Itchy Monkey

This guy was truly one in a million! I found him bald and next to death, standing on a manhole cover, in the middle of the street…it was June 1, 2008. He barked at me and itched his damaged, exposed skin. I walked over to him, looked in his eyes, and knew he needed my help. I picked him us and carried him the 4 blocks to my house, where I gave him good food, clean water, and a soft ottoman, in front of a window. He slept for hours.
When we went to the vet, the following Monday morning, Dr. Schaad was horrified at how bad he looked- bald, sun damaged skin, fingernails long and curled under to the point of not being able to walk properly, infected ears, clouded eyes, and oh-so-itchy! He wasn’t sure he would make it. But, being the true survivor and ultimate bad ass that he was, he survived…AND FLOURISHED! He was not-so-large, but totally in charge of himself, his destiny, and (ultimately) the rest of the family! 🙂 He had an older brother, Piggie, and (eventually) a younger sister, Milkshake. The three of them loved one another like nothing I’ve ever seen before…they were my original DREAM TEAM! As Itchy (later morphing into Monkey because he constantly preened himself and the other dogs!) grew older and his vision failed, Pig and Milkshake would make sure he was in between the two of them at the park, so he knew which direction to go and to keep him with the pack. He charged on without fear and with plenty of attitude! Sadly, he survived both Pig and Milkshake, but his heartbreak was evident. He was a beautiful, brilliant, silly, playful, and totally hilarious little Shiba, who knew the world was his oyster! He thoroughly enjoyed himself and his brother and sister. I miss his spunk and sass, but I mostly miss his cuddles and his sounds. So vocal. So smart. Such a lover. I am forever grateful he allowed me to be his ‘forever mom.’ You will never be forgotten, my little Monkey man!

A donation was made in Itchy Monkey's memory and the memorial was created on June 2, 2017.