Help keep Minnie Running! UPDATED 3-3-12

UPDATE 3/3/2012

To give a little update on Minnie: she seems fine but TOTALLY hates the cone and doesn’t want to potty with it on since she goes to sniff and her nose doesn’t reach the ground. She’s pouting but I’m more stubborn, the cone WILL stay on. So she does her stuff when she can’t hold it anymore…She takes her revenge by biting me while I handfeed her – crazy food obssessed pugs don’t seem to care that their eyes could get smashed against the bottom of the bowl! She DOES want to thank everyone for the well wishes and help!

UPDATE 2/6/2012

As an additional, fund raising effort, I am planning on having a table set up at the upcoming Free Spirit Trial, to collect donations and to do a small “Garage Sale” and Fundraiser!  We would like to collect gently used objects, doggy related or not, to sell at our Garage Sale. Please donate your gently-used or new Leashes, Bowls, Agility Equimpent, Toys, CDs, DVD’s, Books, in short, anything and everything, to Minnie’s cause!  You can drop-off your donations at Paws In Motion or contact me to drop them off at our home or meet up somewhere.  We’re also considering a Raffle during the trial.  Of course, you are also welcome to bring them straight to the trial!  Also, please help us spread the word, and come to the trial ready for some shopping  Minnie will be at the trial for only a few runs, and this will be her final trial until her surgery.  After that, we’ll have to see when she comes back.

Hi,

My name is Sheyla Gutiérrez and Minnie the Wonder Pug RN MX MXJ MAD is my five year old baby, who I took in as a rehome in 2007. We were both born in Puerto Rico and have since moved to Florida with the rest of our family. Many of you have probably seen Minnie running in agility trials, she usually gets lots of attention for being a tugging fool, and her “Fit Pug” body always gets us comments!

Minnie has represented Puerto Rico at National and International events. She has been part of Dogs: The Incredible Dog Show which was presented in Puerto Rico, Mexico and Miami. She’s also been to Panama and Bahamas with the Purina Incredible Dog Team, showing off her tricks and agility in front of audiences. Minnie and I have competed at the USDAA Cynosport World Games and most recently, at the 2011 AKC Eukanuba Agility Invitational in Orlando, FL. At the Invitational, Minnie earned two recognitions: Top International Clear Round Dog and Top International Dog After 4 Rounds! She is a little bundle of attitude, and our agility career was not easy in the beginning but we seem to have finally squared away our team work and running her is truly a joy.

Minnie and her rescue sister Elphie, have already undergone several eye surgeries, in hopes of keeping their eyes healthy. The struggle has not been easy or inexpensive, and they both require several daily drops. I have been diligent in their care, and have already put our life savings and lots of struggle into keeping what’s left of their eyesight. To be honest, I would do it again in a heartbeat – they are both specially loving and fun companions and I don’t feel this is a hardship at all.

On January 6^th of this year, our only family car, our 12 year old Mazda MPV died on me in the highway. It was a horrible scare for me, but most importantly, it turns out the damage to it requires major repairs or possibly even a new car. Exactly five days later, Minnie and Elphie went in for their scheduled eye check-up with the specialist, and we were told that Minnie has cataracts and will need eye surgery or she will be blind within six months. We felt devastated and defeated. As many of you know, my husband and I just moved here from Puerto Rico a few months ago. I work as a dog trainer, but my husband has been unemployed for two years now, and we decided to move in hopes of finding other opportunities. Dennis is working on webpages and technical work, looking for work but still unemployed and we are trying our best to make things work, and making the best of the opportunities we have. Still, we have no hopes of being able to cover the cost for Minnie’s surgery at this time, especially with everything else going on.

Many would give up, and possibly consider retirement. She’s certainly had a full and successful agility career and yes, that is enough, but I can’t just give up at the height of her career (she would be the second of my dogs to retire at their peak) and it’s not fair to her for me to repay her like this. Even if she were retired, she still has a long life ahead of her and I want to do the best for her. Minnie is very young and I certainly can’t consider letting her spend the rest of her days blind! She tries her hardest in the agility ring and so should I for her!!!!

That afternoon, after leaving the vet, I posted on Facebook a little despondent about the news. The outpouring of support and encouragement from Facebook friends was amazing. The ideas and support just came in one after the other, people rooting for Minnie and encouraging us to try many different things. One of the things most commonly suggested was to apply for Care Credit, the other was to set up a Donations Page. We applied for Care Credit that same afternoon as soon as we got home, but were declined. However, with renewed hope, we are starting this donations page in response to all of you who have asked to help us in this. We are also planning to hold some Fun Runs for Minnie, and I’m planning on setting up a collection at the next few trials, assuming we get permission. I’ve actually pulled from the Seminars that I could and have started pulling from trials, but don’t want to pull from everything, since I want her to have a career while she still can. Plus, I’m hoping more and more people will get to know us and will want to help.

Minnie is fully qualified for the USDAA Cynosport World Games for the third time in 4 years of trialing. She actually has two Bye Vouchers for Regionals and has won two Performance Steeplechase events. In 2010, I brought her along to run Performance Grand Prix and Steeplechase but our teamwork still needed tweaking. Last year, even though she was fully qualified, I couldn’t go because I was offered work that I couldn’t afford to turn down. I’d like a chance to run her at Cynosport again, to show off our improved teamwork and maybe even earn a Grey Semis shirt. Like many of you, I dream of one day earning my first MACH with this amazing little Pug that came into my life so unexpectedly, maybe even making it to the Invitational again. Most importantly, I just want for her to keep enjoying life as much as she does. I don’t know if we will be able to afford surgery, IF we do, I don’t know if she’ll be able to come back to agility and when…but I do know surgery will give her a chance to continue running and right now I’m hanging on to that hope that I’ll be able to play agility again with my Flying Monkey!

As asking for money feels unnatural and weird to me, if you ever need help with behavior, classes, workshops, talks or consultation, I offer private and group classes as well as workshops, and of course proceeds from classes go to Minnie’s fund.

Thanks for your support, and for helping spread the word!

Sheyla, Dennis and the Puerto Rico Dogs

Click on the Button below if you would like to donate any amount to help Minnie!

If you can’t do Paypal you can send your donation to our address: 14862 SW 178th Terr, Miami, FL 33187