Almost every year, hunters decollar and dump elderly dogs who can no longer hunt effectively, or sometimes they dump a dog with a medical problem. We do our best to give them whatever food and nutrition they require, and with a vet sympathetic to animal rescuers, we get them whatever immunizations and care is necessary. For a time, we do look for the prior owner, just in case the dog was lost and the collar broke off. The pound is helpful with this, and then ultimately issues us adoption paperwork if the original owner is never located.
Four years ago, in the Fall, a female bicolored brown hound was left at our gates. Because she could smell our other dogs and went to check them out, she allowed us to care for her, although she was timid and showed indications of being fearful of human beings. The vet thought that she was extremely old and that she had given birth to many litters of puppies over the years. She received a rabies shot, routine immunizations and started heartworm preventive, which she tolerated well. She ate well and within a few months had gained the weight the vet thought was optimal. Within about six months she was running with our dogs and acting as if she'd spent a lifetime here. Because the vet thought she could be as old as sixteen, we chose not to subject her to general anesthesia to be spayed. Instead, we kept her in our professional kennel with other female dogs and watched her carefully when we took her out on a leash.
In 2020, the vet believed that she was likely eighteen years of age or perhaps even older and that she could pass at any time. We tried not to think about this much, and it was also hard to believe especially since she was so excited when she was fed, or when we came to play with her. Because she was so old, we decided to replace her bed with a comfortable and extra padded one in advance of Christmas, when we would normally replace any beds that required it.
This morning, she was happy to see us, and was up while her water bucket was scrubbed and the water changed. She began to eat as we left the kennel. This afternoon, when we came to do afternoon, and evening care, and to turn off the radio which runs during the day, she was quiet. She seemed stretched out and comfortable in her new bed. A quick look told us that she hadn't eaten much breakfast this morning. When we took a closer look, the quiet sleeping dog on the new bed wasn't breathing. Some time this afternoon, Penny had passed. Her eyes are peacefully closed. There is no mess, and she isn't curled up as if she were cold. As much as this was an extremely elderly dog whose passing was expected, we are sad. She loved her life almost as much as we enjoyed having her here. Godspeed Penny. Thank you for staying here and for taking the chance of coming here that September day four years ago. You could have run away. You could have stayed at the gate waiting for the hunter who left you here, but you were a bright girl. You knew we would care for you. We will bury you and have a farm funeral tomorrow. Penny, I love you and I am truly going to miss you.
