A HOME FULL OF "LAB"

Denver, the Guilty Dog

2011-03-22T10:16:00.000-07:00

Denver reminds me so much of our Besi.
She too had this look in her face whenever she did something bad.

Samantha Crocker - R.I.P.

2011-02-21T23:00:00.000-08:00

Samantha Crocker

R.I.P.
June 24, 1996 - February 21, 2011

According to Tony, Samantha's dad, she had a wonderful disposition and excellent health until cancer became noticeable in her shoulder in November. She walked around the block as recently as one week ago. She was too sore to walk last Wednesday and did not improve with pain meds. Many people visited the past few days and they sadly concluded her time had come today.

Almost exactly eight months after Besi left us, Samantha, has been reunited with her biological twin sister in doggie heaven.

Birdie & Baci at Del Rey Park & PDR Beach

2011-02-20T18:30:00.000-08:00

Samson, our neighbor

2011-02-20T18:00:00.000-08:00

Baci playing at the beach with her neighbor, Samson.

An afternoon with Dobbie

2011-02-20T16:00:00.000-08:00

We finally got to meet Dobbie, the pug of my friend, Carmen.

Dobbie and his Shadow series:

Walking Dobbie with Birdie and Baci:

Samantha is sick

2011-02-17T23:59:00.001-08:00

Feeling very sad. I just found out from her dad, Tony, that Samantha, the biological twin sister of Besi, has been diagnosed with Bone and Lung Cancer. The news is making me grieve for Besi all over again. Hoping she is not in too much pain.

2011 Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show

2011-02-15T12:00:00.000-08:00

Sporting Group: Labrador Retriever

Valentine's Day with my Bs

2011-02-14T23:00:00.000-08:00

To view more pics from this day, please click HERE.

In Search of our New Found Lab

2010-12-01T18:00:00.000-08:00

We've started the process of searching for Birdie's new sister companion. It's been almost half a year, since we've lost Besi. We are not looking to replace Besi, but to find another "Lab of our lives". We're still torn between adopting her from a rescue/shelter or buying her from a breeder. We will be ready for the new addition to the family by the new year. Wish us luck.

Candy & KC's commercial for Nutri-Health Probiotics for Pets

2010-10-10T18:00:00.000-07:00

An afternoon with Samantha

2010-08-08T18:00:00.000-07:00

After losing Besi (our 14-year-old Yellow Labrador) last June, it was great for us to be able to spend an afternoon with her biological identical twin sister, Samantha.

Birdie, Sachi, and Samantha (she looks so much like Besi)

To view more pics of the day, please click HERE.

Birdie & Me

2010-08-03T15:00:00.000-07:00

Beauty & the Bitch - Ms. California & Birdie

2010-08-02T16:00:00.000-07:00

My friends Roy Salcedo & Joel needed a place to test for a Ms. California photo shoot. I offered our place. My Birdie got to show-off her modeling skills with Ms. NoHo, Jael. I, on the other hand, took some pics and gave my 2 centavos worth of modeling tips. Although, I had to keep some distance...you never know with these young beauty queens...they might feel intimidated if they realize they are in the presence of a retired male supermodel...j/k

Roy Salcedo, the professional photographer

Jael, the future Ms. U.S.A....Ms. Universe?

Beauty & the Bitch - Jael & Birdie

For more pictures of the event, please click HERE.

Birdie missing Besi

2010-07-15T12:00:00.000-07:00

Birdie has Jack & Monty over for 4th of July

2010-07-04T18:00:00.000-07:00

Birdie with her guests

Jack

Mr. Monty

Jack licking Mr. Monty's ear in Palm Springs

2010-05-31T16:00:00.000-07:00

Rocco Mastrangelo

2010-05-31T13:00:00.000-07:00

Presenting Rocco,
the gorgeous Black Labrador of my friend, Eunice:

Eunice and Rocco

Dana Espresso to Go - R.I.P.

2010-04-09T15:00:00.000-07:00

Dana Espresso to Go, the beautiful beloved Black Labrador
of our friends, Tom Fitzsimons & Sabrina Almazan
passed away 3 days after her 13th birthday
due to acute renal failure and secondary pancreatitis.
Dana was a year younger than Besi and a year older than Birdie.
Dana, may you rest in peace in doggie-heaven.

Dana Espresso to Go

April 6, 1997 - April 9, 2010

Please click HERE for Dana's Website.

Birdie - Cancer Schmancer

2009-08-05T15:00:00.000-07:00

Here are some pics of Birdie during the days that followed after being diagnosed with cancer of the throat...
still showing some signs of normalcy and hope.
Please click HERE to see pics.

Requesting your prayers for our Birdie

2009-07-31T15:00:00.000-07:00

After we got back from Carley's wedding last Sunday, we were advised by our dog-sitting friends that

Birdie was having a gag reflex/throwing up her food.

So Bill took her to the vet for a check-up.

By Wednesday morning, the vet informed us that the reason for Birdie's recent display of gag reflex/throwing up is that apparently an aggressive form of cancer has spread all over her throat and that we have to put her down as soon as possible. Naturally, we were shocked and devastated.
We decided to take her home for one last night with us.

