Erster Bericht vom 27. November 2010

Liebe Tanja, Stephanie und Barbara,

Penny ist zuhause!

We were lucky to be able to get to the ferry that leaves at 14.15 hrs (the next one would have been at 19.00 hrs).
Penny was wonderful during the trip and on the ferry she just followed me into the elevator and the lounge. She was interested in her surroundings and the people. She was a little restless, but I think that was mostly because she started to be tired.

Once off the boat (at 15.45 hrs) it was a 2 minute drive to our home. My husband met us and before we did anything else, we took Penny for a walk in the woods.
This was interesting. It was quiet apparent that she is afraid of open spaces (dunes). I think this is quiet normal after having to spent your life in confinement! We walked for 45 minutes and than visited the two youngest grandchildren who were so happy to see Penny Happy Houter and she was so good in their home.
No fear for people and their homes for these are not open spaces. But the best thing is that she trusts me and follows me really bravely. After this visit we walked home for another 10 minutes to meet the oldest two grandchildren and again, she and they were happy to see each other. Than 2 minutes walk home and a nice dinner which she devoured.

An hour later I took her for a walk again, but she was nervous (in the dark open space) and didn't pee or anything else. Just bravely followed.
After a nice session with the brush she now relaxes on her soft cusion (which she choose out of two). She keeps her eye on me, just in case ... but I think she is happy and deserves this. I have full confidence that she will loose her fear of open spaces soon and that she will be truely be Penny Happy Houter.

All of you - thanks so much for trusting us and allowing her to come and live with us.
She will welcome anyone of you when you feel you will want to visit us.

Love Erna


...und hier kommt für die Englisch-Allergiker unter uns die deutsche Übersetzung:

Liebe Tanja, Stephanie und Barbara,

Penny ist zuhause!

Wir waren glücklich, dass wir noch die Fähre erreicht haben, die um 14.15 Uhr fährt (die nächste wäre erst um 19 Uhr gegangen).
Penny war wundervoll während der Fahrt und auf der Fähre ging sie einfach hinter mir her in den Fahrstuhl und in die Lounge. Sie war an der Umgebung und an den Leuten sehr interessiert.
Ein klein wenig unruhig war sie, aber ich denke, dass war vor allem, weil sie anfing, müde zu werden.
Vom Boot herunter (um 15.45 Uhr) dauerte die Fahrt zu unserem Haus nur 2 Minuten.
Mein Mann traf uns dort und bevor wir etwas anderes machten, nahmen wir Penny auf einen Spaziergang in den Wald mit. Das war interessant. Es war offensichtlich, dass sie Angst vor offenem Gelände hat (Dünen). Ich denke, das ist ganz normal, nachdem man sein Leben eingesperrt verbracht hat!

Wir gingen ca. 45 Minuten spazieren und besuchten dann die beiden jüngsten Enkelkinder, die sich gefreut haben, Penny Happy (die Glückliche) Houter zu sehen und sie hat sich so gut in deren Zuhause benommen.
Keine Angst vor Menschen und deren Häusern, denn das sind keine offenen Gelände. Aber das Beste ist, dass sie mir traut und tapfer überall hin folgt. Nach diesem Besuch gingen wir die 10 Minuten in Richtung unseres Hauses und trafen die beiden ältesten Enkelkinder und wieder waren sie und die Kinder glücklich, sich zu sehen.
Dann 2 Minuten Spaziergang nach Hause und ein schönes Abendbrot, das sie in sich hinein schlang. Eine Stunde später ging ich noch einmal mit ihr hinaus, aber sie war nervös (im Dunkeln und Freien) und hat sich nicht ausgemacht. Ist einfach nur tapfer hinterher gegangen. Nach einer schönen Sitzung mit der Bürste liegt sie nun auf ihrem weichen Kissen (das sie sich unter zweien ausgesucht hat). Sie hat immer ein Auge auf mich, nur für den Fall... aber ich glaube, dass sie glücklich ist und das verdient sie.
Ich bin voller Zuversicht, dass sie ihre Angst im Freien bald verlieren wird und dass sie dann wirklich Penny Happy (die Glückliche) Houter sein wird.

Euch allen - vielen Dank, dass ihr uns vertraut und ihr erlaubt habt, zu uns zu kommen und mit uns zu leben.
Sie wird jeden von euch willkommen heißen, der uns besuchen kommen möchte.

In Liebe
Erna

2. Dezember 2010



Dear All,

I am sooo proud to tell you that Penny is a delight.
She impresses us every day. Since today she has played with a toy, she walked with 2 border collies and gained again selfconfidence. She even invited one of them to play. She enjoyed a walk with 2 of our grandchildren, she loves her soft bedding, she walkes next to me without pulling her leash, she has stayed at home alone for an hour without getting anxious, she likes meeting the people that walk into our home, she understands corrections pretty fast and accepts them easily, she is perfectly ok with the car and different houses. She can fend for herself but is mellow and soft. She is a smart dog.
She likes to be groomed, her coat is starting to shine and she only loosed hair in the normal sense in opposition to saturday where the hair just flew about because of the stress.

It is wonderful and we are so happy that she came into our lives and so enables us to give her a much better life than she knew.
I let the pictures speak for itself. I have every confidence that she will get to be a secure, stable and sociable dog the will enjoy life to the fullest.

