It was 3 years on Saturday since I lost a dog that I was only lucky enough to have for ten days, but has had a lasting impression on the lives of so many other dogs.
I first saw Spirit on a website where a rescue were trying
to secure dogs rescue places. He was very skinny and appeared to be holding his
back leg up on the photos, I was delighted to hear when I enquired that he’d
found a place and would be moving on any day soon. The next day I got a
phone call to say that his placement had fallen through and could I take him. Of
course I couldn’t say no.
When Spirit arrived he was painfully thin and there was
obviously something seriously wrong with his back leg. I decided to take him to
the vets and decided that he could stay at mine over night before returning to
the kennels. The vet discovered he was suffering from severe hip dysplasia and
was going to need surgery on both hips. A plan was hatched, the vet kindly
donated his time to keep the operation as cheap as possible, and Derek even
came up with a Spirits For Spirit raffle to help raise the funds to pay. But
the most amazing thing was still to come. My GSD Oskar was at that time dog aggressive,
so for his sleep over I decided to sleep on the sitting room floor with Spirit
to keep them separate, forgetting Oskar can open doors. The next morning I was
woken by the sound of the sitting room door opening, then the shock sank in, my
eyes burst open to see Oskar and Spirit kissing before Spirit toddled out after
him. I couldn’t believe what I’d seen. They were best friends after that, and
for the next week they went everywhere together. Spirit was happy, and Oskar
loved the male company.
Then the shock hit. A routine x ray to see the damage to the
hips showed that Spirit was suffering from something more sinister than Hip D.
That back leg was riddled with bone tumours. I had to go with the vets advice
and do what was best for Spirit, I never saw Spirit again.
The ten days he was with me, Spirit changed things forever.
All the male dogs that live and have had the chance to live in my home have him
to thank, as has Oskar for getting him through a difficult spell in his life.
That dog was so brave, he would have
been in so much pain, a true true spirit.
