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It started really back in December of 1987 when Muffin, a little grey terrapoo, came to live with KoKo and me in Fredericton, New Brunswick, Canada. Muffin was a rescue - the family she was with had been trying to give her away for 6 months - each new home she went to, she'd run away and would wind up back with the people who didn't want her. In 6 months, she'd been to 6 foster homes and back again. She was approximately 10 when she came to live with us. Never once did she try to run away - she knew she'd found her "Forever Home". When she came arrived her fur was so matted, long and filthy that she went immediately to a groomer's - and when I arrived to pick her up, I didn't recognize her. I accused them of trying to give me the wrong dog!! She and KoKo quickly formed a strong bond and when he went to "Rainbow
Bridge" on May 02, 1992, little Muffin was a lost soul for a very long
time.
Another Dobie, Misty, came into her life that summer but it
just wasn't her old buddy of earlier days and she went into a decline.
On August 15, 1992, Muffin became very ill and was rushed to the vet. She couldn't bear to be touched, the pain was so great, and screamed through the examination. The vet suspected cancer and told me to prepare myself for losing another friend in less than 4 months. Thankfully, later that day the vet phoned with the news - "It's only diabetes". What a relief!! Thus began the long road that led to the formation of the Muffin Pet Diabetes Support Group. Muffin tolerated my constant poking and prodding - and poking and prodding from her veterinarian, Geoff Hampton of Island View Veterinary Clinic in Fredericton - until the fall of 1995 when her age (15+) and the diabetes took their toll. My dear little Fraggle went to the Bridge on December 12, 1995. I signed onto the Internet in the summer of 1996. Through Internet research, it was painfully obvious to me that diabetes in pets was becoming more prevalent and there weren't many resources out there. Remembering how difficult it was to cope with this disease, I toyed with the idea of setting up an E-mail list to help others with diabetic pets. Belonging to many pet-related internet groups, in December, 1996, I took a poll within those groups and the response was such that the machinery went into motion and "Muffin" went on line officially on January 01, 1997. We only had 3 members that first day but more and more quickly joined. Chuck & Butch and Dianne & Eubie were among the pioneers in this new venture who are members still. In June of 1997 the "Muffin Memorials" web page was established to
honour and remember Muffin members who had gone to "Rainbow Bridge".
Judy Dick and her dog Queenie joined the "Muffin Family" in July of 1997. Judy's Queenie had been diagnosed with diabetes several months prior to that and Judy got putting together a website for diabetic pets. We soon joined forces and Queenie's site became the first official home page of the Muffin Pet Diabetes Support Group. The Queenie/Muffin site grew by leaps and bounds through discussions and information shared on Muffin and through other Internet resources. Due to the efforts of so many people, it was the flag ship of the diabetic pet community for a long time. In the fall of 2002 Muffin and Queenie went their separate ways and Muffin is now in process of once again becoming a distinct presence on the Internet. We're always growing. The Queenie/Muffin site took over 5 years to build; but thankfully, it hasn't taken us that long to realize our potential. Susan Flewelling
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