It started
with a very strange feeling inside my heart, like my mind also would explode. Tears
flooded along my check, I couldn’t stop!
I read the sentences over and over, again like
I would hope to find a thread that would tell me she still was alive. I had
never met her personally, this gorgeous English setter that I saw on
pictures. Her story caught my attention
and heart, as well as many others in AWL. We got
pictures and we were all amazed away by her beauty and shyness.
The
pictures off her made me just want to scoop her up and hold her in my arms. I
couldn’t understand why, it was only a picture I had in front of me.
We volunteers
laughed when volunteer Lori posted the picture of
the same dog as I on our AWL conversation wall, asking if we could please take
care of this sweet girl. Martina our English setter expert and I planned what
room this beautiful dog would have. We laughed even more, since I was sitting in
another conversation communicating with the lady that had rescued the dog that
we would love to help her finding the dog Carolina a home.
Even
the name made us smile.
Carolina’s
story was not unique, this happen with many dogs in her breed. It was the same
with the greyhounds in Spain or Britain.
No
value when not achieving his or her purpose anymore, no one even spends a
bullet on a breed like that.
Carolina
was rescued from a hard life. As an abandon hunting dog, she had no more value
and was left for the unknown to finish her life.
The
dog was spotted in a rainy day, from a car window. Behind the wheel sat a lady
who couldn’t take her eyes away from the dog. It was like she could feel that
something was wrong with the dog.
A white longhaired dog with some golden beige
spots, a beautiful female English setter was tangled up in bushes she
couldn’t
move. It was pouring down and cold. The dog had probably
been tangled up and getting splashed by passing cars and not had the
possibility to get out of the way. The lady stopped and helped the female dog
lose from the bushes.
The dog ran away glad for its freedom, but the ladies
could not forget this beautiful dog, even from their short meeting.
The next day the lady drove to the place again. The whole
evening before she couldn’t stop thinking about this white beauty, and it was
the first thought on her mind when she woke up. The lady drove to the same
place again to see if she could find her. To her pleasant surprise the dog was there!
The dog was filthy and hungry but thankful for the food that was
given to her.
The lady took her under her wings and told her she could come
with her home.
Carolina followed the lady and let her be bathed, let the
children curiously say hello to her. The next day she went to the veterinarian for check up. They
found a scare on her belly and realized someone had spayed her earlier.
A couple of days later she became more and more tired, and
didn’t want to walk all those steps up to the third floor. Carolina only wanted
to sleep. One vet said she was old!
But my English setter expert Martina said,
eight years is not an age for that kind of breed.
Suddenly she got diarrhea and peed on herself. Carolina
preferred to sleep out on the porch (and that was not normal for her) like
showing the family she wanted peace and quiet. The last steps down she fell,
stumbled down. She didn’t want to get up, her breathing became heavier and
heavier. She was being carried up to their apartment. An appointment with the
veterinarian on base was being done and they could come in the afternoon.
I wrote to the lady to stay strong, something internal was not
doing well in Carolinas body.
Carolina got a seizure! The neighbor heard the lady’s scream for
help and rushed in. They drove quickly to the veterinarian, were Carolina died.
They made an ultrasound/x ray and discovered either a surgical sponge or metal
suture left inside her abdomen after an earlier surgery by someone we don’t
know of.
It had now adhered itself to her colon. Her entire abdomen was
full of infections.
Her life couldn’t be saved!
The lady stayed by her side holding her paw while the euthanasia
injection was given.
The lady wrote to me, “I was with her as they gave her the
injection and I hope she wasn’t in any pain. Thank you for trying to help find
her a home. The guilt I feel now is unbelievable. Poor sweet girl”
Only three months of a family life did Carolina get to know. We
all are in shock to find out about this brutal surgery someone have made in the
past.
She was not spayed, only one ovary had been removed.
This story is not having a happy ending. Hopefully this story
can show us many things, from brutality and ignorance to kindness and love.
Carolina died knowing she was loved by many and not forgotten
like trash caught in thorn bushes at a rainy day.
Run free dear Carolina, healthy and strong. I hope you can forgive
us for being such a destroying selfish kind. Let the sun shine on your story,
and hopefully it will touch many more hearts in this world.
That’s Amore!
Amazing warrior Queen greeted me at the veterinarian door only a couple of hours after waking up. Think if we humans had the same capacity !
I want to show you how she looked like when I found her and after some time together with us. What an amazing difference. She has so much energy for being an senior, I hope I get the same kind of amount when I become a Senior ;-)
Leah, I am super proud over you.
