A young dog died today

I got a call today...

A call of anguish and pain and heartbreak.

Rosanna phoned from Guelph, her voice thick with tears, reporting that despite the apparent massive gains made by Tyson after only two chemo appointments, his cancer is so invasive, so virulent that the gains he made are only temporary... his current robustness a blink in time, a sweet, short reprieve .. that in fact, his poor body is so riddled and so damaged, there is no coming back.

For the truth is that I already know as much about my fate as I need to know. The day will come when I will die. So the only matter of consequence before me is what I will do with my allotted time. I can remain on shore, paralyzed with fear, or I can raise my sails and dip and soar in the breeze.

Richard Bode

Anguished and heart-broken, she asks me "was I wrong?"  Should I have listened and accepted that this young dog's fate was to die?  She cries, her voice against my ear, the phone linking our mutual anguish and gifting us with a shared pain.

I remind her of the broken, agonized dog she picked up that day from the THS, his poor body riddled with open sores, his paws raw, leaking blood and fluid.... "remember Tyson NOW' I tell her and we talk, for a moment, about his joyous walks to the park in the last few weeks, how he went from having to be carried from his padded bed to the grass outside and back again, whimpering in pain to the NOW, the jumping for a ball, the frolicking delight of a young dog finally able to revel in young muscles and no pain

Commit yourself to a dream ... Nobody who tries to do something great but fails is a total failure. Why? Because he can always rest assured that he succeeded in life's most important battle - he defeated the fear of trying.

Robert H. Schuller

When all is said and done, life is uncertain.. the paths we take may seem clear but the capricious nature of time and possibilities inevitably obscure and change the clarity of thought and the certitude of destination and all of us, frail humans, struggle to accept and deal with new understandings.

A young dog died today.

But I cannot, will not, believe that the precious time he was gifted with this past month was a waste or a choice made wrong. I will not and do not believe that the short window in time in which a young dog learned the worth of a soft hand, the feel of  grass warmed and crisped by the hot sun, the taste of a dusky, muddy tennis ball was wasted simply because it was limited by hours and minutes that could be counted and weighed .  The reality is that none of us know the moments left in our lives. But to experience the immediate, the "now", to live in the moment and find in it, a measure of peace, a smidgen of joy, a release from pain and a discovery of infinite possibilities is incredibly precious and not to be denied.

Rosanna,  Tatiana and Dishanie were his special angels in this short walk he had on the stage of life.

All of you chose to step over the precipice.. to take that leap of faith - to BELIEVE that he might have a chance - don't ever, EVER feel that was the wrong decision.  You chose to gift that little dog with hope; to confer on him the grace of believing... that can NEVER be wrong.

And as a dear friend also pointed out, Tyson also "taught something to everyone who handled him, loved him, cared for him and cheered for him. Each will have learned something different but in the end all will have learned something and Tyson's fight for life was not in vain."  (Thank you Lynn for that timely and poignant reminder that in the loving, we too learn something invaluable).

That it turned out this way... sadly, that faith and belief and love could not trump the reality of a cancer left far too long by those who had his welfare in their hands long before your kind hands.. but that is not the point of Tyson's life.

He has lived.  And for that, we can can be grateful.

He has been loved. And for that, we can give thanks.

And in the end, he found his way with his angels to see him through.

Written by: Alfred Lord Tennyson

Sunset and evening star,

And one clear call for me!

And may there be no moaning of the bar,

When I put out to sea,

But such a tide as moving seems asleep,

Too full for sound and foam,

When that which drew from out the boundless deep

Turns again home.

Twilight and evening bell,

And after that the dark!

And may there be no sadness of farewell,

When I embark;

For though from out our bourne of Time and Place

The flood may bear me far,

I hope to see my Pilot face to face

When I have crossed the bar.

STOP PUPPY MILLS and one way to help is to sign petitions like this one ....

There are many situations that drive me into a frenzy when it comes to the way society turns a blind eye towards animal welfare - and allows fashion, selfishness and ignorance to compound and contribute to the continued exploitation of animals.  Puppy mills have to be one of the most horrendous contributors to the continued exploitation, torture and forced breeding of dogs.  

Anyone today that denies any knowledge of these awful hellholes is deliberately turning a blind eye and are themselves guilty of the continued horror that the parents of those "cute" puppies suffer every moment of their sad, short, pathetic lives.

Buy on Kijji or craigslist a yorkipoo?  a 7 or 8 week old jack mix?  "just got a puppy and am moving"- who do you think you are fooling?

What we can target with will and with the weight of the law is the banning of the sale of any live kittens, rabbits, dogs in pet stores.  (Because there are also kitten mills).  It has worked in many municipalities -and while it is naive to think it gets rid of the problem, it at least stops ONE potential market.  

Please sign and SHARE this petition ... time to shut down forever the selling of dogs in pet stores - stores that refuse to take responsibility for the continued exploitation of the puppies parents; stores that make an obscene profit for often sick, genetically screwed little dogs that credulous buyers end up paying thousands of dollars in vet bills on; stores that have incompetent staff who, even with the best of intentions, have no clue have to properly care for the often far too young animals that come into their purview.

Please sign and share.

Do this one thing and with enough voices, there CAN be change.

http://www.change.org/en-CA/petitions/safari-pet-center-stop-selling-puppies

Tyson's fundraiser an awesome success!

At this point, the fundraiser has around $3200 in the kitty! As $3,000 was the original quote for the series of chemotherapy sessions recommended, Tyson is now able to complete the entire program!

Thank you to everyone who shared.

Thank you to everyone who contributed.

Thank you to everyone who cared.

Tyson is feeling feisty and starting to understand that life is good.

