his site was inspired by the love, loyalty, and powerful emotional bond between me and my rescued dog, Buttons. I have had many dogs and cats in my life; all rescued from one situation or another, and each has been special to me, each in different ways. Buttons was a thunderbolt of surprises from the moment I took him out of a not-so-desirable home situation. He had been allowed to do his "business" in this house, so that was our first issue. He came into his new home and promptly delivered a lump of "well, I am home," to which I sternly prompted him to go outdoors with a harsh word about not going in the house. From that moment on, I never had another problem with him. I was slightly amazed because housebreaking has always been a process in the past. Button was a terripoo mix.He was adorable when he came home at 2 months of age. He went everywhere with me and his canine sister, Winnie, who was a black lab mix, even to work. At one point as a clinical social worker in a public school system, I was working with a selective mute in elementary school who refused to talk at all in school. When other incentives to talk with me failed, I suggested she meet Buttons (with parents permission) who was always waiting for me in the car (as I traveled to different locations during the day). Part of the deal was she had to talk to Buttons and to me in order to see Buttons. Well, lo and behold, she began by whispering to me and then when we went to take Buttons for a walk, she talked more easily to him. Buttons just loved her and waited for his special walk with her every week.

It seemed I always could feel what Buttons was thinking or needed. He slipped out the passenger door of a van when stopping for a Sat. morning yard sale, unbeknownst to either myself or my passenger. He always liked lying under the bench seat in the back which was covered with a throw, so I just assumed he was in there when we left. However, after another stop and getting back into the car, I called for him to come out. No Buttons. I was in panic mode. I thought he may have been stolen as I had cracked the windows for air in the bright Fall day. I was about 1/2 mile from the yard sale and drove back on instinct. The woman said, yes, she had seen a black, curly haired dog two or three times, and then it would disappear. I knew that he was coming back to where the car was parked to see if I was there. I sent my friend scouting, calling through the neighborhood and I decided to drive the quarter of mile back to where there is a park I had walked him in earlier that morning (a park I only had been to twice before with him). I pulled in and he was sitting in the middle of the park, panting and looking frantic. He saw me and the car and came flying. He jumped in my arms and we both were so happy with tears of joy. He obviously had been traveling between the park which we had stopped at immediately before the yard sale and back to the yard sale; thus the women would see him periodically show up. And I had this deep sense to go there, to the park, where he would have had to travel on a main road to get to.. .and he did. He was a male dog (although neutered) and for a male dog not to just continue to sniff and wander once loose in a strange place, is amazing to me and speaks to the powerful bond we had. He had to look for me and I had to find him! And that's how it was when one morning I looked at him and just knew in my heart something was wrong. The way he looked at me told me, his eyes. I leaned down and starting saying, "what's wrong Buttons?" As I rubbed him, I felt a lump on the side of side of his neck, under his ear, then the other side. I had no clue what it was, but had an intuition it would not be good. By the end of the day he was at the vet's, who took needle biopsy and warned me about lymphoma. I was heartsick and the news came back, yes it was lymphoma, but that they had success with remission with this type of cancer.

Buttons lived 13 months beyond his diagnosis. He was treated with traditional and nontraditional medicines. I spent hours researching and learning about lymphoma in canines and had met many wonderful people who shared their strength and wisdom treating their own dogs. Buttons developed diabetes and I learned to draw blood, measure sugar levels and administer insulin. Eventually he went blind due to the diabetes, but he never stop getting around the house or being anything but loving. As his cancer progress, he slept more, but always wanted to know I was nearby. I never left him alone but he would bark for me when he was lying down in another room, so that I would come to comfort and reassure him I was here. Then he would be satisfied, especially as I whisper how much I loved him.

I knew the day would come and he let me know it was time. It was gut level knowing. It was his telling me, it's time mom, I can't go on. The wonderful vet, Dr. Bird, came to the house that evening, friends of mine came to be with us, candles were burning and beautiful soft music playing as he lay on his bed quietly.   A tribute was read by his loving friend, Julia, and we said our farewells. I held him and said, "Fly away from here, Buttons, fly high and free, my beloved Buttons, I love you" and he was gone from this earth.

That was 7/22/02 and it took me until 11/05 to satisfy this nagging need to do something unique and totally special for my Beloved Buttons. To celebrate the bond, I designed and engraved this beautiful bracelet with personal sentiments to commorate our journey, our bond, and my wonderful companion who lives forever in my heart. This bracelet helped me during the grieving process which has taken years and I hope you will find your bracelet to be such a living or memorial tribute to your best friend.

10% of all proceeds will go to animal rescue efforts in the US.

Ellen Kindstedt
PetLuvBracelets