Speckles joined the League’s Sponsor Program in 2003. Speckles is a beautiful, black and white female pointer-mix who’s nothing but a big, friendly mush! Speckles was brought to the League from one of their weekly out-of-state rescue efforts suffering from pneumonia. After receiving proper medical attention to cure the pneumonia, it was determined that Speckles was stricken with a condition called Ciliary Dyskinesis. This illness will unfortunately leave her constantly prone to bouts of pneumonia, upper respiratory infections and a chronic cough and wheeze for the rest of her life.

With consistent medical monitoring and loving care provided by her foster family, Speckles is living the best life she can. If you could get to know Speckles, you would see how she appreciates the love and care she receives and proving once again, that there’s so much good we can learn from the animals around us.

Speckles' Updates

3rd Quarter 2008
Speckles is enjoying the warm, summer months. She’s feeling great and playing a lot in her backyard. She plays fetch with her favorite ball for hours at a time. Then, after gobbling up a big cold bowl of water, she’ll lie down in a cool spot under the shady tress and take a load off. Just by watching her, you can tell she is content with her life and appreciates each day to the fullest. A special thank you to her Sponsors for enabling Speckles to live such a wonder quality of life regardless of her medical condition.

2nd Quarter 2008
We are happy to report that Speckles seems to be feeling well. She always has a little cough, but that is something that she has successfully learned to handle. She is enjoying the warmer weather and the signs of spring around her. She likes to go outside for walks with her foster mom and their new baby. Speckles has become a protector of the child and has taken on a natural motherly role.

1st Quarter 2008
A new addition joined Speckles' household – a baby boy! Not knowing how Speckles would react around a newborn, his foster parents were a bit worried, but Speckles has adjusted splendidly! She is not at all jealous; in fact, she lays down right by her foster mom’s feet for every baby feeding. Each morning, Speckles licks the baby boy’s face with tiny kisses, not like the big wet ones that her foster mom gets! We are so proud of you Speckles! The whole household has been a little sleepy lately; especially Speckles who is used to getting in a few peaceful naps during the day and a full eight hours of sleep at night, but that’s what happens when a newborn is around! Overall, her health issues seem manageable even though her cough is back full force during the colder months of the year.

4th Quarter 2007
Speckles has had some recent excitement. One night, at two o'clock in the morning, Speckles and her family woke up to a strange noise. When Speckles’ foster mom turned on the light, they found that one of the cats had a bat in her mouth in the master bedroom. Even though Speckles was eager to get in on the action, her foster mom had all the animals leave as she battled the bat. Finally, she was able to wrangle the bat in a towel, and then brought it outside and set it free. Later she realized that she was supposed to keep the bat and bring it to the health dept for rabies testing. In the end, everyone went for rabies shots, and Speckles had an exciting night! What an ordeal.

3rd Quarter 2007
Speckles is getting a little braver. Instead of running back inside where she feels safe, she recently laid down outside and even rolled in the grass. It must be the weather! Way to go, Speckles!

2nd Quarter 2007
We think Speckles has finally made a truce with her canine neighbor. He’s been stealing her toys, but we think they’ve finally come to an agreement. They share. Lucky for the Rhodesian ridgeback neighbor, Speckles is generous and doesn’t mind sharing her toys. In fact, she seems completely unbothered by it. Maybe it’s because her dedicated sponsors are always so generous with her, that she likes to be generous with her doggy neighbor. It’s great to have loving role models.

4th Quarter 2006
Speckles came face-to-face with a deer the other day and got so scared she jumped four feet in the air…it was quite a sight! She has become fast friends with a 3-legged cat named "Mouse" - and together they pass the time frolicking around the new house that their foster Parents bought. Now they have a big, beautiful backyard to sniff, run and play in. Speckles sometimes coughs when she gets nervous, but she barely coughed at all during the move. Speckles is very comfortable in her new home.

