Luna

Luna's mostly Lab, with maybe a bit of Border Collie or something. She came to live with me last August, from a rescue shelter, when she was about a year old. Six weeks later, she stepped on the power window button in the back of my Jeep, lost her balance at 30 mph, tumbled out, and snapped her left hind femur in two. A whole lot of money, a plate and 9 screws, seven sessions with the doggie physical therapist, and 6 months later, she's almost as good as new.

Luna's X-Rays

In the old days, we would have taken her out back and put her out of her misery. That doesn't seem like an option any more. Not for Luna, anyway.

She's genetically a retriever who doesn't retrieve. Oh, she'll chase a tennis ball or a stick like a bat out of hell - no Frisbees yet - but then instead of bringing it to me she throws it up in the air and plays catch with herself. Once she gets tired, she drops it where it is and wanders off to play with something else while she waits for me to walk to the other end of the park to retrieve the ball or stick or whatever.

She's a retriever who's shown no affinity for water. Maybe that'll change. Because of her broken leg she hasn't been to the ocean or run on the beach yet. Maybe the seagulls will bring out her latent instincts.

She's cross-eyed. They asked me at the vet if I wanted a referral to a doggie opthalmologist, who would evaluate her for surgery. She can spot a squirrel at a block away and another dog at 3. She doesn't bump into things any more than most 1 year olds. Cosmetic surgery for dogs?