If it weren't for the fact that she is lethargic, losing weight, and has this aggressive plum-size tumor which is creating a big hole in her palate, we would continue to think that everything is fine and dandy.

She is still wagging her tail, barks when the doorbell rings, whimpers in excitement when she sees somebody, runs to another dog to say hi, and still give high-fives with her paw. She is still able to eat soft/wet food.

She was scheduled to be put to sleep yesterday but after describing to the vet how Birdie was behaving,

our vet changed his mind and told us to hold off until she can no longer eat and she will let us know when she is ready. We're taking advantage of every moment we have with her.

Hoping for a miracle.

Love,

Sean, Bill, and Besi

Besi & Samantha's Parents' Certified Pedigree

2009-06-21T20:00:00.000-07:00

Samantha's dad, Tony,
emailed me a copy of her parents' Certified Pedigree,
which pushed me rummage through our old files.
I found these exact documents among our pet files ,
proving that they are undeniably sisters indeed:

Besi & Samantha's father was Good Boy Chuck

Besi & Samantha's mother was Wacky Yacky Dot

Besi meets her long lost sister, Samantha

2009-06-21T19:30:00.000-07:00

Last Sunday, three days before Besi's 13th birthday, my sister, Sari, and I walked Besi & Birdie on the jetty close to the breakwater hoping to see the wayward 20-foot California Gray Whale straggler who was taking a breather in the Marina del Rey channel on its migration path from Baja California to No. Alaska. We then were approached by a Besi-look-alike. The striking resemblance was so uncanny that after exchanging details with the parents about birthdate/birthplace, we all suddenly realized they were long lost sisters separated almost 13 years ago when we bought them from their breeder in Santa Monica, CA. I invited them to come to the house. Samantha, Besi's sister was the first one to walk in the house. I asked Bill who was this dog, to which he replied, "It is Besi!". They have the same black mascara eyes, same freckley nose, same smile, same irritating high-pitched bark, same fatty tissues, same skin tags, etc. It was an awesome reunion!

Besi & Samantha

Samantha, Besi & Birdie

Samantha, Birdie & Besi

Samantha & Besi

Besi & Samantha

Sachi: My Alive Day

2009-06-04T18:00:00.000-07:00

Besi's tumor is benign!

2009-04-23T13:00:00.000-07:00

To all our friends & family,

Thank you very much for your email/calls/text/
prayers/good thoughts/good vibes!

It worked!

Just got the call from the vet...

BESI'S TUMOR IS BENIGN!!!

"I'm a cancer survivor!"

"Awww...give me a ball, and I'm a happy camper!"

Besi smiles after receiving gifts

2009-04-22T16:00:00.000-07:00

Our friends, Sara & Wendy
gave Besi flowers, a card, and a beanie baby.

She attempts to get up...

...then plops down again

She then surprisingly gives a big smile!...

Her first smile after her surgery!

Besi - post surgery

2009-04-20T18:00:00.000-07:00

Besi - as soon as she arrives home
"Please get this cone off me and

let me eat something solid for a change."

"No bikini cut for me...waah!"

Birdie shows that she missed her sister
by shoving her butt at Besi's face.

The past days have been a bit touch and go.
She's had bad moments and good moments.

Whenever she is able to stand up and
go up & down the stairs on her own,

it sure gives us a reason to smile and have hope.

Several times when we take her out to potty, she would be standing

and then will suddenly fall to her side like timber
and shake as if she is having an epileptic seizure.

The vet says that it is normal. He says, that she is like an old lady who just had major surgery and it is normal to feel winded, since her body is trying to reproduce red blood cells after losing a lot of blood.
Here's to a quick recovery.

Requesting your prayers for our Besi

2009-04-20T15:00:00.000-07:00

For the past few weeks soon after our roadtrip,

Besi, our 13-year old Yellow Labrador,

all of a sudden started having moments of slipping/falling down/slowing down.

We simply surmised that she was starting to lose her 2-year miraculous battle against Degenerative Myelopathy.

Last Wednesday, she could not stand up at all and was having difficulty breathing.

I spent the night in the doghouse (literally), and slept with her & Birdie on their doggie bed, fearing the worst was about to come.

By Thursday morning, she was up and about as if nothing had ever happened.

But over the phone our veterinarian asked us to check her gums. They were very pale.

He told us to take her in first thing Friday morning for a quick check-up.

Bill took her in as instructed and was shocked when moments later the vet came out and informed him

that she had to immediately undergo surgery (a risky one especially at her age).

The verdict: Besi has Cancer of the spleen / hemangiosarcoma.

They took out her spleen which had a tumor the size

of a small grapefruit!

Had they not, she would have continued

to bleed to death.

At first look, it did not look like the cancer had metastasized.

We were allowed to see her very briefly before the vet closed and she was up and smiling.

The only thing she was mad about is that I did not insist that the doctor give her a bikini cut. :-)

They kept her over the weekend since she needed fluid therapy.

Yesterday, we were so happy that we were able to take her home.

We are still waiting for the results of the biopsy on the mass to determine if it is benign or malignant (2/3rds of the cases are hemangiosarcoma).

Again, thanks for your prayers/good thoughts/good vibes.

Please continue sending them, since we are not yet out of the woods.

We remain hopeful that it is nonmalignant. Sniff.

