Said goodbye to my foster dog

[DownTheAvenue]

I foster for a Golden Retriever rescue. I brought into my house and heart a 10 year old male who had been abused probably all his life. He was heartworm positive, not neutered, severe arthritis in his hips, a tumor in one eye, the other eye socket crushed from an old blunt force injury, and last fall a sonogram revealed a 2 mm spot on his spleen. He was picked up as a stray that no one claimed. He was with me for 5 months, and last night he became lethargic, vomiting, and diarrhea. At the university teaching hospital it was revealed that the tumor had grown to 10 mm, and his red blood cell count was dropping. His abdomen had fluid- that tumor was taking his life, and with the heartwworm disease and heart damage it caused, he was not a candidate for surgery.

Tonight I rubbed his belly (he never had belly rubs until I taught him how good they felt!) and petted his head until he took his last breath. His last months of his life with me were his best. He knew love and caring finally.

[xteacher]

Thank you for showing him the love he deserved the last 5 months of his life. Run free, sweet boy!

[ppine]

The little wolves. We are struggling with a 10 year old Corgi that is now crippled in the hind end. he is becoming incontinent. Not his fault, but his days are numbered. My girl can't give up on him.

[BizmarksMom]

I work with a pit bull rescue. Thank you so much for showing him love and family in his last days. Fostering is hard, and heart breaking, and so very worthwhile.

[FULLTIMEWANABE]

People laugh at me when I fret about feeding on time, making sure water's plentiful, exercise, chastising and treats and just the general way I treat all our animals as little humans in fur coats. They have hearts and minds that hurt just like ours do.

Our daughter's horses, dogs and bless her heart our last (can't bear the heartache of losing anymore) Golden Retriever Sassy that fell asleep in my husband's arms September 2013. Oh what I wouldn't give to be moaning about her hair again everywhere ever since!

THANK YOU to each and every person that realizes that these creatures have the same feelings we do. Have you ever seen someone beat/ill treat a dog, and yet it still comes back loyal and wagging it's tail = heartbreaking. I just don't know how anyone can turn their backs on animals suffering either mental or physical cruelty.

Kudos to you for making his last 5 months so wonderful and comforting him right to the rainbow bridge.

[sgfrye]

this post hit home on the heartstrings. wife and i joined a chihuahua rescue 5 years ago as a foster home. we have fostered and adopted out, quite a few easy to adopt dogs, foster failed twice when we adopted 2 chis that were and still are partially feral. one from a puppy mill, other from hoarding case. after almost 4 years they still have some trust issues but slowly have become very loving dogs. they travel with us and our other 2 small dogs in our rv on camping trips and have done wonderful on our rv trips. 3 years ago we brought home to foster a senior female chi stray who had been found by a good samaritan after she had been ran over by a car. suffering a broken hip and pelvis she recovered but not long after we brought her home she developed canine dementia symptoms. she spent her last 18 months of life with us before we had to make the decision to put her down after her dementia worsened. it was a tough 18 months in some ways but the confidence that we did the best we could for her and made her last months comfortable and loved was the most important thing.

[joelc]

I share your loss. Many dogs are abused and it is not right. Persons that abuse animals should not have a dog or kids. I lost a member of my family the end of January to cancer and he is the second companion who's ashes I hope to be with me when I am gone. A dog is truly a friend, member of the family and someone you can count on when the chips are down. We had fostered 17 dogs when we were not full timers and all had found good homes. One was a foster failure and we adopted him. If I were you, I would get another foster as soon as possible. Not to replace your friend, but to save another life.

[ppine]

We can tell a lot about a society by how they treat animals. I love dogs, and you sir are one of the good guys. Nice work. Sorry for your loss. The only real limitation that dogs have is that they do not live long enough. Get another one as soon as possible. All dogs want to be as good as a Goldern Retriever.

[Deb_and_Ed_M]

Thank you for giving him a kind and loving home, even if it was briefly. And (((HUGS))) to you, sorry for your loss.

[DOTLDaddy]

A bittersweet ending to his life. Thank you for allowing him to experience what his life should have been all along.

[dcason]

Thank you for fostering and giving this guy the best time of his life.

Some people should never have animals and jail time for those that abuse/neglect.

Time to get another one!

[Scottiemom]

God bless all rescuers. Thank you for taking in this abused dog and loving him for the rest of his days. RIP sweet boy.

Dale

[BarabooBob]

After reading posts like this I always go over and give the dog that lets me live here a belly rub. He still doesn't know why my eyes are leaking and I talk funny.
Thanks for giving the old guy the love that he should have had his whole life. Dogs give so much and ask so little.

[dturm]

I'm so glad that in his last days he learned a kind hand and a loving heart. We lost our golden, Kaiya, last Nov. to the same type of tumor.

So sorry for your loss.

[gbopp]

Thank you for taking him into your life and giving him a good life.