Billie came to us from a feed store in a near by town.  I believe it was the spring 1996.  Someone had dropped her off and she was living under the feed store.  My roommate at the time decided to bring her home.

Billie is a very shy, sweet girl.  You could pet her 24/7 and it still would not be enough. Billie loves to snuggle and minds her own business. She is very quick to mind, and is very timid when it comes to our other girls.  She is so afraid of thunderstorms, and any other loud noises.

She had ran off a couple of years after we got her and we were out in the barn one day when she came running home with a trail of blood behind her.  She had numerous wounds in her stomach, and a trip to the vet revealed she may have be shot.  There were a lot of small puncture wounds, but no pellets were actually found in her.  That is about the time Billie developed her fear of loud noises.  She has learned to associate the sound of geese flying, to the sound of shotgun blasts, and will run and hide or get right under your feet as soon as she hears them.   

Billie is blind now, she has Retinal Dysplasia.  She is learning to adapt, and so are we.  The other girls seem to have become a little meaner to her, but we are all coping.  Her blindess has increased her fear of loud noises, and she sticks pretty close to us now if outside.  

Billie's Update

07-27-2006

Billie has now developed Cushing's Disease.  A very expensive treatment for us to take on, but how could I not?  Billie is a very loving dog with a good life a head of her.  I will do everything I can to make it comfortable for her. 

03-09-2008

The past year has been touch and go with Billie, who developed Cushings Disease, and during treatment reversed to Addison's Disease.  We almost lost her several times, it has been a long hard expensive battle, but the love this little dog radiates is so real & worth it, none of the cost has mattered.   On her good days, you would never know anything is wrong with her... She is definitely our little alarm clock when it comes time for dinner.   She has been on monthly shots and prednisone now since June 07...before that it was daily pills but she didn't do well on them.  Billie's age is starting to kick in with all she has been through.   

I write this today, after losing Reggie this morning, for fear that my Billie is next.  She has had a rough time since yesterday, and is not eating or drinking.  She will go to the specialist in the morning to see what her prognosis is.  Billie's medications cause her to just about eat anything she can get in her mouth, and I am afraid this last raid on the trash and yard, has caused some real problems.   Keep my Billie in your prayers.....