What a Saint

I wasn't sure at first why the lady was carrying this large dog into the vet's office. Dogs usually go in on a leash and my first thought was, well, she had forgotten it at home. When I got to the front door with my dog and started in, they were right inside the door at the reception counter. It was a very busy place. The cute teenage daughter was knelt down, holding & petting the dog while the Mom talked with the receptionist. We gave our name and then Petey and I sat down to the left of the counter, away from the business at the front.

It was then that I saw it. I had only seen that devistating look before on a television "animal cops" program. It was was past heartbreaking and the more I looked, the more I began to wish I knew who had done this so I could report them. This was a crime of the worst type: neglect. She had such a pretty black and white face, and a sweet, calm demeanor. In spite of the extreme physical condition, with ribs sticking way out on her large mostly white frame, she still was a pleasant girl. The Mom explained that the dog showed up a the end of their driveway. She was almost unable to walk anymore, she was so weak. The teenage daughter called her Calli, since no name was written on the collar. To say Calli was emaciated is an understatement. Skin and bone. What type of person would allow this beautiful, sweet dog to become a skeleton with fur?

My vets were kind as usual, and carried her back to the exam room. I talked with the Mom and gave her my e-mail address, asking if she would let me know the outcome of the visit. An e-mail later that day confirmed the worst....Calli was in renal failure, which is not reversable. They were hoping for better news; another sweet, innocent doggie life lost. The good part? That someone cared enough to make a difference, to show her daughter that taking time to give yourself to something worthy is the right way. May God bless Calli and the family who showed her unconditional love in her last days.