Abby and Mia

Once upon a time I had a coffee table ...

Maggie and Mia

This is a photo I published about 3 years ago but here it is again for anyone who didn't see it. Maggie, a red and white Irish setter is on the left, and on the right is Mia, a Bassett Ariegois (a French hunting dog). 

Coffee table bed ...

This was once my coffee table ... 

Mia

Sometimes I look through old photos - don't we all!  Here's Mia, a Bassett Ariégeois   - I adopted her from a refuge years ago and she died last year.  She was a lovely dog although always scared of the world because of her past. Loved other dogs though - and me!

Mia and her last journey

Some of you have met Mia, a Bassett Ariegois - or seen this photo of her in exhibitions.  Sadly, today she was put to sleep.

It's been a bad few weeks lately.  First, my oldest dog, Beau - a black and tan Bruno du Jura, had to be put to sleep. It was his time. Indeed the deed was done not a day too early or too late and I was okay about it. He'd had a good life here and lived far longer than he would have in the particular refuge he was in.

But Mia, who had a dreadful early life (as did Beau) didn't deserve to have been so sick for the last two or three weeks of her life. She'd had an ear infection for six months, nothing would clear it up and the skin deep within her ear got so thin it started bleeding.  At this time I changed vets, not because I didn't have the best faith in my old vet but because Mia was so car sick every time I drove a distance to her and she understood and agreed. The new vet gave me product for her ears that went into her blood stream and caused massive inbalance and semi-paralysis -  and ever since then we've been trying to get her right. And I changed vets again, of course.

Last night she became totally paralyzed and so this morning she went to the vet on her last journey.

When I got Mia around 7 years ago she'd been living in a filthy 2 metre square run with another dog, Mistral. She'd obviously had several litters of puppies and was thin as a stick and with bleeding skin. They'd been living on top of years of excrement and having food thrown over the fence. The owner died and the son wanted to shoot them.  So, they came to me. Mistral lived only 3 months because she had cancer, but Mia put on weight and was in excellent health, except mentally and emotionally. All her years with me she was terrified of any visitor, especially men.

 Mia was a wonderful dog, so kind, so sensitive. I miss her like crazy. 

So, now, this house is very empty. I have this photo of Mia hanging on my wall. And another of Beau hangs elsewhere. I'll show you Beau's photo another time.

(the second photo shows Mia with her friend, Maggie in the background)

Mia

This is my old dog, Mia, squeezed into a little dog's bed! She's not well at the moment - with something I'd never heard of before. She's had an ear infection for six months which wouldn't clear up despite analyses, antibiotics and drops.  Unfortunately the skin, deep within her ears, had got so thin, that one particular medication got into her blood stream, totally upset her balance, she walks with difficulty, sometimes falling over, and her rear end has no strength.  Since I took this photo, she's been at the vets each day from 8 till 5 on a drip and does seem a little better and starting to eat again. Who knew that some ear drops could do this! The vet says she will hopefully improve but she'll never completely get back her balance - it's now a neurological problem. Fingers crossed.... back to the vet this morning.

Maggie and Mia

We've met Maggie and Mia before.  Maggie, on the left, is a red and white Irish setter - she lives in Monaco.  Mia is one of my rescue dogs - she's a Bassett Ariegois (a French hunting dog) and is the scared one, scared of people that is.  She loves other dogs and as you can see is checking out Maggie who is giving her a very strange look ...

Abby and Mia

Not the first time I've posted a photo of Abby, the Cavalier and Mia, the Bassett Ariegois, on my coffee table! Beautiful Abby comes to stay from time to time and Mia is one of my rescue dogs.

Get Off the Coffee Table!

Get off the coffee table!  This was taken when Abby, the Cavalier was staying here. The other dog is Mia, one of my rescues. 

Once upon a time I had a sofa and comfortable chairs - long gone since they were taken over by the dogs.  Now it looks like the coffee table has gone too.

Ugly Mia?

After all those beautiful dogs at Crufts, how about an ugly one! She's actually rather beautiful but the beginnings of a yawn can create a weird expression like this.

This is one of my rescue dogs, Mia, who is a Bassett Ariegois - a French hunting dog - sort of like a Bassett but with long legs.   She used to be terrified of the camera. She still is terrified of other people.  But now, when I'm photographing another dog, she'll push her way in and stare at the camera.

Mia

Here's a Riviera Dog who happens to be one of mine. This is Mia - some of you know she had a terrible life before she came here three and a half years ago. 

Now, she's in pretty good shape physically, still terrified of strangers and normally gets up and moves when I pick up the camera.  Yesterday was a bit of a breakthrough though because she saw the camera, looked at me through sleepy eyes and stayed where she was. So here she is ...

Mia

This is Mia. If you've read any of the Postcards from Pension Milou postings, you'll perhaps remember her story. She's a Bassett Ariégois, which is a French hunting dog - rather like a Bassett Hound with longer legs, don't you think? She appeared on this blog once before - the day she arrived which was the 31st December 2008.

So she's been living at Pension Milou for just over a year now - taken from a dreadful situation with her friend Mistral. They'd been shut up for eight years in a two-metre square run living on top of eight years of excrement. Sadly Mistral was to put to sleep after three months suffering from advanced cancer. Look at Mia now - she's come on a treat physically but is still terrified of people - it's getting a little better tho as time goes by. (in the photo with the pug she'd only been here 4 months. The other photos are recent.).

You can read more about Mia and also an update on Beau who recently had major surgery when his inner/middle ear was removed. Click on the Postcards link. It all ends well!

Mama Mia

She's only been a Riviera Dog for about 15 hours, but she is one! This is one of the two just-adopted dogs now living at Pension Milou - for EVER. Exhausted and in terrible condition she sleeps in her new home.

For an update on Mistral and Mama Mia, the Hell Hole dogs who arrived at Pension Milou yesterday - please click on the link.