More Sad News

[Tri Girl]

Oh Python, I'm so very sorry for your loss. It's so sad and so difficult to make the call, but you did the right thing for her.
I'm grieving with you.

[LBTC]

{{{{{{{{{Python}}}}}}}}}}}

I'm so sorry! Yogi, Ted, Norton, Giro and the other TE furkids are showing her around the Rainbow Bridge right now. You did the right thing and in time the lump in your throat will turn to a warmth in your heart.

Sending lots of hugs and comforting, gentle, peaceful butterflies,
~T~

[sbctwin]

I am so sorry Python. I hope you dream of your doggie at Rainbow Bridge with all the other TE fur friends..

[Python]

I'm sure she's at Rainbow Bridge with my other two GSDs. Tara who passed away with old age - she was almost 15 - very old for a GSD in 1995 and Sam who had to be PTS at only 18 months old in 1987

Perhaps Sam was the worst one to come to terms with as he was so young.

We got Sam as a last resort rescue. He had been badly ill-treated and abandoned. He had been found starving wandering around an industrial estate. The rescuers managed to feed him up and rehomed him with myself and my now ex-husband as my ex-husband had experience of handling GSDs while he was in the Royal Air Force.

Where I used to live we had miles of beach. We would often go there and let the dogs run free. Tara used to love it. So did Sam - except he would be highly agitated and would pant for the rest of the day, also whining. We only had him for about 3 months and this was getting worse until one Sunday (never forget that day) I'd taken the dogs down to the beach about 10am and Sam was panting and whining at 10pm. First thing in the morning we rang our vet who after examining him said his heartbeat was erratic. Our vet ran tests and sent them off to the Royal Veterinary College in London (we lived in Scotland at the time). We got the test results back within the week. When I spoke to the vet on the phone he wouldn't give me the results. He asked us to come in - and take Sam with us. I knew when he said that the results were not good. It turned out that Sam had compromised kidney and liver function and his heart was in the early stages of heart failure - all as a direct result of ill-treatment and malnutrition. We were told that with drugs he might live for about 4 years but he would only have been able to go for very short walks, very slowly, never allowed to run and play like Tara could so we took the decision there and then to put him to sleep. We know it was the kindest thing we could do for him - and I swear he knew. As the vet was putting in the needle, he raised his head, looked me straight in the eye - and it was such a gentle look - I know he was saying "thankyou" for showing him kindness. Even yet, when I think of Sam - and he was a beautiful dog, I still get sad and angry that anyone could have treated him so cruelly.

In time we will probably get another GSD and probably another rescue. Tara was a rescue too but her circumstances were a bit different. Her original owners loved her dearly and she was extremely well trained when we got her. Unfortunately their marriage broke down and neither of them could take the dog. Some months after we got Tara the rescue centre (who kept in touch all Tara's life) rang me to say the original owners had reconciled and wanted Tara back! Suffice to say, they were told that was not possible.

Many of my furkids and scalekids are rescues. In two weeks time we pick up another rescue snake. He is a Cornsnake and a gorgeous orange and lemon colour. His owner has gone off to College and his mother doesn't want the poor snake so he is with a foster carer at the moment until we collect him in a fortnight's time. It is a 300 mile journey to get to him but as luck would have it, he's in the same area as my best friend so we are going to make a weekend out of it, go up on the Friday and back with the snake on the Sunday. He'll then have a home for the rest of his life.

I know it is early days, but tonight I have spent several hours looking through the rescue centres because we now have a space for another GSD who is in desperate need of a loving home. We can never replace Sadie but out there somewhere there is another doggie just waiting. Looking at these sad but hopeful faces will help me to come to terms with Sadie's passing. Our pet name for Sadie was "Waggy-Tail" because she was always wagging it.