Love from Penny and us,
Erna




3. Dezember 2010: Pennys erster Schnee!

Neuigkeiten vom 12. Dezember 2010



Hello Stephanie,

to all of you the last news about Penny:
Penny loves Vlieland although she is of course still somewhat insecure. Last thursday we came back from the mainland (Penny too) and when we entered the house she suddenly went beserk. She jumped and ran from Jan to me to her bed and was soooo happy. It was like she was saying "now I know this is my house too". We were quite touched.

Yesterday we went for a long walk in the dunes with the 2 bordercollie friends. I let her free, but with the longeerleash trailing behind her. She came when I called her and came looking for me if I hid behind a tree. But it seems apparent that she has fox-characteristics in her. She is very attracted to smells and today, when we (Jan, Penny and I) were on the beach I let her go free without the leash. The beach was empty but instead of staying on the beach she immediately took of into the dunes.
We were lucky that she went back to the car and that she recognized me when I used my whistle and voice. She finally did come, but this is probably the Fox in her that wants to hunt.

An additional problem is that she finds it hard to find the source of noices. I think that all the barking everyday killed the ability to tune into different noices and where they come from. But it looks like she starts to pick this up a little as well and she is a dream with the children and other people.
She comes to find support next to me if she sees another dog, she understands already that she cannot pull on the leash, etc. She is really doing very well.
On Dec. 20st she will go to the vet again. She will get anathesia in order for the vet to be able to clean her teeth (for they are shockingly filthy), her nails will be groomed, her kidney functions will be checked with regard to the Leishmania-medication and maybe the wolfsclaws on her hind legs will be removed for they bother her.
Other than that, everything is really ok.

So - from Penny and Jan and I, we wish you all a very nice Xmas and a wonderful 2011 in which you'll be able to help many more animals.

3. Januar 2011: Ein Gutes Neues Jahr!

Dear Barbara, Stephanie, Tanja en Simone,

I keep my paws crossed that you may replace many more animals in 2011.

Lots of love from
Penny (and of course Jan and Erna)

21. Januar 2011

Hello All,

greetings from Penny, who now goes for long hikes alongside my bike which she enjoys tremendously. Her condition improves a lot.
She relaxes by the day and is a fast learner. We are mutually very happy with each others company.

Love from
Penny

14. Februar 2011: Grüße zum Valentinstag von Penny

12. März 2011


Dear Barbara, Stephanie, Tanja and Simone,

what a horrible things happen to animals and people. Words are at lost!

We all know how your hearts are sinking.
I just send you those pictures to lift your hearts for a moment, for Penny could very well have been one of the casualties.
Her fate turned after 11 years.
Now look at her and take heart!

Love to you all
Erna

Neues vom 19. Juni 2011

Dear Tanja, Stephanie, Barbara, and Simone,

we have been following your site and the story is still heartbreaking.
But you've also managed to bind local people to the canille, which is wonderful. Every downsite has an upsite.
We wish you all that is wishable for the dogs and yourselves.

Here a few pictures to enjoy one of your "oldies" which is not so old anymore. Our Penny stalks us every day for walks. I take her each day for a 2 hour walk on our beautiful beach, but after an hour or so of rest, she keeps on asking for yet another walk, for that is her main hobby! It works - for the next walk will be through the woods or along the bike. Look for yourselves how happy she is.

With love from Penny and us,
Erna




15. November 2011: Nur ein einziges Jahr...

Dear Stephanie, Tanja, Simone and Barbara,

it is with deep pain in our hearts that we have to let you know that Penny was euthanized this afternoon.

Last July she was operated on as we discovered a fibrosarcomia. It had not been possible to remove all of it as it grew between the stomach muscles.
We hoped though that, regarding Penny's age, the tumor would not grow back so fast. But she was not that lucky.

It seems sooooo unfair; eleven years in a canille, than going to live in dog-heaven-on-earth - for our backyard is just woods, dunes and sea with empty beaches.
We have loved her soooo much, and given her the island every day, that we cramned eleven years of love in one year.
She will always be a part of her and hope she and our previous dog Skip are together now waiting for us to get there one day.

We are proud that she allowed us to make her happy.

Jan and Erna

...und hier die Übersetzung:

Liebe Stephanie, Tanja, Simone und Barbara,

leider müssen wir euch mitteilen, dass wir Penny heute nachmittag einschläfern lassen mussten.

Im Juli wurde Penny operiert, da wir ein Fibrosarkom bei ihr entdeckt hatten. Es war aber nicht möglich, den Tumor vollständig zu entfernen, da er sich zwischen den Bauchmuskeln befand. Trotzdem hofften wir im Hinblick auf Pennys Alter, dass das Sarkom nicht so schnell zurückkehren würde.
Leider hatte sie dieses Glück nicht.

Es ist sooo unfair; 11 Jahre im Tierheim, dann kam sie in unser Hundeparadies - hinter unserem Haus gibt es nur noch Wald, Dünen und das Meer mit einsamen Stränden.
Wir haben sie so sehr geliebt und haben ihr die Insel jeden Tag aufs Neue geschenkt. Wir haben in diesem Jahr versucht, mit unserer Liebe 11 verschenkte Jahre gutzumachen.
Diese Liebe wird immer ein Teil von ihr sein und wir hoffen, dass Penny und Skip, unser letzter Hund, nun gemeinsam hinter dem Regenbogen auf uns warten.

Wir sind stolz, dass sie uns erlaubt hat, sie glücklich zu machen.

Jan und Erna