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About this blog

Hi, Marcelyn here.

I am a lifelong pet lover. Both dogs and cats have been a major part of my life. But since moving to Boquete many years ago I have not owned any pets. Many reasons, but they are not important now.

Earlier this week there was a posting by Javier and Magaly about the need for either a foster or permanent home for a two year old female Husky that had just been rescued from a very bad situation. The pictures just pulled at my heart. This all happened two days ago (Thursday, July 7, 2016). I saw the email Thursday morning, thought about it, talked with Bud, then scheduled a meeting with Javier and Magaly at their place in Volcancito, which was done late Thursday afternoon. The decision was made. The dog did not even have a name -- just "dog".

I did a bit of research and came up with the name "Anouk", which is a Hebrew word that means "God has blessed me" or "God is gracious".

Anouk arrived yesterday morning about 10:00AM, Friday, July 8th. Magaly and two volunteer friends (Kirsten and Art) brought Anouk to our home in El Santuario area of Boquete. When they got out of their car, Anouk was in the back seat and somewhat reluctant to exit. That reluctance lasted only about 10 seconds. And then, she exited with exuberance, jumping and running incessantly. She had a new home, and we got the impression that she liked it immediately, knowing that she was going to be taken care of and loved.

I am starting this blog to chronicle my experiences as a foster home for Anouk.

Entries in this blog

Snake

Big excitement this morning. Bud was attending his ROMEO meeting when I heard a warning bark from Anouk. Before passing through the front door, I grabbed a heavy walking stick. Expected but didn’t see anyone inside the yard and both gates were closed. Anouk started digging in the flowers next to the house. I used my walking stick to separate plants and spotted a two foot+ long coral snake (deadly type). Kept striking it with my big stick, but couldn’t get leverage in the soft ground. A
Marcelyn

Marcelyn

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Anouk’s Six Month Check-up

Dra. Chely is amazing. This was the day for Anouk’s check-up which included worming pills and rabies shot. Dra. Chely inspected Anouk’s ears and did a thorough exam of our dog’s teeth and mouth condition. All good news now, but Dra. Chely pointed to enamel lost because of bad diet fed by Anouk’s earlier owners. (Remember Anouk is a rescue dog.) Fur condition outstanding — shines. Dra. Chely asked what dog food we are feeding Anouk and gave immediate approval of our selection. Should me
Marcelyn

Marcelyn

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A Good Laugh

Yes, I agree with recent weather reports, it is cold. But Anouk, our Husky, is enjoying the local lower temperatures. Her sleeping habits have changed. For instance during the day she snoozes on our driveway amid gusty winds but apparently getting as much sun as possible, and only sleeps in her house at night. I laugh every time I notice her latest sleeping position of being on her back with legs poked upward. Must be comfortable for her because it seems to be one of her favorite sleeping p
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Marcelyn

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Excellent Check-up for Anouk

Took Anouk for her physical check-up with Dra. Chely this morning. Remember when we accepted this beautiful Husky about one plus years ago, this rescue dog had some health issues including raw ears devoid of hair because of flea infestation. So bad that Dra. Chely was fearful the hair would never grow back! With the application of medicine and a lot of work on our part Anouk now has clean and "hairy" ears. Per Dra. Chely's instructions we bathed Anouk's feet daily in white vinegar and water to g
Marcelyn

Marcelyn

5

Changes for safety reasons

As a dog owner, one of the "duties as needed" that comes my way is Yard Poop Cleaner. Doesn't take a lot of time and requires minimum training. These were the selling points to me. So here I am at my job last week when I walked right by a brown leaf...or so I thought. Circled back and took a closer look. No way! This was a cane toad in my backyard. The second instance of finding one of these critters on our property. I rushed to the kitchen. Searching for a weapon, I grabbed my spray bottle
Marcelyn

Marcelyn

5

Anouk After One Year

When I was a young girl my mother would tell me that the older you get the faster time flies. I would laugh because I was too young to understand. Boy, do I now know what she meant. And I agree........time does seem to go faster as you get older. Anouk has been with us "and been our dog" for one year this month. Took her to the Animalis spay/neuter clinic, visit to Dra. Chely for check-up and shots, and of course a bath and trim. Then there was the dog obedience training. She has "settled i
Marcelyn

Marcelyn

5

The Big Bang

Anouk and I are glad The Big Bang time during the recent holidays is finally over. Just noise. To me fireworks mean rockets shot skyward and the explosion of colored star designs high above the roof tops. Pretty to watch.....not just noise that frightens animals and interrupts conversations. Maybe next year we could have a fireworks display in a nearby field and invite everyone in the community.  I know Anouk would be happier. Me too.
Marcelyn

Marcelyn

13

What Did You Do With Anouk?

