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Elmer - Labradors and Friends Dog Rescue***Another Bright Star is in the Sky: Grandpa Elmer***In rescue, there are good days and bad days, and then there are the sad days. Today was one of the sad days. Last night, we were alerted to a sick senior yellow Labby boy who was found in someone's yard tied to a tree. We saw the heartbreaking video of this sweet boy struggling to stand, and we knew that we had to help, so today two of our wonderful volunteers made the drive to L.A. to pick up this boy from the good Samaritans who were caring for him. Because of his deteriorating medical condition, everyone agreed that he should not enter the shelter, but rather needed to head straight to the vet. When our volunteers arrived in L.A., they found this sweet old man yellow dog who was filthy, obviously very sick with a URI, he had lumps and bumps all over, he couldn't stand, and his rear legs were very atrophied. He was also panting and having difficulty breathing. Our volunteers knew that it wasn't good, but we wanted to give him every chance that we could, so we gave him some pain meds, loaded him into the car, and we headed to San Diego. On the drive down, our volunteers named him Elmer because he looked like a little old man who liked to sit on the porch in his rocking chair telling stories of his youth. We are sure that Elmer would have had some stories. It appears that he was a neglected outside dog... Who knows, maybe he was loved at some point in his life, but it obviously hadn't been for a while. Elmer was nearing the end of his life and his former family dumped him like trash. When he arrived at the vet, Elmer was wheeled in on the vet hospital's version of a limo because he just couldn't walk, and this little star handled the jostling and poking and prodding with sweetness and grace. Sadly, the vet confirmed what we already suspected. Elmer was dying... His heart was failing, he had numerous suspicious masses (including one in his nasal passage that was impeding his breathing), multiple infections (upper respiratory, skin, ears, etc.), and he had very limited mobility and couldn't stand on his own. It was apparent that Elmer was in much pain, and to even take him home for a few days to shower him with love would have been too much for this old guy. With a heavy heart, this afternoon our volunteers helped Elmer cross over The Rainbow Bridge. They held this filthy and stinky gentle-souled dog in their laps and stroked his head until the end. They apologized to this sweet boy for the horrible life he had lived, and the crap owners who abandoned him when he needed them the most. They told him that he was special and that he was loved. They told him that he would always be a part of the Labradors and Friends Dog Rescue family. They apologized that we hadn't found him sooner in life so that he might have had a chance at happiness. At the end, Elmer seemed grateful. Today was one of those days in rescue where saying goodbye was the kindest thing we could do. Run free sweet Elmer. Even though you are gone, you are not forgotten. |
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Elwood - Hi, my name is Elwood and I had the honor of being voted the ugliest dog!! There are a lot of people who think I am cute and ugly is just a word. My owner and many friends and family members miss me terribly. Elwood was a mix of Chihuahua and Chinese Crested. (Ben Margot/AP Photo)
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Faith - Hi!! My name is Faith!! Yes, I look a little different and I might scare you by my appearance but, I am beautiful on the inside and if you had known me, you wouldn't even notice that I was born without my front legs. Besides, they would have just gotten in the way of my adventures. Here is my story: "We're very sad to announce that Faith, the two-legged dog who inspired millions, has passed away. All of us at Animal Wellness Magazine have been deeply touched by the incredible tenacity of this dog. We all send our love to Faith the Dog and her owner, Jude. Read our article and see how the last moments of Faith's life were exceptionally heartwarming:
http://www.animalwellnessmagazine.com/articles/faith-the-two-legged-dog-who-inspired-millions-dies-surrounded-by-love-and-cheese/
This was another story about me: "Faith, the two-legged dog who inspired millions, dies surrounded by love. . . and cheese! By: Dana Cox Online Exclusive Faith at Trudys After a lifetime of inspiring others with disabilities, Faith – the miracle dog who taught herself to walk upright on two legs and who Oprah called one of her favorite guests – passed away peacefully this week with her “mom”, Jude Stringfellow, and a platter cheese at her side. Faith gained celebrity status for her work with U.S. soldiers, and she and Jude often traveled to airports, USOs and other places where they would find injured or returning soldiers. Her positive attitude, even in the face of her disability, made a huge impression on the troops and earned her the title of honorary E5 Sergeant, out of Fort Lewis. Four thousands troops attended the ceremony. Faith, who graced our Animal Wellness cover in 2007, made an impression on everyone she met. “I couldn’t believe how genuinely happy she was,” says Tim Hockley, publisher of Animal Wellness Magazine. “When I met her, I gave her a hug and I could just feel her amazing inner strength.” How a two-legged dog overcame the odds? Born deformed at a flea market, Faith was rescued just in the nick of time by Jude’s son, Reuben. The puppy’s mother was attempting to smother it by lying on top of it. Reuben grabbed the three-week-old Chow-Lab cross and took it home. While veterinarians suggested the pup be euthanized due to her deformities, Jude’s family rallied together to save her. As she thrived, they encouraged her to sit up so she wouldn’t damage her chest and neck. That lead to a miracle — Faith walking upright on two legs, and it wasn’t long before her walk/jog/hop became a symbol around the world for overcoming disabilities. In addition to supporting the soldiers, Faith participated in a kids’ reading program (she was a great listener!) and toured with Ozzie Osbourne, doing what the two-legged dog did best – bringing people of different interests and backgrounds together. Retired but still inspiring the troops. Faith with soldiers. Faith bonded with Mark, a commander in the Royal Marines, at the Hanger clinic while they were being fitted with prosthetics (Faith preferred to go without). Mark lost three limbs in a land mine explosion in Afghanistan. Jude says Faith retired from public life about three years ago but still appeared privately at local airports to welcome the troops home. While she ate a natural food and took joint supplements her whole life, her deformity did create pain in her senior years, which was managed with medication. Jude made the difficult decision to end Faith’s pain on Monday, when it just seemed too much for her. Faith’s veterinarian explained to Jude that Faith’s increased pain may have been due in part to cancerous tumors found between her shoulder blades, as well as her advanced age and disability. Faith was almost twelve years old. Not bad for a puppy who wasn’t supposed to make it past three weeks old! Jude is keeping Faith’s message of hope alive through her book, Faith Walks: A Memoir of a Beautiful Life, available on her website faiththedog.info. Our thoughts go out to Jude and her family today. If you would like to express your condolences, please visit and sign Faith’s guestbook at faiththedog.info/guestbook." We are all put on this earth for a reason and I think now you can see the reason this precious soul lived!! Rest now sweet Angel. |
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Fawn Peppers - Hello. I'm Fawn. I'm a Chihuahua and I got my wings today!! My rescue Mom, Marie, had this to say: "If you buy a dog.. YES buy one and then you can't afford to take the poor pet to the VET, PLEASE give the pet to RESCUE right away!!!!!!!!!! Don't do what Fawn's owner did to her !!!!!!!! ~~~~~~~~~ My little Fawn passed in her sleep this week. She was damaged by her former owner who refused Vet care for her seizures. Fawn was sent to me last December. I HAND fed this baby for 11 months -- She had very few seizures on the medication our Vet prescribed for her. Only 2 years old and gone... She was also blind. She had been born with water on the brain which led to seizures. If she had some medical care she would not have died. She was Denied care from her owner. Fawn was a pure breed Chi with AKC papers. People can be so cruel or stupid.. NOT sure ! Well, in this case Cruel ... Loved my baby girl .. VERY special needs...BLIND, Brain Damaged but loved her food and loved for me to hold her .... bye my little Chi girl". So please, be a responsible pet owner!! |
