I think a good definition of Animal Welfare (rescue , rehabilitation and rehoming) is doing all you can do while knowing full well it can never be enough. Albert Schweitzer said: Think occasionally of the suffering of which you spare yourself the sight"...and I do! From now on though, I think it's back to VIRTUAL REALITY animal welfare work for me and my pack. Somehow the net (the world wide web and networking) is a nice security blanket with enough insulation for sensitive souls like me! Nothing like a firewall to barricade oneself behind from the scorching flames of reality.


On Sunday we went to an adoption day and took home a little runt, who seemed to be failing to thrive. She was half the size of her 10 littermates. Her litter was rescued by PETS (Pet Empowerment in Townships) and were being cared for by two absolutely amazing fosterers, who at this time have 30 pups and about the same number of dogs they are fostering and trying to rehabilitate and rehome. We decided to foster her her hoping to help build up her immune system and fatten her up... we naively thought some one-on-one TLC may do the trick.The litter had just been recently vaccinated (on Friday) and consensus was that she was lethargic and very wobbly on her little feet because she was run-down and over-reacting to the immunization. On the way home we stopped to let her out when she got restless and began moaning, but not quite in time, she lost control all over my jeans.- it was really just metallic-smelling liquid.


At home we named her Athena (Athena is the goddess of wisdom, civilization, warfare, strength, strategy, female arts & crafts, justice and heroic endeavour).




When she really started going downhill she really went downhill fast. For her first meal she sucked a small bottle of puppy formula and even tried a few mouthfulls of solid puppy food... and hour later this was puked out. She clearly had a fight ahead, and sadly if was the fight of her life ...and for her life! Tragically it was one she did not win! The runny diarrhea continued. Initially she was drinking water from a little bowl, by the end of the night liquids (boiled water cooled with a little sugar) were being forced into her mouth with a syringe. She died on the car ride to the vet... The vet said she had an overly enlarged heart and had died of a massive heart attack (and suspected *Parvovirus, but this may have been a false positive result, since she'd just been vaccinated.) As I was leaving the vet, another fosterer arrived with Athenaís brother who had developed some of her symptoms... so we hope and pray that it truly is not Parvo and that his symptoms are just a tummy upset and immune system over-reaction to the vaccination!


With a very heavy heart we de-contaminated our home... I wish it was as easy to remove the sense of loss of a little life that couldn't be lived! Pity a mop with neat JIK cannot wipe away the guilt that we just didnít DO enoughI Unfortunately a bucketful of F10 does not decontaminatee the anger that this little pup was indead godforsaken... would a miracle really have been too much to ask...seriously...?†


RIP Athena!




I have to tip my hat to those who go, to places where angels fear to tread... you have my utmost RESPECT and ADMIRATION. You are the ones who get your hands dirty, day after day... you do more than just "think", you DO, and then you do it all again, and again, and again... Bless you, the unsung heroes... Please forgive those of us too weak for the hands-on stuff. We are not indifferent, we try to make a difference and do the best we can do... and know full well, it is NOT enough. That said, in honour of (and in memory of) Athena, I will try to DO MORE and try to DO IT BETTER! ...For now though, hands-on will be reserved for therapy dog work and the mouse (Apple mouse!). 


*For more on Parvovirus see http://www.workingdogs.com/parvofaq.htm