Help Save Beans the Corgi!

Hi, All-

I am putting this out there to all of my MUNIverse friends in the hopes that you might be able to help save my dog, Beans the Corgi. For those of you who may not know Beans, let me tell you a little bit about him and our need for help.

Beans is an amazing 6 year old Pembroke Welsh Corgi. He loves to play ball, go to the beach, do tricks (he does a mean high five!), and meet new people. In fact, he has become something of a local celebrity in our neighborhood....probably because he's the only dog in the neighborhood who will carry his own leash when we go for walks. That, and the fact that he will pull me in the direction of the nearest human if there is a slight chance that he can get a belly rub.

I adopted Beans when he was just an 8 week old puppy. I had intended on adopting a red and white female, and when I saw his litter of 8 puppies, he just stood out to me. They say that you don't pick a dog, the dog picks you. Well he picked me that day, fell asleep in the crook of my arm and he has been with me ever since. In our 6 years together, the longest we have been apart was 10 days...and it wasn't easy!

We've gone on many a camping trip and long road trips up to Oregon so that my mom can see her "Grand-dog". The bond I have with Beans is like no other I have ever had with a pet. We just "get" each other. When I'm down, he knows it and is quick to comfort me with a lick to my face or just simply laying next to me. We have seen each other through some difficult times...kennel cough when he was a puppy, a torn dew claw, apartment moves, deaths in the family and my divorce two years ago.Without him by my side, I'm not sure I could have come through everything as well as I did.

This week, we had our worst nightmare come true. Beans literally went from being a happy, seemingly healthy little guy to being a parapleigic overnight! He was diagnosed with Intervertebral Disk Disease (IVDD). We aren't really sure how it happened, but Tuesday morning when we went to go for our walk, he couldn't move and was dragging his back legs behind him. We rushed him to our local vet who took x-rays and determined that he had some sort of back injury. After giving us medication and having us confine him to a crate, she referred us to a Neurologist.

We went to see the neurologist, where we received some pretty upsetting news. He has ruptured disks in his back and he needs surgery right away to help him walk again. With the surgery, there is a 90% chance of recovery. Without it, his chances are 50/50. Of course, we want to opt for the surgery. However, we were given an estimate of anywhere from $4,993.78 on the low end, to $5,952.78 on the high end. This is why we are asking for your help!

We are responsible pet owners and have VPI Pet Insurance. However, VPI requires that all costs be paid up front, then have you submit a claim form, and may or may not cover the cost. When I spoke with VPI, given the diagnosis, they quoted me about $1,200 in coverage. We would still be short. Now, we have looked into credit cards, etc. but due to our financial situation and my recent divorce, we just can't swing it. Currently, I am the only one in the household bringing in a steady income and trying to support myself, my boyfriend, and little Beans....all while living in one of the most expensive cities in the country. Something has to give.

Without surgery, Beans could recover on his own, but there is no guarantee. Without surgery, he will most likely develop bladder issues and infections since he can not control his bladder and we are forced to "express" his bladder for him at least 3 times a day. This would just make his situation worse.

The only other option would be to put him down. He is only 6 and still has a lot of life left in him and sparkle in his eyes....the thought of doing this is too heartbreaking to bear.

We are good people who have a great dog and don't want to lose him simply because we cannot afford medical treatment. That being said, we are looking into other alternative options (other surgeons, holistic care, and possibly a wheel cart if the surgery doesn't happen). Your donation (no matter how little) will go directly to his care....I would then like to take whatever we raise and pay it forward so that no one else ever has to go through this feeling of helplessness when it comes to saving the life of their pet. I've never done anything like this, but if I don't try to ask for help, then I am doing him a disservice as a pet owner and friend.

Thank you so much for your consideration! (...and thanks for riding MUNI)

Yours Truly

MUNI P's and Q's

Whenever I went anywhere as a small child, I was always hearing the phrase, "Be sure to mind your P's and Q's!". When I heard this, my school-age brain always pictured a plate with peas on it and trying to walk while holding the plate so that none of the peas rolled off onto the floor (as peas tend to do)...hence, "minding my peas". I never could quite wrap my head around what the "q's" were except that they came after the "p's" in the alphabet.  It wasn't until I was well into adulthood that when I heard that phrase again, I realized my mother was trying to be funny and that the "P's and Q's" she was talking about were actually "Please and Thank You's". I've been thinking about this a lot lately while riding MUNI, and realize that more adults should have had a mother like mine!