3rd Quarter 2006
Last time we told you that Speckles loves to gently chew on paper towel rolls. Well this time her foster mom reports, it's carrots that is her new obsession. Nobody can eat a carrot without Speckles begging for some. Apparently she loves to grab them, run over to the couch and make a big mess getting carrot pieces everywhere! Her foster mom tells us that she loves them even more than rawhides! The big news in Speckles' life is that her family is buying a house of their very own, where she will have a backyard to run around in permanently! She has one now but is still nervous when she is out there. She goes outside does her business and wants to come right back in the house. Because of her condition, her foster mom figures she'll start to cough more once they move. She tends to cough more when she's nervous-and anything new makes her nervous! Her foster parents are hopeful Speckles will feel comfortable in her new home quickly and learn to enjoy the backyard!

2nd Quarter 2006
Speckles has been doing very well as of late. Her condition, known as Ciliary Dyskinesis, has not been giving her much trouble. Furthermore, no more getting stuck under the bed like we reported last time! Her new hobby is gently chewing up paper towel rolls and making a pile of all the pieces of cardboard. Recently her foster care mother finished a roll of wrapping paper - much longer than a paper towel roll! So she gave it to Speckles who took it from her nicely. What Speckles didn’t realize was that because the roll is so long, she was going to bang into everything, furniture, and the walls - everything! Every time Speckles would bump into something with the roll it would scare her. Her foster care mom told us that her hackles were up, but she wouldn’t let the roll go. She didn’t understand that her bumping into the walls and furniture was what was causing all the noise! Poor Speckles, but what a sweetheart!

1st Quarter 2006
Speckles has a new favorite pastime: bedtime craziness! When it’s time for bed her new thing is running all over the house through the living room into the bedroom over the bed and around again! She’s making her foster care Mom and Dad laugh like crazy before bedtime. One night recently Speckles had a different kind of experience at bedtime. Her foster care Mother kept hearing a faint noise while she was lying in bed trying to sleep and dismissed it as her cats playing. Finally it was loud enough to wake her husband up too. He leaned over the side of the bed only to see Speckles’ feet sticking out from underneath, she was stuck under the bed! He lifted up the frame, whereupon Speckles was pulled free. She was so happy to be out she wouldn’t stop kissing both of her foster care parents!

December 2005
Speckles has had some excitement in her life recently—she and her foster care family have moved from an apartment to a house with a backyard! She doesn’t know what to do with herself in a backyard with grass and trees! Every time she hears a noise while she’s outside, she runs to the back door trying to get back into the house! She has made friends with the dog who lives next door, Mandy so they run around together exploring. We are so happy to hear that Speckles has this new home with her foster care family. We’ll keep you posted on her new adventures ‘in the country!’ The Sponsor program relies on your continued support so that we may care for Speckles and the other special needs animals.

November 2005
Speckles definitely did not like Halloween – each time the bell rang she became frantic, barking and wanting to see who was at the door. Speckles can be pretty particular about the people she’s friendly with, so all these strangers coming to her door did not sit well with her at all. Finally, Speckles foster care Mom had to secure her in the kitchen to help calm her down, and she turned the porch light off early to discourage further trick-or-treaters. We can’t thank you enough for your generous support. It is because of you that we can provide Speckles and the other special needs animals with loving homes and needed medical care.

October 2005
Speckles can be fairly finicky about the people she wants to hang out with – usually she sticks with her foster care Mom and Dad, and others that she knows really well. Her foster care Mom has been bringing her to work here at the League in the hopes that Speckles might begin to engage with other humans more easily. Sometimes Speckles is willing to try, other times not. One thing’s for certain though -- she’s much more likely to want to get to know you if you offer her some food! Thank you for giving Speckles and the other special needs animals a second chance. As you know, many of them came from very difficult beginnings. Your love and support allows them to live their days in comfort and in health.

