Neglected Senior Dog Spends His Last Days in a World of Love

And now your late night post… from Big Fluffy Dog Rescue:

Foster came to us just under two months ago, a broken, senior dog from a horrific hoarding case. Weak and unable to walk and with a serious case of pneumonia, we questioned whether he would survive. At 12+ years old and possibly much older, this boy was fragile and we held our collective breaths.

And then, miraculously, he recovered. He had a sparkle in his eye and a decided love for all things edible. His world expanded and he went to a home with the awesome Teri Rice. Foster had a nice comfortable spot on the sofa and a place to hang with his smiling face lifted to the sun. His life was sublime as far as he was concerned. We made plans to send Foster to a permanent home and we were looking forward to future updates of the smiling, happy boy.

Foster was clearly in the twilight years and we have all known that this was the golden time where the days run faster and the sweetness is tinged with the knowledge that our days together are limited as the grains of sand in the glass continue to run. And so you enjoy the days you have and treasure the smiles and the wagging happy tails.

Tonight, after a day smiling in the sun, Foster laid down for a nap and never woke up. I am grateful beyond words that his last few weeks have been magical because if ever a dog has deserved a life full of happiness and love, it was Foster. I am grateful for Teri for providing a home for him and for giving him that golden time where his biggest worry was what snack was coming. I am also grateful to the many people who were involved in his rescue and rehab.

The dogs we all love are here for the briefest of times and we have them only on loan. There are no words that can convey the loss and the silence that follows the death of a dog and there is nothing of comfort I can say that will lessen that loss. Foster was a creature of the sun and he loved life and he loved his people. One fine day when the sun is rising on a warm spring morning and the robins are singing and the cherry blossoms are scattered on the ground, I expect to see Foster’s happy smile and wagging tail to greet us. Au revoir, Foster. I’ll see you on the other side.

My condolences to his amazing foster Mom, Teri, his coordinator Jennifer and all those who cared for him and loved him.