Besi & Birdie with Shelby & Bea

2009-04-12T17:00:00.001-07:00

or please click HERE for a bigger slideshow of the album.
If you prefer to view the thumbnails, please click on the link below:
Besi & Birdie with Shelby & Bea

Birdie & Besi meeting Shelby for the first time

Shelby, Besi, Birdie, & Bea

by the Playa del Rey/Marina del Rey jetty

Birdie, Shelby, Besi, & Bea at the park

Bea, Shelby, Birdie, & Besi running by Del Rey Lagoon

Besi, Shelby, & Birdie

Shelby, the sweetest Yellow Lab of the desert

2009-04-02T18:00:00.000-07:00

my friend Carlos adopted a one-year old Yellow Labrador
to be a younger sister to Bea, the Jack Russell Terrier

Besi & Birdie's roadtrip to the desert

2009-03-29T12:00:00.000-07:00

Please click HERE for more pics of Besi & Birdie's roadtrip to the desert.

Besi & Birdie's roadtrip to the snow mountain

2009-03-27T12:00:00.000-07:00

Please click HERE for more pics of Besi & Birdie's roadtrip to the snow mountain.

Neo - the gorgeous Black Lab of San Diego

2009-03-09T13:00:00.000-07:00

Neo Laser, the gorgeous Black Labrador of San Diego

Neo with his mom, Becky, at Point Loma

Family Portrait - with Daddy Chris & Mommy Becky

We Lab You!!! - Happy Valentine's Day!!!

2009-02-14T12:00:00.000-08:00

Wrigley - R.I.P.

2009-02-13T11:00:00.000-08:00

Wrigley, the beautiful beloved 6-year old Yellow Labrador

of Chris & Heather, children of our friends, Gloria & Bruce,
passed away today due to cancer.
Wrigley, may you rest in peace in doggie-heaven.
For more info on Wrigley, please click HERE.

Toby, the North Hollywood Chihuahua

2009-02-07T16:00:00.000-08:00

a dirty Sachi, who badly needs a bath

on his way to see
Toby, the North Hollywood Chihuahua

Toby tries to hump the now castrated Sachi

I gave my aunt 2 Chihuahua figurines as a birthday gift...

...to make her Toby feel like a giant

Labs, Linens 'n Things

2009-01-03T06:00:00.000-08:00

Birdie & Besi didn't have their beds with them
during our weekend in the desert.
We woke up to see that they had gathered our dirty clothes
to use as their nest...LOL

Happy New Year 2009! from B & B

2009-01-01T00:00:00.000-08:00

Birdie

Besi

Puri - R.I.P.

2008-12-26T15:00:00.000-08:00

Puri & Bode

***

Puri Saba
06SEP06-28DEC08
R.I.P.

We were bird-sitting Puri & Bode for my sister, Sari, while she was away in the east coast for the holidays. Puri must have been depressed and missing her mom. Unfortunately, on our watch, Puri, the pure white female budgerigar, passed away and left Bode, the blue male budgerigar, all alone. She was only about 2 years old. I panicked and immediately went to the pet store to ask the bird experts for advice. They assured me that it was nothing we specifically did or did not do. Unlike lovebirds, I apparently did not have to immediately get Bode a new partner. I had them cremate Puri. I then called my sister to break the bad news.

Besi & Birdie's first White X'mas with Amor

2008-12-25T12:00:00.000-08:00

Bill with Besi, Amor, and Birdie

Birdie's O'drools & HeinieSniff'n

Birdie's O'drools

Amor's O'drools

Amor

Besi & Birdie's first white X'mas

Cocoa Saba Lapus - Jack Russel Terrier

2008-12-24T12:00:00.000-08:00

Besi & Birdie have a new cousin in the Philippines:
Cocoa

My nieces, Amanda, Lorriane, and Pauline
with the new family dog, a Jack Russel Terrier.

Jack - R.I.P.

2008-12-20T18:00:00.000-08:00

Jack Longo
01MAY96-20DEC08
R.I.P.

Today, we received very sad news.
Our goddog, Jack, a handsome 12 1/2-year old black Labrador Retriever, went to join Koko, in doggie heaven.

Jack was born a month earlier than Besi, and he practically grew up with Besi & Birdie.
We would dogsit Jack on occasion when his parents, Bob & Mary, had to go out of town. We enjoyed all those moments together with him. We treated him as our own dog. We even asked Bob & Mary, if we were to be the designated godparents to Jack, if anything bad should happen to them (knock on wood). We were happy they informed us that we were.

Several months ago, the Longos moved out of Playa del Rey and relocated to Chicago. We were sad to see them go.

We gathered that three months ago, Jack had to have throat surgery which served to improve his breathing.

Yesterday, he was rushed to the Vet for what turned out to be a very painful bout of pancreatitis. Bob & Mary got a call from the vet early this morning advising them that Jack was going into heart failure. They read off a laundry list of measures they would typically take, but as the vet said, “It’s time”. They went to the vet’s office and had him laid to rest. It was so bittersweet to see that last hint of a tail wag. It was very sad, but peaceful; he simply went to sleep with Bob holding his head and Mary stroking his ears.
As Bob & Mary said, "Jack had a great life. And, I have wonderful memories of our “partnership” out in the hunting fields, playing fetch in the park, or just dutifully keeping me company in my home office for so many years. "

Bill and I are very much grieving this loss as well. We hugged Besi & Birdie a little bit longer than usual this morning as we shed tears for Jack.To a dog lover, losing a dog is like losing your child. We will miss him dearly.

