Yes, HG has posted two appreciations of Toby, The Wonder Dog, in the last eight months. Obsessive? Possibly. However, there’s a back story behind the latest post. A few days ago, just before HG/BSK’s bedtime. Daughter Lesley R. texted that Pip, her family’s dog, was very ill and Lesley was rushing her to a veterinary emergency center. Things were looking grim for Pip. Not much sleep that night for HG/BSK. Pip is a very pretty little dog. Affectionate. Ladylike. Extraordinarily intelligent. Toby and Pip have a grand time when they are together in Rhode Island and Prince Edward Island. Good news in the morning. Pip had survived (now back to normal). Vet explained that Pip had been poisoned by nibbling at the compost pile in the garden. It seems compost heaps produce an acid. When swallowed by a dog, the result is death or serious illness requiring emergency treatment. So, dog owners who are gardeners, be warned. Fence in your compost pile (as BSK has done) to make it dog proof.
HG: I appreciate your concern for Pip’s fate. I must correct one fact, however–Pip nibbled something moldy from the compost bin, and it was the mold that caused an extreme neurologic reaction. Apparently, this is quite common in spring, when people’s compost bins thaw out, but it could be caused by mold on something pulled from the garbage as well. Some strains of mold cause an almost Parkinsonian reaction in dogs–severe tremor, difficulty walking, etc. Who knew? A public service announcement to dog fanciers from the Freeman/Riva families. http://www.greenbrier-emergency.com/tremorgenic-mycotoxin-toxicity-the-moldy-shakes/
Thanks for the clarification, Lesley.