September 2005
Speckles’ troublesome coughing and wheezing appears to have subsided, but her foster care Mom always keeps a close eye on her for any possible problems. Because it’s difficult for Speckles to overcome even the slightest malady, we must address any health issues quickly with follow-up care and medication. Thank you for giving Speckles and the other special needs animals your love and support. It is because of you that they are living happier, safer, and healthier lives.

August 2005
Speckles is our “Resident Pointer” – her Mom is a veterinarian here at the League, so Speckles comes with her whenever she works. Speckles spends most of her time here napping – sometimes she’ll have “doggy dreams” and her paws will twitch and she’ll bark a little bit. We wonder if she’s dreaming about being a veterinarian herself, so that she too could help all the animals in the Medical Center. If you’d like to see what that might involve, check out this picture of Speckles. We truly appreciate your steadfast support of Speckles and the other special needs animals.

July 2005
Speckles has made tremendous progress with her doggy social skills. While she’s not going up to other pooches with her tail wagging and ready to play, she’s not growling and barking either. Sometimes she will even completely ignore other dogs that pass by her. This is a huge improvement for Speckles – she previously guarded her space fiercely, and would quickly let any pup know if he or she violated that space. Speckles continues to have a cough and her foster care Mom is keeping a close eye (and ear) on her for any significant changes. Thank you so much for playing such a big part in the lives of Speckles and the other special needs animals. It is because of your love and generosity that they are living longer and happier lives.

June 2005
Speckles just loves coming to work at the Medical Center with her foster care Mom. At lunchtime, they sit out at the picnic table enjoying the fresh air and sunshine. Speckles encourages her Mom to share her lunch and usually Mom gives in – just a little bit though! Once Speckles is done snacking, she concentrates on catching bugs. She watches them intently and snaps her jaws when they get close. As much as Speckles would like to capture one of those flying critters, she refuses to get up from her comfy, sunny spot to do so – instead she patiently waits for them to get into range and then attacks! Stella has been coughing a bit these past few weeks – it could just be due to pollen or other allergens, but we will keep a close eye on her just to be sure. Your kindness is what allows us to provide Speckles and the other special needs animals with medical attention and tender loving care. We couldn’t do it without you. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts.

May 2005
Speckles just loves the warmer weather - especially when she gets to go on nice long walks. She's constantly bugging her foster care Mom for a stroll - even if they just returned from one less than twenty minutes ago! She likes spending time out in the yard, but prefers it if Mom is there with her - and if playtime outside turns into a walk, so much the better. So far these longer journeys haven't bothered her legs any - in fact, they may even be strengthening them. Thank you for caring so much about Speckles and the other special needs animals. Your love and support allows us to provide them with loving homes and needed medical care.

April 2005
Speckles doesn’t care for the cold, but she does like the snow – only if it’s a powder-like consistency though. You see Speckles loves to race through the snow and make it fly up and around her – so the fluffier and lighter the flakes, the better. Speckles has also learned a new trick – she can now lie down on command. She can also manage “stay” sometimes too – but occasionally she forgets and takes off to play. The Sponsor program relies on your continued support so that we may care for Speckles and the other special needs animals. .

March 2005
Speckles doesn’t care for the cold, but she does like the snow – only if it’s a powder-like consistency though. You see Speckles loves to race through the snow and make it fly up and around her – so the fluffier and lighter the flakes, the better. Speckles has also learned a new trick – she can now lie down on command. She can also manage “stay” sometimes too – but occasionally she forgets and takes off to play. The Sponsor program relies on your continued support so that we may care for Speckles and the other special needs animals. Thank you for always being there for them.

February 2005
Despite having a nice warm coat, Speckles wants nothing to do with cold weather. She'll go outside to take care of business, but that's it. This time of year she'd much rather curl up for a nice long nap. Her foster care Mom brings her to work at the Medical Center and whenever someone stops by to say hello, Speckles is usually sound asleep in her bed. We're pretty sure Speckles would rather be a bear and hibernate for the winter! We truly appreciate your continued support of the Sponsor program. It is because of your generosity that we can provide Speckles and the other special needs animals with the care they need.

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