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Mario was adopted from Pet Haven in 1998 as a puppy, not yet a year old.
In November 2010 we learned that his owner had died about a year prior to this time and her friend who wished to care for Mario for the rest of his life was not able to continue because of housing problems. He had found a friend to take Mario but it didn’t work out, he was passed along to one of their friends and Pet Haven was contacted.
Mario was taken to a Pet Haven approved vet for an exam, evaluation and shot updates. The family caring for Mario continued to care for him for several months. At that time a Pet Haven foster home agreed to take him for a short time – respite care over the Thanksgiving holidays as we searched for another foster home for him. A prospective owner, looking for an older, calm companion was interested in adopting him.
Because some of Mario’s bloodwork had come back with questions that needed resolving he was put on several antibiotics for an extended period to see if that would resolve his abnormal liver readings. Unfortunately the antibiotics did not resolve the problem and the conclusion was that Mario has a liver tumor. Now we were looking for compassionate, end of life care.
His respite fosters made the decision in Dec. 2010 that they would keep Mario and see him through the end of his life – going from respite over a holiday to an unknown number of months of increasing care as they try to keep him comfortable.
He also suffers from arthritis and has problems with stairs and getting up from a slippery floor. He prefers to rest on a slippery floor because, we think, it is cooler and he has a heavy, thick coat. He’s taking medications to help ease the pain of arthritis.
Mario has had other health issues – sometimes diarrhea and he gets medication for that too and now, if he has an accident on getting up, his stool is formed. His fosters help him up as needed, clean up after him and help him in and out of the house because there are stairs involved.
Generally Mario is in good spirits, enjoys life, his other dog friends and the kind folks, now his family, who have opened their home to him for his last few months. He’s a calm and quieter fellow.
He lost his home due to death and Mario now has found another home – his last home - with Sharon and Barbara Kinsmith, where he is valued, cared for compassionately and loved. Home once again.
4 comments:
He's such a beautiful old man. His story is a sad but heartwarming one. Too often, pets with health problems that cannot find a proper home to handle the extra care they need are put down just because it's easier. The Kinsmiths are good people -- I'd even say heroes. I wish we had a lot more people like them in the world.
I cannot thank the Kinsmith's enough for everything they have done, not only for Mario, but everything they have done for Pet Haven. You guys rock!!!
When we decided to get involved with a rescue org. it seemed to be a clear decision. we will help out a abandoned dog, simple right? Well... what really happens is that we fall in love with all of these dogs. They didn't ask for these horrible things to happen, they loved their owner and thought it was a done deal! Usually we find the dog a home and move to the next need. So then along comes Mario, pethaven is amazing - once a pethaven animal, always a pethaven animal. we take them back and even better, we put them with someone so wonderful and loving as the Kinsmiths! Amazing, and it happens again & again. That's who the volunteers are amazing! These people I volunteer with are so wonderful. Thanks Barb & Sharon...
When we decided to get involved with a rescue org. it seemed to be a clear decision. we will help out a abandoned dog, simple right? Well... what really happens is that we fall in love with all of these dogs. They didn't ask for these horrible things to happen, they loved their owner and thought it was a done deal! Usually we find the dog a home and move to the next need. So then along comes Mario, pethaven is amazing - once a pethaven animal, always a pethaven animal. we take them back and even better, we put them with someone so wonderful and loving as the Kinsmiths! Amazing, and it happens again & again. That's who the volunteers are amazing! These people I volunteer with are so wonderful. Thanks Barb & Sharon...
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