Travis & Savannah

Scott and I moved to Council Bluffs in the summer of 1998. Soon after we got there, we adopted two little White German Shepherd puppies, Travis and his sister Savannah. Travis was also known, along with Savannah as “Monsters” or just “Monster”. Until recently, American Kennel Club. They are now considered a breed of their own, the American White Shepherd, also known as the American-Canadian White Shepherd.

Watching them grow up was such a joy and the two developed the sweetest natures. They became watchdogs to our little family, though were really not aggressive by nature. When danger was near, however, they could be a formidable team.  (I have to get THREE comments to this post, and then I’ll tell the story of one of them. 5 comments will get two stories.  And SEVEN comments gets ALL the stories!  And the comments can’t all be from one person!)

Savannah shared companionship with Pam. She was virtually inseparable from Pam, and helped Pam in her daily life.

As puppies, these two were hellions!  They came by their monikers “Monsters” honestly!  They chewed.  And they had no aversions… putting amonia or chili pepper or anything on things did NOT stop them from chewing!  They chewed tables.  They chewed a 3 piece living room sectional to pieces – reduced them to wood frames and then started in on those!  Fortunately, they grew out of that!

Travis liked coke! (As in Coca Cola.  Sheesh!) He would lie on the kitchen floor with a captured can of coke… or a bottle… and then very carefully puncture the can or bottle with a tooth and greedily drink it as it shot out of the hole!  Unfortunately, he would then shred the can to tiny pieces, most of which he consumed!

In 2000, Travis began exhibiting idiopathic epilepsy. For nearly four years, we struggled to control the seizures with Phenobarbitol and Potassium Bromide.

Savannah was a good sister to Travis, and often would keep him company during his post-ictal periods… those periods after seizures when Travis would be exhausted and disoriented. She also was a great body-guard to Travis. When he was down and defenseless, no one but Scott, me, Pam and Gary could approach him. The cats learned to stay away as did Lacy (Lacy was Pam’s dog, and I’ll not be writing about her)!

Alas, she was also a very headstrong girl, who wanted to wander. One night Savannah got outside in the front yard without a leash, and dashed in front of a car. Though not obviously injured, we later learned her bowels were perforated and by the time we got her to the ER 12 miles away, she was very sick. In spite of the valiant efforts of Omaha’s finest ER Vets, Savannah took that journey to the Rainbow Bridge in early March, 2001.  Her Mommy Pam missed her dearly (see the next post, called “Princess Nikki”) and in 2003 she made that journey herself to see Savannah.  We miss Savannah nearly as much as Pam did.

In January, 2004, Travis lost his battle with Epilepsy. Travis now waits for us, with PC & I hope Savannah, at the Rainbow Bridge.

Part of me hopes all my loved ones, furred and human all wait there!