My Blog Entry
Riley O'Day
Riley was also sent to us through Old Dog Haven. Riley was a purebred Rottweiler stray who had been in the Tacoma, WA Humane Society shelter for 29 days. Her time was quickly running out since the shelter was running out of room. We got the call from Old Dog Haven on July 17th and jumped in the car to go see this poor girl. What we found was a dejected, forlorn, depressed and filthy dog. She stunk to high heaven, her fur was falling out in handfuls, and she would barely glance at us. She gave me the merest whisper of a kiss to my fingers when I stuck them into her kennel, as if in a last-minute plea for help. We got her out of the kennel for some one-on-one time and quickly discovered that she was intelligent, obedient and desperate to find a new family. So we took her home as another permanent foster to add to our family of five other dogs and a cat. I thought we were serving some higher purpose in rescuing this poor thing, but I was in for a surprise. Ten days after bringing Riley home, my husband Chris had to leave town for an extended time on business. I was left with the responsibility of bringing her into the pack, teaching her the house rules, showing her the security and love she craved, and making her feel proud and beautiful again. She bonded with me in an amazing way, blossoming like a flower in my care. At first she didn't seem to know how to play, and toys seemed foreign to her, so it was a Kodak moment when she finally began wrestling with our other dogs and tossing balls and toys into the air. Her coat stopped shedding and took on a magnificent luster that shimmered in the light. She showed a sense of humor and would tease me and "force" me to pet her with her adorable antics (putting her chin on my keyboard, in my lap, throwing my bent elbow up in the air, cuddling up beside me...). Being a rescued stray, it was never determined whether she was spayed. In August, I learned she wasn't. After being in heat for 26 days (the normal span is 21 or less), bleeding a trail of bright red drops everywhere and groaning in pain, I quickly took her to the vet on September 19th. It was discovered she had a ruptured and infected uterus that had probably been going on for two weeks. Although emergency surgery was performed to remove her uterus, and despite every possible effort I made to save her, she never fully recovered and developed severe complications. I finally released her from her pain on October 1, 2007. As I said, I originally thought I was serving some higher purpose in showing Riley what love and security felt like. But in the end, I realized it was she who was a Godsend to me, to help me through those two months while my husband was away, to protect me while I was alone, and to strengthen me as I served her and my other sweetheart Falina throughout their serious illnesses. Riley was sent to me as much as I was sent to her. I feel like I've lost a life-long friend and a soul mate, but I know she's still there, watching over me. After all, that's her job, and I believe her mission is a "forever calling". I love you, Rye.
Blog Barks
There are no barks
 |  |
 |