Please click HERE for other postings with Jack.

X'mas goldfish

2008-12-16T12:00:00.000-08:00

I think my sister, Sari, misunderstood me, when I said I wanted "gold" for X'mas. As a X'mas gift, she got me seven different types of goldfish to add to my aquarium and keep my lonesome solo silver goldfish, "Uno", company. Oh boy, now I will have to maintain the fish tank once again or wait until they get obese and die one by one...LOL

Sachi & Czarina's X'mas card

2008-12-11T15:00:00.000-08:00

Hero Dogs

2008-12-09T18:00:00.000-08:00

Birdie & Besi with actress, Hayden Panettiere,
at the outdoor TV shoot of NBC's Heroes,
at their playground, Del Rey Lagoon.

Besi & Birdie with Amor

2008-12-06T12:00:00.000-08:00

Amor Quadros-Drucker,
our wirehaired Dachshund friend,
stays with us for a visit.

Besi, Amor, and Birdie

Birdie's Halloween Afro

2008-10-31T20:00:00.000-07:00

Chocolate Brown Sugar Afro Birdie

Eddie's rescued new pup, Keoki

2008-10-25T20:00:00.000-07:00

my friend, Eddie, rescued a new pup, Keoki

"Out of the kitchen!"

2008-10-15T20:00:00.000-07:00

Sean, Birdie, Besi, Czarina, Sachi, and Sari

Sir Hans Tybalt Gacula - Bichon Frise

2008-10-11T16:00:00.000-07:00

My cousin, Agnes' family got a
new Bichon Frise puppy,
Sir Hans Tybalt Gacula

Sachi rapes Toby, the Riverside Chihuahua

2008-10-06T19:00:00.000-07:00

My Auntie Alma's Toby, the Riverside Chihuahua

Sachi meets Toby

Sachi rapes Toby

Sachi's first butchered haircut

2008-09-21T18:00:00.000-07:00

Sachi enjoys watching TV

2008-09-10T14:00:00.000-07:00

Sachi Saba - our new baby in the family

2008-08-26T17:26:00.001-07:00

A few days after the Los Angeles Earthquake last July 29th, while taking Besi & Birdie for their evening walk at the park, we happened to meet our neighbors, Jackie & David. They were walking this very cute white dog that looked like a Maltipoo (Maltese-Poodle) or a Lhatese (Lhasa Apso-Maltese).

David had apparently found him running in the streets of Hancock Park on his way back home to Playa del Rey. It was the day of the earthquake, and the little tyke must have been so frightened that he got away from his owners. Their plan was too put up posters around the neighborhood where he was found, ads in the newspaper and a lost & found posting in Craigslist. It was our hope that he and his owners be reunited as soon as possible.

By coincidence, I also knew that my niece, Czarina, was looking into adopting a dog. I told Jackie & David that if their search for the owners proved to be unsuccessful, to think of my niece. I kept in touch with the lovely couple. After a couple of weeks, no one, surprisingly, had responded to any of their notices. What was not surprising was that they had eventually fallen in love with the fluffy white dog. But because of their living situation and future plans, they knew that keeping him was not going to be in the best interest for him. After several exchanges, they asked for an assurance that Czarina would be a good parent to him. Czarina was partially raised by me, grew up with me and shares the same passion and love for animals like I do, so I confidently assured them that she would be and that she would have the support of family & friends. So they agreed to meet her to see if it would be a good match.

Czarina meets her potential dog for the very first time

Less than a week later, on my 39th birthday, Jackie & David made the painful decision to give up the doggie and turn him over to Czarina's care. Unfortunately, this happy day for us was, understandably, a very sad day for them, but at the same time they knew that they were doing the right thing. We will forever be connected to them through this fluffy white dog that Czarina has named, Sachi. Sachi means happiness in Japanese, pure in Sanskrit, and truth in Hindi. So Sachi is our truly pure happy dog!

"Where am I?"

"I like this house!"

with my new Mommy, Czarina

meeting my new GrandMa, Sari

with my Grand Uncle Sean ...
"... and I thought I was the cutest boy here."
"Don't rub me too much or else my red lipstick might come out."

Auntie Besi & Auntie Birdie,
excited that they have a new nephew

with Auntie Besi & Auntie Birdie

"Is this my new bed?"

"I'm tired."

"Sigh... I feel loved."

Candy & Ming's Reiki Fur Babies

2008-07-01T12:00:00.000-07:00

Our friends, Candy & Ming, now have their website/blog
of their reiki fur babies, Sammy Diva, KC, Lucy, Mochi, and Star.
Check it out by clicking HERE.
Post Options

A Star is Rescued!

2008-06-28T14:00:00.000-07:00

Candy & Star

for more info on Star,
please click HERE.

