We foster dogs for a local rescue. We have 2 dogs of our own, and have had many fosters come and go. The latest dog, Samantha, or Sammie, is by far the most special to me.
She was found running as a stray, skinny and dirty. She was an "overnight" foster, she came to us over a month ago. We noticed that she wasn't pooping, which wasn't abnormal to me at first. When we go on vacation, our dogs don't usually "go" for a couple of days. We took her to the vet for her shots and exam and noticed her dribbling urine while the vet was examining her. Again, I chalked this up to her being nervous while at the vet and not something serious.
Once we got her home, while she was lounging in the shade outside I noticed she was still dribbling urine. And that Beagle tail of hers hung straight down. I had never seen it wag. Stool fell out of her rectum and she had no idea it was happening.
We called the vet that Monday and took her back in for an appointment. Sam was so full of stool the vet had to manually disimpact her bowel. Once she was cleaned out, her urine flowed out of her like a waterfall. She stayed overnight at the vet for observation. More follow up testing revealed that Sam has degenerative changes in her spine. Her condition is likely permanent and is not going to change.
Once I told the president of the rescue Sam's prognosis, her immediate response was to have her put down. As her condition is not going to get any better, every time I am asked how Sam is doing and respond,"The same," I get the same response... she should be put down. No one will want a dog like her.
Sam is a perfect dog. She tolerates her bowel and bladder regimen without a complaint. She tolerates diapers and diaper covers. Sometimes she does get them off, but I suspect she wiggles out of them when the other dogs are teasing her. :0) She is a snuggle bug and loves to cuddle next to her favorite people. She loves to lay in the shade on hot days and track everything her little Beagle nose finds for her to track. She plays with the other dogs, and fits in like she has lived here forever. Her Beagle baying is music to my ears.
If the verdict remains to have her put down, Sam will always have a place here with us. Our forever foster, who just happened to be in the right place at the right time.
"He is your friend, your defender, your partner, your dog. You are his life, his love, his leader. He will be yours, faithful and true, to the last beat of his heart. You owe it to him to be worthy of such devotion." -Unknown
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