Happy New Year!
As I may have mentioned at some point in the past, early in the year is actually quite busy at the stuffed animal hospital. Busier than the holiday season, to be honest. My theory is, people get gifts and then realize, what they really wanted was their favorite old companion rejuvenated, and then they call me. :-)
Anyway, that's part of why I tend to be quiet here early in the year. Honestly, half the time I can't find my phone when it rings because it's covered in fabric!
But... I really didn't want the start of the year to pass without sharing at least one story and wishing you all the best possible for the coming year, whatever that may mean for you.
Without further ado, this is the story of Friend, because who couldn't have a new friend. :-)
Friend was originally a beagle, a snoopy style dog. This is what he looked like, once upon a time, after many years of love:
A bit worn, but in one piece and very much loved for the memories that wear represented. He didn't need to come to the hospital until he had a run-in with his family's new Golden Retriever, who very much wanted to love him as well. But Friend was small, and hand no teeth, and the Retriever was large with teeth and nails and a tongue and after their... interaction, Friend looked like this:
He really needed help!
So Friend's person's husband wrote, asking for an appointment for Friend, and we scheduled him right away for a spa and surgery.
There aren't photos of Friend in the spa, because he needed to be taken apart to be safely cleaned. But once he was clean, I started stitching up his wounds. It turned out, he would need about 40% new fur to get back to health. Fortunately, being a white, short furred animal I could find a very good match for him. White and black tend to the be the colors I can get the closest matches to, and short fur or smooth fabrics are easier to match than longer fur, because we don't need to worry about trying to match the worn length as much.
Here is Friend, all better, and ready to enjoy many more gentle hugs from his people:
His family's response.... "Unbelievable!"