Coco would have turned 13 today.
Coco came into our lives four months back. She was still a puppy at heart with the most gorgeous and expressive eyes. All one needed to do was to look into her puppy eyes once and your heart melted!
I do not know much of her early days but from what I saw of Coco, she received insufficient care then. She slept on the floor even with her severe arthritis. Her health was already going downhill when we got her even though SOSD took such good care of her after her rescue.
I am especially grateful to SOSD’s Martin and Heidi. They were my rock in our journey with Coco. SOSD’s foster family support was simply amazing. Coco was exceptionally lucky to be so loved by them.
I was supposed to foster Coco for two months to see how things would go. Well, to be honest, I wanted to adopt her from day one! It was just that I needed to adjust my work routine so I could take care of a senior dog. Thankfully, my husband and I worked things out and we became proud pawrents to Coco.
The feeling of joy that Coco brought with her was so pure. Coco was initially a quiet, polite dog and rarely barked or wagged her tail. Toys were not her thing, she would just sit quietly and rest. Gradually she started warming up to us, progressing from tail wagging to hugs and sloppy kisses. Who wouldn’t wish to keep her forever? We earned her love, finally!
Adopting Coco came with some struggles too. Coco was in heat when she came to us. She also snapped a lot perhaps due to her past. We had to work hard to gain her trust. As we did not want to leave her alone at home all day, my husband and I shelved our travel plans and stayed home most of the weekends to spend as much time with her as we could.
Coco was not sterilized, and, as a senior dog, she was susceptible to Pyometra. This is an infection of the uterus that causes pus build up and often, an abdominal distension. Rupture of the distended uterus can be life threatening due to infection as it can spread to the rest of the body and affect organ functions. Surgery is recommended.
Coco underwent an ovariohysterectomy (sterilization) that required a three-day stay at the vet, and spending almost three weeks on a catheter. It was definitely a tough period for all of us and it helped that the doctors and staff at AI were very caring. Coco was a fighter and she made it! It did burn a big hole in our pocket but it was definitely worth it. The financial challenge was real but we made adjustments to our expenses so that the three of us, as one family, was happy and healthy. It takes a lot of love and courage to welcome an old dog in your life because we will never know when they will leave us.
The dreaded day came. Coco has left us. The fact that she is no longer around is still slowly sinking in. However, I know that even though it was a short four months, it was definitely the happiest four months for her. Run free Coco, you’ll have no more pain.
Love,
Mum and Dad (Jagriti & Anshul)