Tug of War at the swimming pool

2008-05-25T16:00:00.000-07:00

Mocha & Birdie vs. Besi

Birdie vs. Besi

Mocha & Birdie vs. Besi

Besi, Mocha, and Birdie

KC & Mocha

Mocha, Besi, and Birdie

Koko - In Memoriam

2008-05-22T12:00:00.000-07:00

Today marks 10 years since that horrible day
before the start of the Memorial Weekend,
when tragedy struck and we lost Koko
and I almost lost Bill and Birdie as well.
We still remember the event so vividly
as if it just happened yesterday.

***

KOKO’S STORY

01 January 1987 - 22 May 1998
R.I.P.

Hello, my name is Koko. I am an eleven year old Chocolate Labrador Retriever. On New Year’s Day of the year 1987, I was born in Grants Pass, Oregon. As a young puppy, I was brought down here to Playa del Rey , California, to meet my master, Bill. I lived with him at Vista del Mar for the first ten years of my life. Those were wonderful years. I was both his best friend and soul mate. The Ballona Wetlands was my backyard and playground. I enjoyed running and playing ball with him in these wet lands and at the beach.
I also had another companion with whom I grew up, Tuffy, my sister cat.
The past three years were especially happy because I also had another master, Sean, who also loved me so dearly.
Almost two years ago, they got me a new playmate, Besi, a Yellow Labrador Retriever puppy. I was to be her mother, friend, and mentor. Last year, we all moved to another house at Esplanade, as we started to build our dream house on Vista del Mar. Now, we live right in front of the Del Rey Lagoon. After a hard game of catch, and often against our masters’ wishes, Besi and I would sometimes run and jump in the lagoon to cool off. We just could not help ourselves. What do you expect, we are Labradors. This was one of our most enjoyable moments. What a great life!

Last May 22, 1998, the beginning of the long Memorial Day Weekend, my master Bill and our Aunt Laurie took Pele, our Dalmatian girlfriend, Besi and me for a walk by the Ballon Creek jetty just before twilight. Again, Besi and I could not help ourselves, so we jumped right in the water. There was this seemingly harmless-looking tiny whirlpool that caught our eye, so we swam towards it. In an instant, I saw Besi vanish before my very eyes as she suddenly was sucked in. Before I knew it, I found myself also being pulled under water. I felt my body being swallowed by the mouth of a six foot in diameter pipe. The next thing I felt was my master’s hands trying to reach for us. He had immediately jumped in after us, to save us, but simply could not because he himself was being sucked in as well by this strong vacuum. I struggled and fought hard against the current so that I could reach him, but alas, I was too old and weak and lost the battle …

The next thing I saw was Aunt Laurie reaching out to my master with a “God sent” large piece of driftwood to help get him out. After being rescued, my master then realized that this vacuum was being caused by the flow of ocean water rushing through a submerged 180 foot pipe that empties into the lagoon. I saw my master jump over the fence that divides the jetty from the lagoon and run towards the lagoon’s gate. There I also saw, a few feet away, an exhausted Besi lying at the bank. Then I saw the weirdest sight I had ever seen in my life. From out of the water, emerged a dog that looked so much like me, floating faced down on top of the surface. My master jumped in and gave this look-alike dog mouth-to-mouth resuscitation. Aunt Laurie, a registered nurse, came around and pumped this dog’s chest. Apparently, one of the many neighbors witnessing this chain of events had called 911. The paramedics arrived and checked the dog’s vital signs. They said that it was too late. They put her lifeless body along with Besi in my master’s car. Besi was in shock. I could tell that she did not like this. They left this other dog at the construction site at Vista del Mar for a little while, while they rushed Besi to the hospital …

Then all I can remember is seeing my two masters crying in the company of some neighbors and hearing them say my name, as they laid this dog that looked like me to rest four feet underground. That is when I realized that, unlike Besi, I had not made it alive through that tunnel after all.

Now, I find myself in doggie heaven. I have several playmates here, including Dak, my boyfriend of eight years. A lot of us are here just waiting to be reunited with our masters. I am very happy, albeit, that I do miss my family very much. I wish I could still be there to take care of Besi, who is still recovering from a bout with pneumonia.

I just wanted to share my story with my fellow doggie friends and their masters in our community. I wanted to warn you about this hazard that exists in our neighborhood. I understand that some of you have called city officials to rectify the condition of this dangerous area. Thank you. If this awareness helps prevent any of you from losing a master, a dog, or a child, then I would rest in peace knowing that I did not depart from this world in vain. Take care and love each other well.

KOKO

HOME

Besi & Birdie in Huntington Dog Beach & Newport Beach

2008-05-18T14:00:00.000-07:00

"Sean of a Beach"...

and his bitches

"Oh shit ... everybody, get out of the water!"

Besi & Birdie @ Huntington Doggie Beach, CA

Happy 10th Birthday Birdie!

2008-05-07T10:00:00.000-07:00

Publish Post

Our youngest girl is now 10 years old.

"Yes, my gray hairs are a dead give-away
that I'm actually an old bitch."

Older sister, Besi , wants to greet you.

"No, sorry baby, you can't have chocolate."

