Our lives are composed of moments of boundless joy and times of great sadness. I recently lost my beloved dachshund Sergeant. He was my constant companion who made living with indolent systemic mastocytosis bearable to me. He was such a source of joy and I miss him desperately. He will never be forgotten.
I told myself that I would not ever get another dog because I did not want to replace my sweet boy. But the local humane society, who knew I had recently lost him, reached out to me three weeks ago to see if I would consider the possibility of fostering a little girl dachshund around two years old that was brought in to the veterinarian in horrid shape.
Rosie (I named her that the minute I saw her) was found lying in a ditch barely hanging on to life. Her condition was heartbreaking. She had a high fever and her tiny body was so hot it was painful for her to be touched. Rosie had demodectic mange and had lost most of her hair. She was underweight and every bone in her body was visible. She also suffered from severe parasitic infestation.
I did not hesitate. I met them in town and picked her up. I told myself I would help heal her and get her ready for adoption.
But it did not work like that. This sweet little girl bonded with me instantly. She is mine and I am hers. We are both broken and together we just fit.
We have a strict routine of morning meds, evening meds, a once-a-week medicated bath, a weekly injection and three times a week she gets rubbed down with antiseptic mousse.
And this little girl has gotten so much better. Rosie knows she is safe and loved. She is gaining weight and growing all her hair back. She has been with me for almost three weeks now and she rules the roost. She is bouncing off the walls, eating well, chewing on toys and loves to snuggle and burrow under the covers, just like Sarge did.
I could have said no to the humane society. I was struggling with Sergeant’s passing. But something deep down inside of me told me that I needed to help this sweet dog.
We are healing each other. Having an emotional support animal is helpful when battling a rare disease. Rosie is perfect for me. Already, she can sense when I’m in need of her and she is up in my lap. If you have depression or anxiety, these animals just know what to do.
Read Tara’s column about support animals: “How my pet helps me cope with my systemic mastocytosis”
I don’t feel guilty loving her, because I have enough love to give Rosie without erasing Sergeant’s memory.
I am just considered her foster mom as of right now, but Rosie will not be going anywhere else. Her life is with me now. As soon as she is healed and out of veterinary care, I will officially adopt her.
There is absolutely no way that I could ever give her back to be adopted by strangers after all she has been through. I could never do that to her. I could not imagine abandoning her after all she has been through in her short life.
She came into my life for a reason. I believe Sarge would be happy for me.
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I would also like to take this time to thank the veterinarian hospital here and their staff for all they do for these amazing rescues, as well as the humane society for all their incredible volunteer work. They are all tireless individuals who truly love animals. Lastly I want to thank everyone who has donated to Rosie’s hospital bill. You are all truly remarkable. Rosie and I are so appreciative.
Do not forget about rescue animals if you are thinking about getting a pet. Adopt a best friend and you will be loved so much.
