Boomer

Today I have to get my head around giving the most difficult report ever.  I am going to start at the beginning, about 6 months ago.

This is our Boomer, about 6 months ago, when we started with the Dog Feeding Program.  There are so many reasons why Boomer was our favorite. She was the first dog that responded to our clapping and whistling when we arrived. She came running from far to come and greet us. She was never afraid to come up and personal with us. In time she got so comfortable that she would eat out of our hands.

Some days she looked better than others. She clearly had a life of her own. Some days she would be all clean, and other days all scruffy.

But at all times she was happy to see us.

She took very well to the feeding program and in time I became very attached to her.  She was not greedy and never growled at the other dogs. She was always ok with sharing a pile of food.

She never showed any signs of being sick. It was shortly before my trip to South Africa that I heard she was pregnant. She had her pups in a Thai shack and before I left we bought the lady that took care of her Shampoo and Frontline for the ticks and fleas.

It was only after my return from South Africa that I found out how her health had deteriorated. I have no footage of what she looked like when we got her. It was shocking too say the least. As she was such a lovely young animal with such an amazing personality, I was happy to take her into my house and help with her recovery. This involved numerous trips to the vet and 2 hour force feeding sessions at home.

Joel and I would spend 2 hours force feeding her with a syringe. She would lie with her head on my lap while I try to force open her jaw. I would whisper words of encouragement into her ears. She often looked up at me and I got a sense of appreciation from her. We would liquidize her food and give her liquid through a drip.

Some nights I would hear her walking around the room and then I would go and sit with her and calm her down while whistling to her or tell her stories of how great her life will be when she gets better. This was often done at 3 or 4 in the morning.  There was a time where she showed great improvement as her platelets went up.

Then there was the sudden downward spiral. We had hoped that there was not major neurological damage, but in time we discovered more and more long-lasting effects.

She was often nebulized to help with the respiratory system. Unfortunately we also found that the twitches were getting worse and she was not responding well. Even though we had thought of putting her to sleep, the vet still encouraged us to keep up with our efforts.

On Saturday morning Joel and I made another trip to the vet. He informed us on something that Joel and I had already known……It would be best to put Boomer to sleep.  It was a horrible experience and I am still crying….even as I am writing this I am out of control.  These are the last pictures that I have of our very special friend.   Joel and I were with her all the way and as the vet injected her with the lethal concoction I had her head in my hands and I kept whispering to her that she needs to go run in the forest.   I could feel the twitching in her head stop and within a couple of minutes all life drained from her little body.

This was the most difficult thing I have done in my life and  know that Boomer will be with us all for eternity.

 I will be using Boomer every day while teaching the Thais about pet care and the importance of having dogs vaccinated. The sad thing is that all of this could have been prevented with a 200THB injection. The document above is one that I never want to fill out again.

I want to encourage all of us involved to read  A Dogs Purpose  http://www.amazon.com/Dogs-Purpose-W-Bruce-Cameron/dp/0765330342

Let me share this prayer of an abandoned dog with you, so you might take a second and put your thoughts and attention to all those forgotten souls out there on the streets:

Dear God please send me somebody who’ll care!

I’m tired of running, I’m sick with despair.

My body is aching, it’s so racked with pain.

And Dear God I pray as I run in the rain,

That someone will love me and give me a home.

A warm cozy bed I can call my own

My last owner neglected me and chased me away

To rummage in garbage and live as a stray.

But now God I’m tired and hungry and cold.

And I’m afraid that I’ll never grow old.

They’ve chased me with sticks and hit me with stones

While I run in the streets just looking for bones!

I’m not really bad God, please help if you can.

For I have become just a “VICTIM OF MAN!”

I’m wormy Dear God and I’m ridden with fleas

and All that I want is an owner to please!

If you find one for me God, I’ll try to be good

I won’t run away and I’ll do as I should.

I don’t think I’ll make it to long on my own,

Cause I’m getting so weak and I’m so all alone.

Each night as I sleep in the bushes I cry,

Cause I’m so afraid God, that I’m gonna die!

And I’ve got so much love and devotion to give,

That I should be given a new chance to live.

So Dear God PLEASE, PLEASE answer my prayer

And send me somebody who WILL really care…

And Lastly,

I stood by your bed last night, I came to have a peep.

I could see that you were crying, You found it hard to sleep.

I whined to you softly as you brushed away a tear,

“It’s me, I haven’t left you, I’m well, I’m fine, I’m here.”

I was close to you at breakfast, I watched you pour the tea,

You were thinking of the many times, your hands reached down to me.

I was with you at the shops today, Your arms were getting sore.

I longed to take your parcels, I wish I could do more.

I was with you at my grave today, You tend it with such care.

I want to re-assure you, that I’m not lying there.

I walked with you towards the house, as you fumbled for your key.

I gently put my paw on you, I smiled and said ” it’s me.”

You looked so very tired, and sank into a chair.

I tried so hard to let you know, that I was standing there.

It’s possible for me, to be so near you everyday.

To say to you with certainty, “I never went away.”

You sat there very quietly, then smiled, I think you knew…

In the stillness of that evening, I was very close to you.

The day is over… I smile and watch you yawning

and say “good-night, God bless, I’ll see you in the morning.”

And when the time is right for you to cross the brief divide,

I’ll rush across to greet you and we’ll stand, side by side.

I have so many things to show you, there is so much for you to see.

Be patient, live your journey out…then come home to be with me.