Klaus
Posted: Fri Aug 17, 2012 5:03 pm
Klaus’ Story
I’m saying ‘good bye’ to my baby tonight.
When the German Shepherd Rescue rescued Klaus many years ago, he arrived with a collar so deeply imbedded into his neck that it had to be surgically removed. His spirit was broken, and he yelped whenever anyone, especially a man, would make a sudden move near him. He sat in boarding for many months before I came across his web image. He looked like he was smiling just for me!
The day before I was able to drive up to meet him, someone came along and adopted him. I was devastated. I felt so strongly that he was meant to come home with us. Fortunate for us the adopters brought him back, saying that they didn’t have the time to spend with him. That he was needy and crying for attention.
I went up the very next day to pick him up. On the way home he sat on the bench behind my seat and slowly…very slowly crept his way over to me and plunked himself down in my lap. He sat in my lap the entire way home, too!
Several years later, Klaus suddenly went paraplegic. There wasn’t anything we could put our fingers on as to its cause. Of course it occurred after 5 on a Friday. We took him to 3 vets over the weekend, who all advised me to euthanize him; that he wouldn’t have any quality of life.
Through the help of handicappedpets.net, I networked with others who found themselves dealing with paralyzed animals. They all told me to wait it out. Finding a vet who would support me in this was extremely difficult, but I eventually found one who provided me with catheters. Every other vet told me it would have been a liability to have me cath him. Really??? They would rather that we euthanize him? Needless to say I was dumbfounded.
For 6 weeks I turned him, bathed him, exercised his limbs and cathed him, when suddenly I noticed that one of his feet had begun to twitch. Could his sensation be returning? Needless to say that I was ecstatic! Slowly but surely he regained 100% of his mobility.
That was almost 7 years ago! And Klaus is now around 14 years of age.
With a heavy heart, I must now release my beautiful, gentle, sweet boy so that he can find eternal peace. He has told me that it’s his time to go. We’ve had a wonderful journey together, and I have many memories that I will cherish forever. I will miss him with every ounce of my heart. Rest well, my precious baby. Until we meet again.
Sandy
I’m saying ‘good bye’ to my baby tonight.
When the German Shepherd Rescue rescued Klaus many years ago, he arrived with a collar so deeply imbedded into his neck that it had to be surgically removed. His spirit was broken, and he yelped whenever anyone, especially a man, would make a sudden move near him. He sat in boarding for many months before I came across his web image. He looked like he was smiling just for me!
The day before I was able to drive up to meet him, someone came along and adopted him. I was devastated. I felt so strongly that he was meant to come home with us. Fortunate for us the adopters brought him back, saying that they didn’t have the time to spend with him. That he was needy and crying for attention.
I went up the very next day to pick him up. On the way home he sat on the bench behind my seat and slowly…very slowly crept his way over to me and plunked himself down in my lap. He sat in my lap the entire way home, too!
Several years later, Klaus suddenly went paraplegic. There wasn’t anything we could put our fingers on as to its cause. Of course it occurred after 5 on a Friday. We took him to 3 vets over the weekend, who all advised me to euthanize him; that he wouldn’t have any quality of life.
Through the help of handicappedpets.net, I networked with others who found themselves dealing with paralyzed animals. They all told me to wait it out. Finding a vet who would support me in this was extremely difficult, but I eventually found one who provided me with catheters. Every other vet told me it would have been a liability to have me cath him. Really??? They would rather that we euthanize him? Needless to say I was dumbfounded.
For 6 weeks I turned him, bathed him, exercised his limbs and cathed him, when suddenly I noticed that one of his feet had begun to twitch. Could his sensation be returning? Needless to say that I was ecstatic! Slowly but surely he regained 100% of his mobility.
That was almost 7 years ago! And Klaus is now around 14 years of age.
With a heavy heart, I must now release my beautiful, gentle, sweet boy so that he can find eternal peace. He has told me that it’s his time to go. We’ve had a wonderful journey together, and I have many memories that I will cherish forever. I will miss him with every ounce of my heart. Rest well, my precious baby. Until we meet again.
Sandy