What did you do with Anouk and who is this dog? A scare this morning. We took our two year old Husky to The Dog Spot for a bath and almost didn't recognize the dog Roberto brought out to us from the back room. Darker fur and several inches smaller. Oh no--what happened? Then Roberto showed us the fur he had combed from Anouk. I think it would be sufficient to stuff a small pillow. And her last bath was less than a month ago. She looked great and I believe our car seemed to handle bette
Marcelyn

Marcelyn

4

A Shaking Tree -- Now Where's My Coffee?

I stumbled into the kitchen this morning (early, at least for me) and immediately noticed a coffee tree in the finca next door was shaking. Must be an earthquake was my first thought. But then on a closer look none of the other coffee trees were moving. Just one tree was dancing violently from its top to its roots. Better check on this, so even before having my first cup of coffee, off I trotted across the patio toward that special tree. As I rounded the corner, there stood Anouk with
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Marcelyn

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Anouk's New Castle

Finally found Anouk's portable castle at the Melo Pet Terronal store (on the InterAmerican Highway next door to Pio Pio, across from the Hyundai dealer) in David. Many units to chose from....from small to very large. Not cheap but more reasonable prices than other stores we have visited. Helpful staff and knowledgeable about their products. Clean store. Now for the surprise -- Anouk likes her house. She enters and stays inside on her own. I'm holding my breath to see what will happen when a
Marcelyn

Marcelyn

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My Animal Farm

Yesterday was another big day for Anouk, our two year old Husky rescue dog. All three of us: Bud, Anouk, and I walked along the road to Dra Chely's clinic. This was the time for removal of stitches from Anouk's operation at the spay/neuter clinic (July31st) plus getting her first vaccinations. We think it was to be her first shots, but she is a rescue dog, so can't be certain. Dra Chely cleaned Anouk's ears, checked her feet, checked some rough skin areas (dermatitis), gave the dog a big hug and
Marcelyn

Marcelyn

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A Guy Named Roberto

Do you know Roberto Rios? He's the owner of "The Dog Spot". His business card reads "Where Dogs Hang Out".  We took our two year old rescue Husky (Anouk) to Roberto's place for a bath and nail trim, ear cleaning, etc. What a great job he did! Said Anouk was a perfect lady and she enjoyed the extra hair brushing. The dog did look especially beautiful, but what impressed me the most was the hug Roberto gave Anouk as we were getting ready to leave his place, and then Roberto said to Bud "thank
Marcelyn

Marcelyn

3

Something Is Afoot---Who's in Charge Here?

Anouk, our two year old rescue Husky, is a wonder. Last week two neighbor kittens (tiny, maybe 5 weeks age) came to our back door (small enough to crawl thru the fence) and spotted Anouk's bowl of food. The dog sat and watched these "visitors" eat her breakfast. Later in the day a visiting big black cat we've named Sambo chased Anouk around our yard. Yup, the cat was chasing the dog. Maybe they were just playing, but the episode was fun to watch and worth a laugh. Last night I couldn't
Marcelyn

Marcelyn

1

Anouk at the Animales Spay/Neuter Clinic

Yesterday, July 31, Anouk (our 2 year old rescue Husky) was scheduled for the Amigos de Animales spay/neuter clinic. We arrived an hour and a half earlier than the appointed start time and discovered other pet owners with their animals already waiting in the parking lot. Anouk was excited. A novel car ride, no food or water since last evening, and other dogs barking caused her to jump around inside the vehicle. Not an easy task trying to calm her. Finally she takes a nap. We were fortunate
Marcelyn

Marcelyn

3

Flower Pot Toy

I'm looking for a dog toy in the shape of a flower pot. Why? Anouk is the owner of a variety of toys. Chew rag, ball, plastic bone, and the latest addition is a squeaky giant hamburger about the size of a dinner plate. All of these hold her attention for a few minutes, then off she races to tackle one of my flower pots. True, a couple are favorites but none is safe. Good food recommended by Dra Chely, freedom to run in a fenced yard, and medicine to cure her health problems seem to give her
Marcelyn