One would think that if you were raised in any kind of a society where you had to interact with other people, you would come to learn certain social rules if you will....Meaning that the only people who should be ignorant of these social rules would be the ones raised by wolves. And it is more common that you would think...I once had a fascination with researching stories of "feral children". In fact when you type the word "feral" into Google, "feral children" is third on the list in the drop down menu! (You just tried that, didn't you?) Yes, feral children! These are children raised by wolves, bears, cats or other animals in the wild. These children are usually abandoned or victims of some horrible circumstances that led to them being raised in the wild...or like my comic friend, Karen Smyth says, maybe their parents just weren't ready for an indoor baby. Who knows?! My point is that after riding MUNI for 10+ years, it has become apparent that some of my fellow riders were raised by wolves!

While riding MUNI, there are some general social rules that one should adhere to. I probably should have mentioned these from the beginning, I feel the need to outline a few of them now:

1.  MOVE OVER!
-This means, don't hog up the seat next to you with your backpack, pink plastic bags, or moving boxes. I paid my fare and I want a seat! It also means move to the back of the bus so other people can get on. Or, move over on the platform if the arriving train is not the train you intend to board. I realize that there is that inbred feral instinct to remain huddled in a pack, but seriously...MOVE OVER!

2.  GET UP!
-If an elderly blind woman gets on the train, for crying out loud...GET UP!! If a frail little old blind woman doesn't deserve your seat, you sure as hell don't either! The same rule applies for obviously pregnant women...unless you intend on boiling water and ripping up bed sheets on a moving bus, GET UP! Don't sit there reading your book pretending like you "didn't see the sign". Puh-lease!!! You can obviously read, so read the sign above your head that says "These seats must be vacated for elderly or handicapped riders". So unless your "feral instincts" have taken over and you have peed on the seat to claim your territory, GET UP!

3. DON'T BE A PIG!
-This rule should probably be top of the list...anyhow, here goes...don't litter, "accidentally" drop your newspaper under the seat, leave your beer bottles to roll around on the floor, or leave remnants of your lunch on the seat next to you. Unlike wolves, you have opposable thumbs...use them, hold onto your trash, and dispose of it properly.

4.  DON'T BE A PIG! (Part deux in 3D)
-MUNI is no place to conduct your personal hygiene matters. This goes for clipping your nails (both finger and toes!), don't brush your hair, put on makeup, blow snot rockets, spit on the floor, or brush your teeth! Unless your bathroom is on wheels and regularly filled with 50 other people, what makes you feel that this ok?!? I'm guessing it's that "feral need" to attract a mate...you know how certain birds display or preen their feathers (think peacock)...Hmmm...now I'm thinking, "mind your PEAcock and Q's"??

5. MIND YOUR BUSINESS!
-You don't need to look over my shoulder to read the paper or pretend to be reading your own paper while taking sneak peeks at my iPhone to see what game I might be playing and/or what my text messages say. I also think this could apply while listening to your own music...keep your Lady Gaga Superpussy Paparazzi Thundermix Remix to yourself! You have headphones for a reason.

6. RESPECT MY DETERRENTS
-This means that if I have my headphones on, am wearing sunglasses, and reading a book all at the same time, I don't want to be bothered! These are the universal "freak deterrents"...for without them, surely every homeless-high-cracked out-toothless-stinky-could be a tourist-first time rider-full of questions and random small talk-FREAK will seek me out and try to be my new BFF. Even wild animals have deterrents...think skunks!

Keep in mind that these rules apply to buses, trains, trolleys, station platforms, bus stops, and escalators. I've included a few pictures of those who were obviously raised by wolves and not by a lesson teaching pun maker like I was!

This bench easily seats 4 people...but NOT TODAY!

Mind your own BEESWAX, Gramps! The earphones are on and clearly he has reached a new level of Angry Birds that you just wouldn't understand!

While I appreciate the earphones, move that Barney backpack!

Here's your SAM of the week:

Remember to be nice to people and for those of you raising "outdoor babies"...maybe it's time you bring them in. After all, they'll only get in fights with other outdoor babies and get into the garbage.

Thank you for riding MUNI,

Yours Truly