The day I'm filming this, is February 26 of 2018. Today marks the 6th year 'Gotcha Day' for Miss Oakley.
Because of this, we wanted to share the story of Oakley and the history of her is much like we did with Shiloh.
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There's links up in the cards and down in the video description below,
where you can see more videos about Miss Oakley. Let's tell them, your story. Happy 'Gotcha Day' baby girl!
February of 2012, a friend of mine sent me a link to a dog on 'Craigslist' that was being re-homed.
She already gone to met the dog, but did not think it was a good fit for her.
She immediately thought, it was a good fit for us.
Since Jamie and I, had recently moved into the house we are currently in, having more space and huge yard,
we always talked about adding another Husky to the family. She knew we were looking.
Back then, we only had Shiloh and Shelby.
We went back and fort, for about a week with emails and phone calls with Oakley's owners.
We decided to let them bring her over and if all worked out,
we would decided that Oakley was a good fit for our home and if she could go ahead and stay.
They brought her over and brought her thinks, including the kennel and Oakley's raccoon toy baby.
Both of those things, we actually still have. We let her interact with Shiloh and Shelby in the yard.
First, was one at the time, then eventually would let all out together and it worked out great.
They played really well together. Like they were meant to be together.
Long story short, we kept Oakley. Again, there's a much longer version of the story.
I'll put a link up in the cards and down in the video description below.
A few days after we got Oakley, we kind of did a "How we got Oakley" story
which goes into much more details than I am in this video.
Because in this video, were going to let you know, about the story after that.
What happened after that? What did we learned after that?
Few years, after we got Oakley we found out, more about her history.
The girl that we got Oakley from, after she adopted her from a shelter. She had her for about a year.
Before Oakley ended at the shelter, she had other homes.
We had someone, who tracked us down and said, they were the ones that turned Oakley to the Shelter.
I actually called the shelter and gave them, her name
The shelter said: "Yeah! She was the one, that turned her (Oakley) over." We knew, she wasn't lying.
She actually told us, more of the horrifying truth behind Oakley's story.
Before Oakley was saved, this girl said that a man across the street had owned Oakley
and Oakley was living outside in a tiny kennel, with another dog.
The man was abusive to Oakley and there were times, where she wasn't allowed to eat.
There were times that Oakley was really thin and fragile.
We actually think, this was the reason that causes Oakley, to eat so fast.
That causes her to 'duck' and things like that.
The girl knew, what was going on and called Animal Control. Different things happened.
Nobody ever came to save her (Oakley). The girl started to try and buy Oakley from the man.
He kept telling her: "No!" Until one day, he agreed.
So, she bought Oakley and brought her home. Oakley's name before this, was Riley.
The girl that saved her, named her as Oakley. Her original name was Riley.
Oakley was a huge escape artist and she loves to get loose and would run away for hours on end.
That was not a good thing for her, or the girl that was trying to do the right thing and give her, a better home.
She knew, she wasn't a proper fit for Oakley and took a few months to try and find a better home for her..
When the worse came to, worse... She ended up taking her to the shelter.
Oakley remained at the shelter for a few months, before she was actually adopted.
That was, when the girl we got Oakley from, got her adopted from the shelter.
We don't know, if the man that we knew had her originally, had Oakley since she was a puppy, or not?
We still don't know, what's exactly her age.
We were told that Oakley was around two (2) years old. Of course, that was not true.
When we got her, she had a really large lump on her eye and we knew we had to remove it.
Her teeth looked horrible and less than a week after we got her, she had surgery to remove the lump in her eye.
She had her teeth cleaned and our veterinarian, kind of best figured out her age.
He said, she was much older than two (2). She was probably closer to middle aged Husky.
Somewhere between the ages of five (5) and seven (7).
We knew recently from a DNA test, we did on Oakley that her estimated age was pretty much right.
Oakley would be turning, an estimated fourteen (14) years old in May.
Oakley has a lot of 'corks' as you guys know.
We think, many of them stems from when Oakley was abused in the past.
She was afraid of doorways for the longest time. Every once in a while, she still falls back into it.
She would not go through the doorway. She ducks when we try to pet her.
She doesn't like to be petted and touched in certain ways.
She doesn't like to be hold still at all.
She refuses to sleep in the bedroom and she only wants to sleep in her kennel.
We tried to move her kennel to our bedroom, but she hated it.
She found her happy place in her kennel next to the couch.
If you ever wondered, why she sleeps there? That's why! It's her happy place!
I think, she feels like it's her safe home.
Those of you that have been here for a while, the rest of this, you may know quite a bit of it.
Over the years, we've been through a lot of ups and downs with Oakley.
One year, after her first surgery on her eye, she had another one on the same eye
and had to remove more of the lump. Thankfully it hasn't comeback since then.
In January of 2015, we've found out Oakley had a cancer lump on her rear leg.