More updates to follow!

Tyson the Terrific walks on his own to his second treatment

Tyson THREE weeks ago

My heart literally feels like bursting.. watching this sweet puppy walking under his own steam, clearly suffering minimal discomfort after just TWO chemotherapy treatments.

When you compare the earlier pictures, the ones that clearly show that this valiant fighter had just about given up; battered, bruised, bloody and hurting, his body literally being eaten away, his feet bleeding, it seemed impossible that this puppy could find it in himself to rally.

But Tyson has found his heart again.

Tyson has found angels to support him in his fierce determination to beat this horrible disease.  Rosanna, a woman with the softest heart and yet the strongest will of anyone I know. Her daughter Titiania, a stalwart defender and another one who believes.


Look at our boy go!


Tyson walking into his second chemo in Guelph

Tyson has a lot more appointments before he is done the fight.  Please share widely and let's get his fundraising really going!

http://www.indiegogo.com/projects/help-tyson-a-shelter-puppy-get-chemotherapy

We are ALMOST halfway there to the goal.  This money will be used ONLY for Tyson's treatment at the Animal Cancer Centre in Guelph.

Please help this boy have a fighting chance.

A Miracle in the Making...

 The photos here are disturbing... very disturbing.  This was Tyson when Rosanna first picked him up from the THS. Despite valiant efforts at the shelter and the best of vet care, his health was deteriorating by the day.  Rosanna was called and despite the promised heartbreak, agreed to take him for his final days.  It was almost a fluke that she, in desperation at the pitiful state of this poor dog,  she finally found someone who was willing to see him at the Animal Cancer Centre at the University of Guelph.

As noted earlier, there is no "cure" for Tyson - what there is is a chance (no promises) for him to live a little longer with a quality of life he has never actually experienced.  A chance to learn that life can exist without pain, that grass is wonderful to roll on, a ball is a magical thing to catch.  Tyson has been offered a chance to know that life is more than pain and suffering, more than an exhausted body and the long, dark of nights fraught with resignation and despair.

This is Tyson after just ONE round of chemotherapy...




Tell me miracles don't happen.

http://www.indiegogo.com/projects/help-tyson-a-shelter-puppy-get-chemotherapy

Tyson the Brave needs help- THS foster needs funds for chemo

My friend Rosanna has the biggest heart of anyone I know.  A long-term, palliative foster for the THS, she opens her heart and home to dogs that are sick and dying and gives them, in their final days, a lifetime of love, laughter, hugs and care all squished into whatever time they have left.  In so doing, her own heart breaks again and again because she is a woman who can only offer every piece of her heart to her latest sweet pup, knowing that it will be ripped to pieces once again.

Rosanna's latest love is a beautiful pup called Tyson.  Tyson was surrendered to the Toronto Humane Society with an advanced case of disseminated mast cell tumour (skin cancer).  Due to the severity of his cancer, it was initially determined that Tyson would be a palliative foster - and no one has a bigger heart than Rosanna and that is where he went to spend (what we thought) were his final days.

 However, Rosanna - like sweet Tyson - is a fighter. Unfamiliar with this type of cancer, Rosanna got to work exploring potential options and possible treatments.  To her delighted surprise, she was fortunate enough to get in touch with the Animal Cancer Centre at Guelph University - where a specialist suggested Rosanna bring him in.

With her wonderful daughter Tatiana and a referral from the THS, Rosanna brought this sweet boy to the University of Guelph where he was approved for life-saving cancer treatment.  It was established by Guelph specialists that while Tyson's cancer cannot be cured, they were hopeful a round of chemotherapy and various drugs could relieve his suffering and give him one to two years of GOOD quality life!  Right there and then, Rosanna paid for Tyson's first round - and the immediate result was astounding.

Guelph could not be more generous or  kind - the vet overseeing his care recommended 8 sessions of chemotherapy, with 4 once a week and the next 4 every other week. The estimated cost is projected at $2600-$3000 dollars in total.  This is actually a considerable reduction due to the willingness of the institution to reduce costs.

$3000 is a lot of money but this sweet pup, who has only had  year to enjoy his short life deserves his chance.  Rosanna recognized that this was a grave financial burden on the THS which is just finding its feet and starting to once again thrive.  So she and Tatiana have started a fundraising campaign for Tyson's treatment.  EVERY cent will go towards his treatment and both the fundraisers and the THS want to be completely above-board and transparent as possible.

PLEASE please please... if you can donate even a couple of dollars, please do. The link for the fundraiser is here, while Tyson's facebook page which will update and keep fans apprised of his progress is here.

As someone who has been intimately entwined for many years with the THS and for the past several years taken a step back, uncertain whether the direction this venerable institution was taking was one I could follow - I am SO encouraged at this clear message that EVERY dog deserves a chance.  Their willingness to take a chance with Tyson - to give this innocent, sweet dog a chance to live even a few years in relative comfort and health is so clearly in the spirit of its original benefactor that I believe his spirit is probably looking down in joy.

If you don't believe in miracles, then follow the journey of this beautiful dog.  5 days into his treatment and he walked to and from the park (Rosanna had carried him just a week or so ago)- and played FETCH.

Let's keep Tyson smiling!  Donate if you can - every dollar helps - and please, if you do or you can't - give the THS a call anyways- BECOME a member  or just drop them a note - tell them how pleased you are that it is fufilling the promises made and becoming the institution it was meant to be!

Phone: 416.392.2273

or EMAIL their Communications Department to let them know that the citizens of this City are so happy to see this kind of kindness and caring in a place that is now returning to its roots ... truly a place of refuge for all the animals in Toronto.

Thank you Rosanna and Tatiana! and Thank You THS!!