Poochie the stuffed dog is over 60 years old, about 7 or 8″ tall, and very well loved. He’s had repairs before to his shoulders, and he’d been wearing a red dress for years to try to protect his skin from further wear. His person (his original person) wrote to they stuffed animal hospital. They wanted to keep him as close to original as possible, but also wanted to stabilize and reinforce him. Here are his original diagnosis photos, sent by another family member:
I’m showing larger versions in the hopes that you can see not only his holes, but the runs where his fabric is see through.
Poochie came to the hospital last month for wound repair and supplemental stuffing… just a touch to protect him on the inside. He wasn’t getting a spa, he needed to stay as original as possible. And we were keeping old repairs where possible too. Rather, the treatment for Poochie was to stitch wounds, adding fabric under his runs to take the pressure of stitches, and patches where he had holes. Just enough to stabilize him. He wasn’t going on adventures with toddlers anymore, but he wanted to feel safe watching over his family. Here’s Poochie all better:
He’s sort of like a kintsugi vase with its visible seams, or an older person, whose wrinkles and gray hairs tell their story. Poochie earned every scar and new seam, but he’s huggable and lovable specifically for those patches and seams, which are reminders of all the adventures he’s had. And now, he can be hugged again and share his memories (and make new ones) with his family in Washington.