Thankfully, it was a soft tissue sarcoma that we had removed. They got the whole thing.
Two (2) weeks after the surgery and on the day she got her stitches out, we brought her home from the vet.
Shortly after she ate dinner, we experienced her first bloat episode.
I was fortunate enough to be educated on what bloat was and we knew, right away what was happening.
We rushed Oakley to the vet and they had to keep her overnight.
As crazy as this is, this was on the two (2) year anniversary, to the day that Shiloh passed away.
Jamie and I, were so distraught and we thought we would loose Oakley as well.
I can't even tell you, how hard we cried when leaving her alone at the vet overnight.
The next morning, they called us and they said: "She could go home."
Sadly this wasn't the only time we would experience bloat with Oakley.
In December of 2015, Oakley got cancer again. This was on the other rear leg.
The same type of cancer and everything.
She had another major surgery and I think, she had 22 staples in her leg at that time.
She recovered without any issues.
In early August of 2016, Oakley bloated again. This time it was much scarier.
I'm going to put a playlist up in the cards and down in the video description below,
of all this crazy events I'm talking about. If you guys want to hear and know, more about about it,
you can see longer versions of those stories as well, if you are interested.
The second time Oakley bloated, we were stuck on an island and we had to get an emergency ferry
and then drive an hour to the vet.
She survived and we knew it was a matter of time, before the bloat strikes again.
We started planing on having a preventive gastropathy surgery done.
But, we had to wait until she was recovered. Before we could do that, Oakley had other plans....
At the end of August of 2016, she bloated again. This time she had torsion as well.
Her stomach had partially twisted and we rushed her to our local vet and Dr. Ryan told us,
he had to do a surgery immediately.
There was a 50-50 percent chance that she would died during surgery.
But, there was 100 percent chance of death if we didn't do the surgery.
Of course, we did the surgery and Dr Ryan saved her life.
It was a very scary day! But, he saved her...
In November of 2017, most recently we found a large lump on the same leg
that Oakley had her lump removed from January 2015.
It took two (2) years for that soft tissue sarcoma to come back.
It was the same location and everything.
When we did her surgery and you could see her scar from the original surgery.
Her cancer returned and growing really fast. Once again, she went under knife for surgery.
This time, thought the tumor had gotten partially into her muscle mass.
They weren't able to get it all (removed)...
We did know there was a good chance, it would come back again.
Just hoping that would take a long time. Again, this time it took like two (2) years.
Let's hope it takes another two (2) years. I feel Oakley's entire story right now is like...
Of abuse, being re-homed, surgeries and vet visits.
But, her life has been so much more that that. I remember the day we got her harness.
We decided to see if she, could pull the sled. She had no training. Nothing!
We just put Oakley next, to Shelby. Told them to 'Hike!'
She just took it like it was nothing! It was so great to see her all of the sudden,
realize that running was amazing!
She actually took it like a pro! Sadly, because she has arthritis in her mid back,
which we found out when we first got her, she got arthritis even way back then.
She couldn't pull for a long period of time. We've done different things with chiropractors with her
and we always talked to our vet about whenever or not, she's able to do these things.
He always said, "Movement is a good thing."
"The way they pull the sled is okay."
We always talk to the vet about that.
Our vets are amazing!
Oakley has been a great dog! From couch zoomies to constantly digging the yard.
The occasional days where she says, "I love you!"
She's actually been a complete joy to have her in the house.
She's corky. She's not like any other Husky we've ever had.
Really, any other Husky, I've ever encountered. She's fluffy and sheds like crazy!
But, Oakley is our dog! For those of you wondering, yes we have kept contact
with her old owners, for all these years.
Every time she has a surgery, or something happens, we always inform them and let them know.
We always kept them in the loop and they really care about her and did not wanted to give her up.
But, you know... Sometimes situations do happen. Sometimes it is what's best for the dog.
Realistically... As you can see in the history of Oakley,
based on the surgeries and all the things she's been through.
They never would had been able to afford those things for her.
Thankfully we've been able to do things, thanks to you guys!
We would not be able to do most of those things for her, if it wasn't for you guys!
Oakley still here today, because of you guys!
As of the recording of this video, Oakley is thirteen (13) years old.
She will be fourteen (14) on May, the eight (8) of 2018.
We don't know Oakley's real birthday, so we chosen May the eight (8).
She's been an amazing dog and we hope to have her for many years to come.
We really hope, you enjoyed this history of Oakley the Husky!
Happy 'Gotcha Day' Oakley!
There you have it guys! That is the story...
What are you doing Memphis?
That is the story... Current history, I should say,
Of Oakley the Husky!
She's our rescued Husky! Happy 'Gotcha Day' you fluffy thing!
We love you! Everybody loves you!
We do! We all love you!
We hope you guys enjoyed today's video. As always...
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Stay positive and dream big! We will see you again soon!
Good bye guys!