Donations to Tom Finley

Quite a few people have expressed that they would like to donate to Tom finley to help him with his living expenses:
Make checks payable to "Find Reba" c/o Harris Bank 99 West Washington Street Chicago, IL 60602
This is the account I opened to help out in the search for Reba when she was abducted. I have left the account open in case there would be a future need. The account has the minimum balance remaining. Most of the account funds were given to Tom earlier this year to help him with his expenses. A $50 donation was made to the Anti Cruelty Society later.

I will make sure that Tom receives the money that is donated, as I have in the past. Unfortunately, I don't receive any copies of checks. I only will know the aggregate amount deposited that day. If you donate to this account and want your donation acknowledged by Tom, please e-mail me at dcopening@gmail.com.

Press about Reba

There was an article in the Chicago Sun Times on 5/11/08 regarding Reba's passing:

http://www.suntimes.com/news/metro/943139,CST-NWS-reba11.article

Its title is: "Dognapped Loop pooch put to sleep". How depressing! Tom could not be reached by the reporter for this article. Where is the heart and love in this article? There would be both of these if Tom would have been interviewed. I hope someone can follow up with Tom - that is, if he would feel like talking to the press. I would like to know Tom's sentiments in his own words.

Tom told me that CLTV also did a story about Reba.

Comforting Words and You Tube Video of Reba

Barbara, an Animal Communicator, wrote something very nice and I gave it to Tom. She gave me permission to quote the following:

Hi Denise,Thank you so much for letting me know about Reba. I too have been thinking about her a lot. In the one picture you send me in April, I thought her energy was fading a bit and I thought her time here would be coming to an end. Although I never had the chance to meet her in person I did feel a very special connection with her. I agree with you that she was very sweet and such an amazing gentle soul. I am sure Tom will be upset when he hears the news. Hopefully he will not blame the Anti-cruelty society. I think it was very fortunate that he had the chance to visit Reba in April and that she tried to follow him when he was leaving. That will be a good memory that he will always have and hold on to. No one would have wanted Reba to suffer and be in pain. It was simply her time. I feel she was a little ambassador for all dogs. Her kidnapping brought forth an awareness about the love that we share with our animals. It made people think outside the box and acknowledge the bonds we have with our animal friends. She amazingly brought together a whole city. Everyone that looked at the picture of Tom and Reba felt the bond of love that Tom and Reba shared. That one picture was so powerful. In my mind, I have no doubt that Reba filled her contracts in this lifetime and did a very fine job at it ! I can feel her peace right now. I caught a glimpse of her on the other side, youthful and energetic, running through parks and visiting with people on park benches and being given treats. Some sort of long bacon treat. She told me she loves those and also Chicken McNuggets. I am also catching a glimpse of her sitting and looking at a pond or lake. I don't know whether she and Tom frequented ponds or lakes together. I feel her peace and she is glowing with love all around her. You can tell Tom that Reba is at peace. I feel very fortunate to have been a small part of Reba's journey. She was and is an amazing little dog. I really appreciate that you have kept me informed about Reba. Let me know if there will be a service for her.Thank you again !Barb

I also found a video of Reba posted by Kathy on You Tube about 6 months ago. What a delight:

www.youtube.com/watch?v=V-1oHTm27Sc

Reba Passed Away on 5/4/2008

I am sorry to inform you that Reba passed away on 5/4/2008. She was in the care of the Anti Cruelty Society. Tom could no longer care for Reba, so the Anti Cruelty Society made good on their promise and provided lifetime care.

Reba will be much missed. The staff at the Anti Cruelty Society are quite aggrieved about her passing. They became very attached to her. Over the past few weeks she lost a lot of weight, could hardly eat, and had constant diarrhea. The staff said last weekend was the first time she really showed she was in pain. I thought about her over the weekend quite a bit and now I know why. She is one of the sweetest dogs I have ever known.

This evening, on the way to the train station, I saw Tom on a corner with his guitar. He told me he knew. He was quite heartbroken. He told me he believes Reba's spirit will come back to him in another dog. He said they told him she just went asleep and asked me for reassurance if that was the case. He will receive her ashes from the Anti Cruelty Society and her collar. I asked him about a memorial service - he just spoke about her ashes. I told Tom that she was first his dog, and then everyone's dog. He agreed and it made him happy.

I visited Reba when she was at the Anti Cruelty Society about a month ago. She was thin and had some trouble getting around, but she seemed happy. The staff at Anti Cruelty isolated her from the other dogs for fear she may catch something due to her frail health. She had 3 beds in the office area. She received a lot of hands on attention. Quite a few people who knew her visited her.

Tom was able to visit Reba recently. He had special lambs lung treat for her he said she enjoyed. She tried to leave with him. The had such a beautiful relationship.

I remember seeing Tom and Reba together for the first time many years ago. Everytime I saw them I experienced a moment of grace.

Tom's Bicycle Broke Down

I saw Tom this morning. He told me that last week his bicycle handlbars broke when he was transporting Reba. He said it will cost as much to repair the bike as to buy a new one. Tom needs his bike because it provides him with needed exercise and it is his only way of transporting Reba.

The Harris Bank Account is still open. It has a little money left in it. If you would like to help out, here is the contact information: Make checks payable to "Find Reba"c/o Harris Bank 99 West Washington Street Chicago, IL 60602. Or if you'd like, visit that bank location to donate. Otherwise, you can direct your donation to Kathy Harrod's contact information below.

I saw Reba late last week in the morning with Tom at his usual spot. She was all bundled up in the cart. She looked good and really enjoyed being pet.

Update on Tom and Reba

I saw Tom last Friday. He looked warm in a parka someone has donated to him. He said Reba is doing very well. She had her 13th birthday on January 6.

He was talking to me about how much he likes Johnny Cash. Someone had given him a DVD of a movie Johnny was in in 1982. Tom also went on to say how much he liked Johnny Cash's show and all of the different musical acts.

Tom is continuing on his high blood pressure meds. He says his medicine is delivered. He seems to be doing well.

Reba's vet care is covered completely. He says her limp is better on her meds. She continues to do well and is very playful.

It seems that Tom could still use donations to help make ends meet. Please donate to the Harris Bank account or to Kathy Harrod on Tom's behalf.

Refunds for Donations have Expired

Thanks to everyone who donated to the Find Reba Fund at Harris Bank. The expiration for requesting refunds was November 30. No one who has donated has claimed one. The money in this fund will go to support Tom and Reba. If anyone would like more information regarding the fund and its use, please contact me at dcopening@gmail.com.