Marcelyn

6

New toy for Anouk

A friend suggested a new chewing toy for Anouk would be a twisted rag "thingy". Couldn't find one here in Boquete at the logical places to look, so I visited the garden section at Melo to make a substitute. The salesman got a big laugh about my 2 foot rope purchase ($1.00) and he helped tie the rope into a tight knot. Anouk enjoyed her tied in a knot rope toy. However, I think it lasted only about 15 minutes and then the rope was unraveled and in pieces. Yeah! We found the sought after
Marcelyn

Marcelyn

4

The flower child in Anouk

The noise got me out of bed early today, just before sunrise. The strange sound was Anouk "playing" with my (ex)beautiful orchid. The plastic container has more holes now thanks to her teeth. See the below photos of her "work". I'll replant the orchid (one more time) after I visit Melo garden shop and purchase a bigger and heavier container -- maybe one made out of cement.  
Marcelyn

Marcelyn

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Lab results for Anouk

Yesterday (Wednesday) we walked the muddy road (again) to Dra. Chely's clinic. With written results from Laboratorio Clínico Biomedica's analysis of Anouk's blood, Dra. Chely gave us the good and bad news regarding the health of our dog. First of all no really serious issues. Ears bad from infection and fungus on her feet, collar burns on both sides of her neck (remember Bud and Ray had to cut and remove her old collar), and Anouk has a slight liver problem.  Dra. Chely wrote prescriptions
Marcelyn

Marcelyn

2

Anouk's first vet visit

On Tuesday, yesterday, we took Anouk for a physical check-up with Dra. Chely here in Boquete. Bet this was Anouk's first visit to a vet. Not sure who was more apprehensive--me or the dog. Dra. Chely was wonderful. I can understand why she has a very good reputation with the animal lovers in the area. She drew blood samples from Anouk's right leg, checked her eyes, teeth, paws, ears, coat and inspected for fleas and ticks, etc. We then took the blood samples to Laboratorio Clínico Biomedica 
Marcelyn

Marcelyn

3

Our third day with Anouk -- a learning experience all around

Anouk started chewing on our plastic flower pots, actually destroying them. Oh, oh, not good. I got Bud out of a sick bed (bad cold) and off he went to Romero's to purchase dog bones from the meat market. Cost of 88 cents per pound. He brought them home and I "cooked" a couple of the bones in the microwave for a few minutes. My vet from the US recommended this process. Believe it or not Anouk didn't know what the bone was. I've never heard of this before. Anyway after about 10 minutes Anouk
Marcelyn

Marcelyn

8

Pooper Duty Supplies

Bought "Bags to Go" at PriceSmart yesterday. These are plastic bags where you can put your hand in bag, pick up waste, invert bag inside out, then tie. Dispose of bag into garbage. They work perfectly as described. Cost: $12.99 for quantity of 300 bags.
Marcelyn

Marcelyn

4

The First Grooming Session

We had scheduled a grooming session with Casandra at Veterinaria San Jose for this morning. We believe it was the first time for Anouk to experience a grooming session. We had no idea how she would handle it. Getting Anouk into the car was not that difficult, but keeping her calm during the short 5 to 6 minute ride was a bit difficult. Bud took a picture of the ride just before departing our driveway area. He was to drive, and I opted to sit in the back seat with Anouk to help her through t
Marcelyn

Marcelyn

9

Anouk's Arrival Picture

Here is a picture of the before and after conditions for Anouk. The picture was provided by Javier and Magaly. They are super nice people. And thanks also for their volunteer helpers, Kirsten and Ray Quimby. (Ahem, Bud should have tucked in his shirt! ) We understand that Anouk was kept on a short chain in her prior "residence". Now she has full run of the yard, which is obviously fenced.
Marcelyn

Marcelyn

7

Day 1, getting acquainted

Anouk spent all last afternoon exploring around the yard and got along just fine during the night. I admit I checked on her several times during the evening--but no problems. I fed her a small amount of Science Diet dry food for dinner. Then this morning she ate dry plus canned food and some of Bud's famous scrambled eggs. Lots of water too. Interesting that Anouk and the mamma cat seem to becoming friends. The cat took a couple of paw air swings at Anouk, but there was no contact betw
Marcelyn

Marcelyn

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