Letting Go
By Nancy Schuessler
Not every rescue has a happy ending.
Mabel and Percy were only three months old when taken to a small, local shelter. Sadly, the shelter was full and unable to help. They told the owners to contact a rescue group. Instead, as they drove away, they abandoned the puppies on the roadside. The shelter turned to us for help.
Samantha and Riky Richter agreed to foster both pups. They picked them up on Sunday, January 7, 2024, around 10:30 in the morning. It was a happy day for the Richters, and the furthest thing from Samantha’s mind was a deadly disease called Parvo. “All we knew when we picked them up was that both dogs had some diarrhea. It wasn’t until we got them home and settled that I started to realize something wasn’t right,” says Sam. “They were lethargic. Even after they were bathed and took a long nap."
Sam trusted her senses. She knew that rescue dogs can be exhausted from their journey, but something was wrong. Besides diarrhea, neither dog would eat or drink and they could hardly move. She alerted SOLR’s medical team. By morning, Sam was driving to the emergency veterinary hospital. “It took me 1.5 hours in Monday morning traffic to get them to the hospital. Little did I know it would be the last time I saw or hugged them,” she says.
The pups had contacted Parvo -- a highly contagious virus that can cause severe illness and death in young, unvaccinated dogs. Apparently, the pups had been exposed before being rescued.
Little Mabel passed away first. Percy lasted a bit longer. “He was an incredible fighter,” says Sam. “He fought to the end until his little body just gave out on him.” He died on January 14th – only six days after being rescued. His vet tech stayed on the floor with Percy the entire night, holding him in his arms.
The heartbreak has been difficult for Sam and her family, but having the support of the SOLR community has helped. “People have reached out to us and each one has been so thoughtful and kind during this hard time. We didn’t have them long, but we loved them hard.”
Her eight-year-old daughter, Rowen, will always remember Percy through her art. “She fell in love with both, but especially Percy. She is in her Harry Potter-loving stage, and there is a character in the books named Percy. As sick as we knew they were, we still held out hope.”
Despite all the sadness, Sam says they will foster again. And it will be puppies. “Even though we lost these babies, we know there are so many more to save. No matter the heartbreak, we will keep on keeping on.”
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