On July 31st I had an adoption request for Ronaldo in my in-box. The people found him on a German platform where we are promoting Scooby dogs. But his description hadn´t been updated yet, there he still had four legs. So I replied to the people, telling them that unfortunately one of his forelegs needed to be amputated and we cannot exclude that the cancer has already metastasized.
But these wonderful people, she a vet, her husband a neurologist, decided to take him though, knowing that he would cause expenses and also would need special care. All they wanted was giving him a loving home for once in his lifetime. You can´t imagine how happy I was about that turn of fate. So I straight send a reservation for the next transport to the shelter.
Yesterday I wrote in an e-mail that, once he has arrived, I will write an update about Ronaldo finally being in a home and already have the headline in my mind: Miracles happen
They do for sure, but not for our dear Ronaldo anymore. Today, on August 5th, fate again gave a raw deal to him after he recovered amazingly well from his amputation after some initial difficulties. He suffered a gastric dilatation-volvulus and has been put to sleep because all efforts to save his life failed. Two of Ronaldo´s best friends, old, loyal, wise, came to say farewell to Ronaldo. They felt he would leave soon and they honoured him by showing their pure love to him.
Now he is dead, our social, affectionate, modest, calm gentleman, without ever getting to know how it feels to live in a real home being someone special to somebody and not just a dog among others in a shelter. No opportunity to experience how it feels to sleep in the dog bed Sandra and Sebastian already bought for him.
And why? Why has he been at the shelter for years and years without any requests for adoption? Because he was already about 5 when he arrived? Because he was a big dog? Or because he was no challenge, was just too nice, too affectionate,… too boring ? I have no clue but what I do know is that we have more old dogs at the shelter, and I wonder who will be the next one to share his sad fate. There seems to be no “market” for the older dogs. Nowadays everything has to be young, beautiful, healthy…perfect. A perfect dog for perfect owners. Are you perfect? Well, I´m not, thank God, how boring would that be.
Pondering regards,
Christiane
