If it is a fairy well rooted cutting with more than one cane and there is a little peace of wood with a "eye" that can sprout a new shoot it might survive. If the rootsystem is good, it might also sprout from the root. If it was a very new cutting chances are slim. You could also take cuttings and root your self. It costs no more than the potting soil and perhaps some rooting hormone, but rooting hormone is not really needed. Does roses in you area do well ownroot? Some roses do very well ownroot even in areas with long and cold winters. Take a cane from your rose of choice that are in full bloom or has just bloomed. The small eyes that are placed where the leafs are joint to the cane are suppose to be a bit swollen but not yet become a new shoot. The theory is that then the cane is full of energy for growth and roots more easily. Cut of the flowers / spent flowers on the top, save two or three pairs of leafs, let there be two or three eyes (where you have taken the leafs of) under the soil and three above. Stick the cane in a pot with ordinary watered potting soil and have a clear plastic bag over it, sort of a mini green house. It is best if the plastic do not touch the leafs too much, and the leafs could be trimmed a bit. Place the pot in a shady place, no direct sun at all is preferable. It works very well in june and july when the temperature is warm both day and night. Not much water is needed because of the plastic bag, but the soil must not dry. After two-three weeks the cutting will show if roots have developed. If is still looks healthy after three weeks chances are good. If the pot is not too big white new roots will stick out at the bottom of the pot. When you notice roots have formed it is time to adjust the plant to normal air. Cut of a corner of the plastic bag and let it breath a couple of days, then the other corner and then take the whole plastic bag of. When it has grown a bit it can be put in the ground. It is best to protect against the harshest hottest sun at first. Taking cuttings is very easy, just take a few and don't give up. It is not much work, the pot just stands in a shady spot and the plant does most of the work.

What a horrible, familiar feeling it is when your actions inadvertently cause harm to something. Been there, done that. In fact I so hate the thought that I might smash a frog or toad at night on the road that I have taken up carrying a minnow bucket in the passenger side floorboard just in case I need to relocate a few of the little dears. It's the stuff you feel you could have avoided that really gets to you the worst. You didn't let Suzi out to purposely kill the poor thing, and she certainly can't be expected to act like anything other than the dog she is. I think you need to know that what's important here is that you are honestly affected by what took place, but in a positive way. I see you taking steps and making the effort to insure that it doesn't happen again, or at least as seldom as possible. On the other hand, you COULD have reacted like the young men did that Jenny mentioned, which at least was indifference to the loss of life and at worst a macabre fascination with it. I hate to get caught over-generalizing here, but my first thought was, well , that's young boys for ya. Too much @$%#@!!! X-BOX. But isn't Suzi a stray that you took in?? See, there you go....you try to do what seems right and you still have moments where things just get crazy and confusing. At least you still made a positive difference in her life by giving her a home....I still say it all comes down to Chaos...if you hadn't taken her in, she'd likely be who knows where, maybe dead in an alley somewhere, but she wouldn't have caught the young squirrel. But possibly Suzi, in being a potential predator to the other squirrels, is keeping them on their toes and alert to danger, and in doing so is providing them with better survival skills. Or maybe it's late and I'm not making a lick of sense.... Cathy, we know from your posts that you always try to do right by all living things, so don't bang your head over something you couldn't possibly have forseen. A bunch of jingle bells on the door that you use to let her out will do the trick nicely...they do learn. If you still aren't sure and you have the time, maybe you could do a walk-about and check for stragglers. It's hard sometimes...... hugs dg

I sympathize, rosies. You have not failed in any aspect, at all. You have done everything in your power to maintain your mother's health in the face of many obstacles. You must be very tired. I'm in year 3 of caretaking, too. Mum is losing her mental faculties now. Short term memory is waning, though physically she is quite healthy and fit, despite a stroke in '04 (did the mental damage). She has gone from an independent old woman, to one that must be really "cared for"... I get her up in the morning, see that she dresses herself, washes her face, fixes her hair. I prepare her breakfast, helpmeet does lunch, we split dinner. I put her to bed, see that she takes her pills, schedule the "bath lady", all the things that you have to do for an elderly parent. It's really hard! and you lose your own freedom. I haven't been out for dinner with the helpmeet "on the spur of the moment" for over 2 months now. I can't visit a greenhouse/nursery after work... I have to go right home, make sure the urostomy pouch is emptied, she has a glass of water, and that the sign is on the toilet reminding her NOT to empty the pouch again until it's time for bed. From the time I wake up until I go to bed I think about Mum and the next "chore" on the list... You have done as much as you can be expected to do. You've done it well, with love and commitment. It's OK to feel sad about what is changing in your life. But don't spend too much time feeling guilty even though it's part of the deal. (Tell the facility you would rather not have them shove so much garbage food into your mother. You are paying them to take care of her and you have every right to expect them to follow your wishes with respect to diet!)

Oh Golddust, I'm so very sorry. I know it's a really hard decision to make, can really tear your heart up, but when it's gotten to a certain point it really is the last act of love you can perform for your dog. I know you'll be broken up over Dubs for quite a while, I'm still having crying jags over Mason, but eventually we should both be able to look back over our wonderful memories and smile. I know it'll be really bad for a while..........I'm so sorry.