank all of you for reading her blog, and following our adventures. Her book is finished: I just need an agent or a publisher.

Antigone Puppleupagus was an adventurer, advocate for basset rescues and suicide provention, author, and companion, but mostly she was a life saver.

Revising the Book: Talking of the Puppy Mill

I've not blogged in so long, I realize. The Adventure completed a year ago leaves me with out much to say, and leaves the Companion back to worries of finding a job. He has done so well with creating a job out of my book. Much to my nervousness.

We started writing the book last year, and he did really well taking dictation. You know communication with a human is always difficult, there are delays, and lots of misunderstandings. But through our travels and our love he has finally gotten to where he hears me. So I channeled the words to him. He typed it all, and looked at it over and over again to make sure it was ok. Then he sent it to a friend and she looked it over and over and over and made sure it was ok. then he started what he called the "Revision process." I said well that's fine with me, you are on your own there buddy. I've said it, I've told it, I don't need to do this all over again. Then he joined what he called a "writer's group." I have no idea what this is because i do not go. But I do know that he comes back every week, all excited about what they've said.

I don't know if they said it, or if he said it: but suddenly the stories I've told of being in the puppy mill aren't good enough. He wants more. More stories of being in the puppy mill. He says it's important. He says, that it will help put an end to the.

I've agreed with the understanding that I will never be asked to talk about it again.

Here we are working on the book. The thoughts of the puppy mill are really taxing on me so I lay near him and keep my head down in a restful pose.

Remembering Thanksgivings of the Past

It has been nearly a Moon since I’ve blog. I must admit that I am a bit on the lazy side at times, but in this case I blame the Companion. He is working on my book making sure things like Themes and motifs and symbols are “all running through the book nicely.” His words not mine. For me it was enough to tell my story, our story that is. It was enough for me to bicycle across the country and relive the moments of my life that I had chosen to forget. Reliving my life in the puppy mill was bad and dictating that to the Companion were both enough for me. Reliving watching the Companion plan his death and dictating to him how I felt during that was enough for me.

But he says, we need to pull some things out more blah blah blah. If it makes him happy, then ok.

It has been a week since Thanksgiving and I feel like remembering this a bit. I feel like remember the Thanksgivings of my life.

There was no such thing as Thanksgiving at the puppy mill. It was a day like any other day, no cause for celebration. There was no energy of happiness or joy anywhere there. These Thanksgivings, as I look back, were times of sorrow and pain. Times of having puppies and watching them taken from me too soon and feeling that sorrow. Wondering who their companions were, and what had happen to them. Hoping that my next litter would be allowed to stay until their humans came and got them. But knowing it wouldn’t happen.

There are two Thanksgivings that stand out as wonderful times for me. The first one that he Companion and I went to visit his family. This is the last time he has seen them. We went down to see them by car, that his mom rented for us. This was in the middle of the depression, while his suicidal thoughts were less, they would come back from time to time. But I think the visit home was good for him. It did help if only to be away and surrounded by people who whould miss him if he did die by suicide. This is something he sees now, but at the time the depression clouded his thoughts.

For me that Thanksgiving was about realizing I had a family. The Companion’s family all loved me, and gave me lots of attention. The kids played with me a lot. Grandma wouldn’t let me on the sofa, so when she left the room I would sit in her chair. Dogs like to be on the sofa because it is soft, but your smells are there and we feel so close to you when we can lay with those smells near us. It is comforting to have the feeling that family is near by.

I got to eat so much food too. I remember that ham bone! Yummm! This is the family, except for granddad. He had gotten tired and left while we stayed on the beach and played with the camera some more.

Last year’s Thanksgiving was memorable too. We stayed with Jennifer for ten days! I got to rest as much as I wanted too. And had company with me when the Companion and Jennifer went out. Jennifer had a dog, who since then has gone to the bridge. What a wonderful life Jennifer gave her! Dogs need humans!

That Thanksgiving was in the middle of the journey! It was so wonderful to be out doing something to help others. I will never forget my feelings of victory, my feelings of joy that I had that Thanksgiving. I will never forget the smells of the Companion! The scent of the depression was gone and he was smelling like he’s old self again. This picture is of the newspaper article done about us. You can see Jennifer in the background. So much of the journey was about the Companion finding old friends, lost by time space. I think this helped him become grounded again, and has helped now while he continues to search for a job. He knows and feels deeply he has people to turn too, people who want him to stay around for a while.

Thanksgiving is such a wonderful holiday! I hope you all celebrated it!

The Companion asked me to keep the details out of this blog today, because I give the details in the book. I’m thankful that I have written, and I hope we find an agent soon and get it published.

What We Are Doing

We are still working on my book, but it is really finished. Sometimes the Companion pulls it out and reads in it, and finds something that isn't clear, and we work it out.

I noticed how he looks so proud reading it. I like it too.

We are looking for an agent to help us get the book published. This means the Companion has to do a lot of work. He is looking on line at similar books. Thee more he looks the more he finds. Who know so many humans had been touched by a dog? I'm not surprised.

So the Companion finds books that look similar, and then tries to find the agent for that book. Sometimes he finds it, sometimes not. But anyway. He's finding books and other authors with such beautiful stories. Right now we are reading two of them _Amazing Gracie_ and _The Art of Racing in the Rain_. Gracie he reads to me, but Racing he doesn't. He started reading it to me but I wasn't sure I agreed with Enzo on a few points. I don't need thumbs, nor care that I do not have any. Why so I can type. That's why I got a typist!

So we are looking for an agent, and the Companion says it should be a literary agent. Let us know if you have any leads for us to track down.

With the recent attention to suicides, I'd like to get the book published so others can know that hope is there.

Blogger Award from Pets Direct UK

Today the Companion checked my email, and that I had won an award! I don't know much about it, but it seems that someone named John nominated me. This is why he awarded us the award.

# A Unique Blog From a Whole New And Interesting Perspective.
# A Useful and Unique Blogger Resource
# Great Literature and/or Informational Quality
# Helping the Preservation and General Well Being of A Specific Breed Type.
# Showing a True Love For a Specific Breed or Pet Type.


It is nice to get these kinds of things. I know that the Companion feels good when we get compliments or comments.