Lucy Brown's Party

2008-05-03T13:00:00.000-07:00

Attended Lucy's Welcoming-to-the-Brown-Family Party.
She is lucky to be part of Ming & Mark's family.

with Lucy Brown

with Lucy's older sister, Sammy Diva Chee

Birdie & Besi with Caitlin

2008-04-14T09:00:00.000-07:00

Caitlin with Birdie & Besi

Carley & Tom's Jack Russell Terrier puppy, Jax

2008-03-17T16:00:00.000-07:00

Carley & Tom's kids (for now):

Jax, Daisy's new brother

Jax and Daisy on Spencer Butte, Eugene, Oregon

rough play with Buddha watching

Besi & Birdie with Sara

2008-03-09T09:00:00.000-07:00

Sara, Besi & Birdie

Cassy Saba Robson's Cockapoo puppy, Mady

2008-02-29T16:00:00.000-08:00

Besi & Birdie have a new cousin.
My niece, Cassandra just got a new puppy:
Madison (Mady) Petunia

Madison is a cockapoo.
She is 11 weeks old.
She is the ultimate puppy,
very loving, a total lap dog, and a complete fuzzball.
Cassy says ,
"Who needs a guy when I can have my puppy's company?" LOL

Besi, Birdie, Bed, Bath, and Beyond

2008-02-22T18:00:00.000-08:00

Besi & Birdie with their laptop

2008-02-17T16:00:00.000-08:00

Carley & Tom's Yellow Labrador puppy, Daisy

2008-01-25T19:00:00.000-08:00

Carley's birthday gift to Tom,

a Yellow Labrador Puppy

a great pic by Tom of Daisy in the snow

Skater Labs in the Desert

2008-01-20T18:00:00.000-08:00

Besi & Birdie always never fail to bring out the kid in me:

B & B proved themselves to be good working dogs
while on vacation in
Tito Caloys' house in the desert

Swimming on X'mas Day 2007

2007-12-25T15:00:00.000-08:00

KC paying her respects to the eldest cousin, Besi

Birdie, Besi, and Mocha

Birdie, Besi, and Mocha

visiting KC & Lucy Boroditsky

2007-12-06T18:00:00.000-08:00

KC wanting to get at the jelly doughnut holes
after Hanukkah dinner

KC & Lucy in bed

Lucy w/ Sean

Bailey, our French Bulldog friend

2007-10-20T21:00:00.000-07:00

Our friends Louie & Ony have a new baby:

Bailey is a pure bred French Bulldog
Born August 3, 2007
in El Segundo, CA

LAB: Labradors Against Brutality

2007-09-15T12:00:00.000-07:00

With the Atlanta Falcons Quarterback, Michael Vick,

and his connection with dog fighting

all over the the news in the past months,

my Labradors and I decided to make a stand

for our "my week in three words" entry to ABC's show i-CAUGHT:

Jack (Black Labrador), Besi (Yellow Labrador),

and Birdie (Chocolate Labrador)

LAB: Labradors Against Brutality

"Stop Dog Fighting!"

Jack, Besi, and Birdie

"Stop Dog Fighting!"

Swimming Party before the end of Summer 2007

2007-07-22T12:00:00.000-07:00

Mocha

with Mocha

Besi & Birdie in Huntington Dog Beach

2007-07-14T19:30:00.000-07:00

We were invited by our friends down to Dana Point

to celebrate Bastille Day

with friends & family who enjoyed French food & wine.

The next day we took our sweet time enjoying the drive up

the beautiful Southern Californian coastline.

Seeing the Pacific Ocean made the girls overly excited about going for a swim.

Fortunately, we discovered Huntington Dog Beach.:

Besi - Diagnosed with Degenerative Myelopathy

2007-06-20T19:30:00.000-07:00

One minute, Besi (Yellow Labrador) was gazing at me with her beautiful flawless face,
then the next minute, I was shocked to see half of her face covered in blood. She apparently had scratched her left cheek raw, while I was busy talking to a client on the phone.
We took her to the veterinarian as soon as we could. The doctor suspected that it could have been a spider bite.
Since she was already in the clinic, we had the doctor check her up. We informed him that we've been noticing for quite some time now that she has been having difficulty getting up the stairs or jumping up in the car/on the bed and that one of her hind legs seems to curve inward while walking.

After reviewing a 6-month old X-ray from a previous check-up, the doctor shocked us with a term we've never heard before. He diagnosed Besi as having Degenerative Myelopathy (DM), (progressive rear limb weakness or paralysis), which is an auto immune disease where the immune system attacks the central nervous system. This is equivalent to the human disease Multiple Sclerosis. The attack leads to degeneration of the myelin sheath (insulation) and axons (nerve fibers). It has been reported in almost all large breeds of dogs with the disease appearing with relative frequency in the German Shepherd.

He advised that it is painless but will affect her body very quickly, thus she had only up to a few weeks to a few months to live. We were in total shocked and were naturally very sad.

We're hoping that with our love, constant exercise, and with the help of vitamins/medication, she will have more time with us on this earth.

Our Besi

Give her a ball, and she's a happy dog,

even if the cone is not flattering to her figure.

My Bitches Wear Prada

2007-06-09T19:00:00.000-07:00

I am a dog lover,

but I must admit that I tend to cringe

whenever I see a Paris Hilton-type

take her foo-foo dog along with her inside a mall.

But today, I had to cringed at myself.

