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More from Synwolf
I feel like I should explain/elaborate more on what was mentioned in passing on my journal.
Sally was my mom's furry daughter and by rights, my sister. We literally grew up together. We found and adopted her when she was a small puppy and I was 9 years old. She was INCREDIBLY strong, vibrant, happy, and healthy her entire life. This photo is from January of this year. About 5 or 6 months after this photo was taken, Sally took ill with ... one of the most HORRIBLE cases of mange I have ever seen.
I don't recall the name of the specific type she had, but it's a type of mite that only attacks animals whose immune systems have become compromised--meaning very young or very old animals. We fought for almost 4 months night and day doing everything in our power to help her beat this sickness. So many medications ... so many diet changes ... so many sprays, ointments, and shampoos ... all the while, she would ride the roller coaster of recovery and decline. Over and over. For every success, there were an equal number of setbacks. But we refused to give up ... SHE refused to give up. So long as she still had the will to live and wasn't suffering, we would not quit on her. No matter how hard we tried, her physical strength and energy levels declined rapidly with each passing month. And no matter how much she ate, she was always underweight. They were still eating her alive from the inside out.
Friday morning, Sally's body just couldn't give anymore effort. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn't get up ... she was breathing very hard and fast ... and blood literally oozed from her pores everywhere the mange was strongest. This was no quality of life. My sister deserved better. So that morning we have the heartbreaking task of taking her to be freed from her ailing body.
Despite how badly losing her has hurt, I have no doubt in my heart that we did right by her. I never go through with putting an animal family member to sleep if there is any measure of doubt ... and I have none. She had taken it as far as could go, but she was just too old to fight off such an aggressive illness.
It still hurts to know that she's gone. She's been such a huge part of my life for so long that not having her here ... it's hard. But we've had help. We've decided to keep the lil' terrier/shiba inu girl we have been fostering in light of this loss. Tammy has been helping us heal immensely with her gentle affection, her laughter-inducing antics, and her vibrant happy nature. I think Sally would be happy with this outcome. We can turn our pain into something beautiful by channeling that energy into nurturing and caring for someone who needs it. And another dog gets to have what she had--a loving family.
While it's still hard to think about my big beautiful sis without tearing up, seeing this picture of her brings me peace and comfort. THIS is how I remember my Sally-girl. Beautiful, happy, and whole. Running all day with the energy of a pup, no matter what. I won't let my memories of her decline tarnish the beauty of her life. I think my godmother's eulogy for Sally said it best:
"A noble, gentle, wise and loving soul. She was truly a puppy at heart. What a sense of life, adventure and play. I will honor her by remembering to always stay young at heart, 'stop and smell the flowers' and gaze at the beauty of life."
Until we meet again on the other side of the Rainbow Bridge, my gorgeous girl...
Sally Rodriguez
1995 - 2010
Sally was my mom's furry daughter and by rights, my sister. We literally grew up together. We found and adopted her when she was a small puppy and I was 9 years old. She was INCREDIBLY strong, vibrant, happy, and healthy her entire life. This photo is from January of this year. About 5 or 6 months after this photo was taken, Sally took ill with ... one of the most HORRIBLE cases of mange I have ever seen.
I don't recall the name of the specific type she had, but it's a type of mite that only attacks animals whose immune systems have become compromised--meaning very young or very old animals. We fought for almost 4 months night and day doing everything in our power to help her beat this sickness. So many medications ... so many diet changes ... so many sprays, ointments, and shampoos ... all the while, she would ride the roller coaster of recovery and decline. Over and over. For every success, there were an equal number of setbacks. But we refused to give up ... SHE refused to give up. So long as she still had the will to live and wasn't suffering, we would not quit on her. No matter how hard we tried, her physical strength and energy levels declined rapidly with each passing month. And no matter how much she ate, she was always underweight. They were still eating her alive from the inside out.
Friday morning, Sally's body just couldn't give anymore effort. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn't get up ... she was breathing very hard and fast ... and blood literally oozed from her pores everywhere the mange was strongest. This was no quality of life. My sister deserved better. So that morning we have the heartbreaking task of taking her to be freed from her ailing body.
Despite how badly losing her has hurt, I have no doubt in my heart that we did right by her. I never go through with putting an animal family member to sleep if there is any measure of doubt ... and I have none. She had taken it as far as could go, but she was just too old to fight off such an aggressive illness.
It still hurts to know that she's gone. She's been such a huge part of my life for so long that not having her here ... it's hard. But we've had help. We've decided to keep the lil' terrier/shiba inu girl we have been fostering in light of this loss. Tammy has been helping us heal immensely with her gentle affection, her laughter-inducing antics, and her vibrant happy nature. I think Sally would be happy with this outcome. We can turn our pain into something beautiful by channeling that energy into nurturing and caring for someone who needs it. And another dog gets to have what she had--a loving family.
While it's still hard to think about my big beautiful sis without tearing up, seeing this picture of her brings me peace and comfort. THIS is how I remember my Sally-girl. Beautiful, happy, and whole. Running all day with the energy of a pup, no matter what. I won't let my memories of her decline tarnish the beauty of her life. I think my godmother's eulogy for Sally said it best:
"A noble, gentle, wise and loving soul. She was truly a puppy at heart. What a sense of life, adventure and play. I will honor her by remembering to always stay young at heart, 'stop and smell the flowers' and gaze at the beauty of life."
Until we meet again on the other side of the Rainbow Bridge, my gorgeous girl...
Sally Rodriguez
1995 - 2010
Category Photography / Animal related (non-anthro)
Species Dog (Other)
Size 540 x 720px
File Size 76.8 kB
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