Posted January 20, 1999
Revised August 8, 2000

Precious Rudi is lost to us and gone to Rainbow Bridge. I wish she had had more time and better health with her adoptive mother, but neither happened for her. Before she came to her loving him, Rudi had not known much happiness or care. We took her in because she was chained constantly in a filthy back yard with an owner just itching to take her to the pound.

I learned of Rudi's situation during a particularly bad time for our Center (I'm beginning to wonder if there is a good time, though). We were totally packed with dogs and unable to take anymore in. Then, an amazing thing happened. One of my former adopters, a special lady who had taken in poor sweet Tuffy, had just lost her Tiffany. She wanted to help us with Rudi. Her fostering of Rudi turned to adoption when Tuffy also passed on. Sadly, she has now lost Rudi, too.

She still has her sweet Teddy, and young Sadie, whom she adopted from us not so long ago. Each dog is irreplaceable, and when they pass on, they leave an awful hole behind. Tuffy, Tiffany, and Rudi were deeply loved by their family, and all are greatly missed. Rudi's void is the newest and most recently painful. Her mother wanted me to share the following with you.

The last sentence of Rudi's former "Happy Ending" read "she has a home for whatever time she has left on this earth." It goes without saying that I had hoped she would have many years left on this earth. Unfortunately, that was not to be the case.

Rudi was about nine years old when she came to me as a foster dog. She was a victim of a divorce. She had been forced to live outside for at least one year because the new wife did not like her and eventually convinced her husband that Rudi had to leave. I will never forget my first sight of her tied to the tire in the back of their sports utility vehicle.

Her health was a problem from the beginning. She had serious ear infections, each one more difficult to cure. Her kidneys barely functioned, and we had adjusted her diet more than once. She spent the weekend before she died at the vet's just to make sure that everything that could be done for her was being done. On the day of her death, she had taken her walk that morning and seemed to be her lively self. My vet said she died peacefully, in her sleep, more than likely from a stroke.

Rudi was a clever dog, always thinking of things to get into. She enjoyed playing with a tennis ball. She encouraged the other two dogs in the house to get into things they would never have thought of on their own. I am secure in the knowledge that during the time I had her she was loved.

Rudi will be missed, and even though I must move on with my life, there will always be a void. I will always be glad I was able in some small way to make her last year a happy one, and I regret that our time together was entirely too short.

This page was written by
Valerie Macys
nancyk@CockerAdoption.org