I took my dogs out with me

while my friend Anthony and I visited a friend, Tony,

who happens to be a bigwig at Barneys New York.

Once Tony found out the dogs were waiting inside the car,

he asked me to let them inside the store.

Well, what he did not know

is that my dogs are not exactly the size of Chihuahuas.

Besi & Birdie with the Lanvin manequins,

welcoming shoppers by the entrance

The Birdie wears Prada,

but white is really not her favorite color

my friends, Anthony and Tony take them for a walk on Rodeo Drive

Now let's get a diamond encrusted dog collar at Tifanny's

resting by Dior

Besi & Birdie Saba-Westling

2007-06-06T09:51:00.000-07:00

Presenting our "lab"-able daughters, Besi & Birdie!

X'mas 2006

X'mas 2005

Besi is our Yellow Labrador Retriever,
born in June of 1996
and
Birdie is our Chocolate Labrador Retriever,
born in May of 1998.

They both love to wake us up, lick, bark, walk, pee, poop,
eat, drink, nap, swim, run, retrieve the ball, pee, poop,
pant, beg, eat, drink, sleep...

For our first anniversary, it was a ring or a dog.
I obviously chose a dog.
B.S. for Bill & Sean, B.S. for Buena Suerte,
B.S. for Bull Shit, B.S. for BeSi
when she arrived in her new home
as a puppy in August 1996
As a young dog, before Birdie came along
Named Birdie, since she's a bird dog
and 'cuz she's one under par!
For non-golfers, that means better than average/normal.
As a cute fat puppy,
shortly before she came to our lives in August 1998Besi & Birdie's first bubble bath together
They prefer to ride in the car than be left at home alone
Bandana B's Brokeback B's
with their Papa Sean
with their Daddy Bill

Sammy Diva, our Labrador girlfriend

2007-06-03T08:52:00.000-07:00

Sammy Diva is the cute baby of Ming & Mark:

Sammy, having a run of Don Pedro Lake (near Yosemite)
Sammy and the houseboat
Sammy and his family

Mali, our TomKitty friend

2007-05-22T09:00:00.000-07:00

Playcat Centerfold

ZZZzzz...

Besi & Birdie with Pommie & Papi

2007-05-05T22:00:00.000-07:00

For Cinco de Mayo 2007,

we did not have a Mexican Chihuahua Taco Bell dog

as our "food" or as our guest.

We had our friends,

Pommie the Pomeranian and Papi the Papillon

as our dinner guests instead.

We had so much fun with these little ones.

Sean with Papi & Pommie
Besi, Birdie, Pommie, and Papi
Birdie, Besi, Papi, and Pommie

Besi, Birdie, and Jack as my home-officemates

2007-03-21T13:00:00.000-07:00

Besi & Birdie doing synchronized pooping

2007-03-20T12:00:00.000-07:00

We've trained Besi & Birdie to poop on command.
If there were Dog Olympics for Synchronized Pooping,
they may just qualify to win.
LOL

Besi & Birdie with Bea

2007-02-18T12:00:00.000-08:00

Tuffy, our sister cat

2006-09-14T12:00:00.000-07:00

Presenting Tuffy , our one and only sister cat
(?) 1985 - October 16, 2002
R.I.P.

This gorgeous white kitten suddenly appeared
one day at our Daddy Bill's doorstep
and never wanted to leave this man,
who never ever wanted a cat.
Koko wanted a sister so she got herself a sister cat.
Tuffy lived a very full nine lives for approximately 17 years.

Tuffy during her younger years
Tuffy & Koko, during their younger years
Puppy Besi's first meeting
with her older sister cat, Tuffy
August 1996Queen Tuffy,
sleeping in between her court, Birdie & Besi

Besi, the Supermodel Dog

2006-09-13T21:00:00.000-07:00

Please click HERE to see Besi,
as a supermodel of doggie diapers in her senior years.

Chocolate, not good for my Chocolate!

2006-09-12T12:00:00.001-07:00

Every time we have out-of-town guests staying over, I often forget to warn them that if they have any food in their luggage, to make sure to put a lock on the zippers or shut the bedroom door. Birdie, my eight year old chocolate Labrador,
is sucha foodaholic, that she manages to unzip/open/break/tear anything that stores food.
As I left the office on Friday, I suddenly had a craving for chocolate, grabbed a handful of kisses, made the mistake of throwing them inside my backpack and forgetting about them. A day later, Birdie, seemed like she had lost all control of her motor skills. It was obvious she was in terrible pain. Bill asked me if she had ingested anything. I never saw any telltale evidence, such as laid out empty wrappers, so I thought nothing of it. It only dawned on me the next day what could have been the possible culprit. We went to the pet store and embarrassingly explained our quandary. The clerk nonchalantly said that it happens all the time, and verified that chocolate is toxic for dogs. He gave me these dog biscuits made of activated carbon/charcoal/coal. As soon as I gave it to Birdie, she released several chocolate covered in foil out from her Hershey highway, and immediately came back to her normal hyperactive self. Phfeew! No more Hershey Kisses or any chocolate for my bitch!

