Sally Sue Stelter

One Of A Kind

Sally Sue as Gary likes to call her or better yet, she’s my little girl. There is no truer statement. Some dogs bond with one person, that personifies Sally. She tolerates Ernie and I in the house; but Gary is her property. 

She Was A Hunter

In her younger days she was a hunter. Now at the ripe age of 16 she no longer hunts. Back then there was no fence. It was just her and Gary, so she ran wild. Gary told me she would be gone for hours. He would drive around looking for her, not finding her, she would suddenly appear in the yard on her own. A year or so after I arrived on the scene my husband put up a fence. Sally was now constantly trying to find a way out. She did succeed a couple times. A part of the fenced in area of our yard bordered another property so Gary and I had to improve the best we could. 

How Did This Happen?

Sally somehow got meningitis when she was five years old. We took her to our vet who misdiagnosed her with Lymes Disease. She took pills for that for a week and was not improving. I called my daughter who has a dog asking her the name of the vet they used. I immediately made an appointment for Sally; by this time she could barely walk and was not sleeping.

The vet we saw instantly told me he thought she had meningitis and gave me some prednisone pills for her to take. But he said she could not take them until after a vet visit at the University of Minnesota. She had to be diagnosed with meningitis before she could take the pills he prescribed, and a spinal tap would need to be done to get a diagnosis.

So, off to the University we went. By this time Sally could not walk. She was carried into the vets at the university where we waited for the vet.

Sally saw a student who was going to school to be a Veterinarian. As soon as she examined Sally she ordered a spinal tap. Once that was done we received the results. It was as we figured Sally had meningitis and they gave her a healthy dose of prednisone via a shot for her first dose. Thanking them we paid the bill and left.

By the time we were halfway home Sally was able to stand on her own when we let her out of the vehicle to go potty. That same night was the first night Sally slept in a week. She showed so much improvement the next day Gary and I looked at the prednisone pill as a miracle drug. Although still slightly confused she felt so much better. The vet told us the meningitis had gotten into her brain. I was hoping the meningitis knocked some of her orneriness out of her but soon realized that didn’t happen. She was back to her old self. She wouldn’t be Sally with the ornery part missing, we were glad she survived-and felt lucky we took her in when we did. Otherwise, I believe she wouldn’t be with us today.

Sally Is Sally

Sally is who she is. She is very protective around Gary. If she is in the recliner with him, he is unapproachable-if Gary has food, she is aggressive and it’s best to stay away. She is too old now to change her habits so we do the best we can with her.

Kisses And Hugs

Gary can smooch her face and cuddle with her, but the same does not ring true for me. She has lunged at me a few too many times so I keep my distance. I love her because she is a dog, but I love her from a distance. She is Gary’s dog. The other Jack Russell in the photo is my Rexie. He had liver disease when he was twelve, it was not a good time in our lives. He is no longer with us. He was the perfect dog.

She Is Smart

Dogs amaze me with their intuitiveness. Sally knew Ernie didn’t feel good one day, Sally went up to him and sniffed him. She had never done that before, she left him alone that day. My husband and I both believe she knew he was under the weather. 

Mellow Out

Sally at 16 has mellowed out a tad bit. She still has her moments with Ernie, especially around food. 

She was here first so Ernie has to respect that. It helps that he isn't afraid of her. He constantly sniffs her following her around. Sometimes she allows it and sometimes she snaps at Ernie. Ernie runs to the bed, I think he knows it’s a safe place for him because Sally cannot get on the bed without assistance.

Hats off to Sally for outliving most of her generation! May we have her for many years to come!

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