The story you are about to read will make you sad. I apologize in advance. It will also, hopefully, restore your faith in the human heart, and how it can often overcome such obstacles all in the name of compassion. This is Rafe. He is a 6 year old pitbull found in a ditch on the side of the road. Too weak to stand, Rafe was literally carried to safety and put in a BWAR foster home. As you can see from the pictures, his abdomen was swollen and he was emaciated. His gums were pale. But, he wagged his tail. He wanted to fight. He was diagnosed with advanced heartworm disease. He was in liver failure, kidney failure and had severe anemia. For those who have an understanding of lab values- his platelet count was zero, and his hematocrit was 4. The vet was amazed he was still alive. We tried to safe Rafe but a few days after treatment, there was no improvement in his lab work. The vet decided to ultrasound his abdomen, and it turned out that he had a massive tumor in there. He would have never survived surgery. As a team, we decided that the only thing we could do for this sweet dog was let him go. His foster home who cared for him from the very beginning, knowing well that the outcome could be this, never waivered. She and her family took Rafe home and let him spend his last days as a loved member of her family, and nice and warm in front of their fireplace. Rescue isnt always the outcomes we hope for. Sometimes, it is being able to alleviate an animals suffering, and to show them mercy- when they need it the most. And to make sure the last words they hear are I love you before they cross over that rainbow bridge. We thank all of our foster homes tonight for caring for animals like Rafe. Especially foster homes like Shawntee who take in the sickest of them, knowing full well that they just might break your heart. We know your work is not easy. And tonight, in Rafes memory, we salute you.
Posted on: Fri, 09 Jan 2015 00:09:07 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015