Buddy, our hamster brother

2006-09-11T16:00:00.000-07:00

Buddy, our hamster brother
December 2003 - Dec 2005
R.I.P
At least he lived to experience three X'mas Holidays

Mardi Gras Buddy

Caged Go-Go Buddy

Our Goldfish Siblings

2006-09-10T16:00:00.000-07:00

Our Budgerigar Siblings

2006-09-09T11:00:00.000-07:00

For a housewarming gift, Papa Sean got Auntie Sari a pair of parakeets,
Boni (for Ibon - bird in Tagalog) was a female white parakeet,
and Bode (as in Bode Miller) is a blue male parakeet.
Unfortunately, Boni passed away, and was replaced by
an albino female parakeet, Puri, for pure white.

Bode & Boni

Puri & Bode

Besi & Birdie with Pele

2006-08-31T12:00:00.000-07:00

With Pele Williams, our Dalmatian girlfriend,
who is literally the girl-next-door,
but now commutes back and forth
from Playa del Rey to Ohio

Besi, Birdie, and Pele

Besi & Birdie with Mocha & KC

2006-08-27T12:00:00.000-07:00

First meeting with our new cousins,
the "Valley of the Labs",
Mocha, is a 6-month old Chocolate Labrador puppy &
KC, is a 3-month old Black Labrador puppy

Mocha: "Who are these look-a-likes,

who are invading my pool?"
KC, saying hello to the matriarch
KC, saying hello to Birdie
Birdie: "Last one in is a pussy!"
Mocha: "I believe that is my toy!"
"Come to Daddy, Birdie!"
Besi, surprising us by swimming vertically
KC's first time to swim
KC: "So that's what this giant water bowl is for!"
posing with Mocha to our right
posing with Mocha in the background

KC, Sean, Besi, Mocha, & Birdie

Besi & Birdie with Amor

2006-08-26T00:00:00.000-07:00

Weekend with Amor Quadros-Drucker,
our wirehaired Dachshund puppy boytoy,
at his home in Tehachapi, California

Amor: "You girls are a pair of big bitches!"
"Wanna wrestle?!"
Birdie: "That is one small penis!"
"So Amor, you really think you can handle us, huh?"
"Amor, we're sorry, but we are actually not as young as you think."
"Is that lake water, green?"
"Do you wanna come home with us, Amor?"

Bella & Pal, our cousins in Vermont

2006-08-18T14:00:00.000-07:00

Bella & Pal,
our cousins who live in Norwich, Vermont
Unfortunately, we have not met them yet.
Hopefully one day, we will.

Bella & Pal

On a beautiful Sunday Afternoon

2006-08-13T17:00:00.000-07:00

Swimming in the Ballona Creek
between Marina del Rey & Playa del Rey
on a beautiful Sunday afternoon

taking a nap back to back

Besi & Birdie swimming with Jack

2006-06-11T16:00:00.001-07:00

Swimming with Jack Longo,
our handsome Black Labrador brother,
in the Ballona Creek
between Marina del Rey & Playa del Rey

"Besi, sit!...Good girl!"
with our Daddy Bill
Revisiting the whirlpool hole
that sucked Besi in
and killed Koko last May 22, 1998
Birdie: "I caught myself a Blondie!"
Jack with his Daddy Bob
"Me first!"
"No fair, I wasn't ready for that!"
first run
Jack back first
Birdie got the ball, Besi back last
Another run
"pant...pant...gargle...gargle"
Birdie back first
"I'll just wait here."
"Sit, stay, watch the ball...."
"Go!....last one in is a pussy!"
"Wait for me!"
All in
"I'm gonna get it!"
"Where is that ball?"
"Got it!"
Coming back
Getting closer
"Almost there!"
"Touch down!"
"That was fun!...again...again!"
"Shake!"

Bea & Tito Caloy, our favorite Bitches in SFO

2006-06-03T16:00:00.000-07:00

Bea Gonzalez,
our Jack Russell Terrier girlfriend,
daughter of our Tito Caloy.
They live in San Francisco

Bo, our neighbor and friend

2006-03-05T16:00:00.000-08:00

Bo Tanisaka-Morris, our neighbor and friend

Maxxee, our TomCat friend

2006-02-06T16:00:00.000-08:00

Maxxee Buchanan, is the 13-year old TomCat Babee
of Nancee, Bill's secretary

"Who says that it's not macho to cross your legs?!"
"Shouldn't have raided Mama's hidden stash of vodka!"
"Can't walk a straight line, must lie down."

Lupe, our friend in L.A.

2006-01-31T09:00:00.000-08:00

Lupe Fernandez-Freed,
our Pug girlfriend at 4-weeks old

Weekend Getaway in the Desert

2006-01-28T16:00:00.001-08:00

Palm Springs-Indian Wells Weekend Getaway

with Daddy Bill
Tito Caloy's beautiful property in the desert
"Let's play tennis!"
"Let's play catch!"
"Let's shoot some hoops!"
"Forget the Jacuzzi, let's hit the pool!"
"Is it cold?"
"Who cares?!"
"ahhhhh!"
Blonde Loch Ness Monster
"I caught myself a big one, Daddy!"
"Come here, little ball."
"Catch me, if you can?!"
"Jacuzzi time!"
"I still have to do some laps to keep my figure."
"Look at us, Papa!"