Ode to Rebel, our beloved Snaggletoothed blessing.
It is with heavy hearts that we share the passing of our much beloved Rebel on Easter Sunday. He came to us as a senior citizen only a year and a half ago after his life-long person became ill with cancer and went into hospice. Already 10 years young and having always lived alone, we weren’t sure how he’d adapt to living outside or having a new canine companion. He was the perfect gentleman, accepting all three of the females we tried introducing him to without a fuss. Luna just wasn’t ready for a new friend and Jewel didn’t work out only because Luna wouldn’t accept Treasure or Rebel. So we decided to try introducing him to Dancer and it was an immediate connection. They romped and played like puppies and seemed as if they were “soul mates” from the beginning! Rebel wasn’t at all sure about the guests coming into his home, but Dancer showed him it was okay and the most he did was pace. Eventually he learned to relax, howl, and even come up for some kisses from the friends that came to visit. Besides being stunningly handsome, he had one quirky tooth that gave him a snaggle-tooth effect. It was quite possibly his most charming characteristic other than his pure sweet personality.
After two months of trying to figure out why he wasn’t eating, doing test after test and x-ray, we noticed him struggling to breathe. An immediate trip to the ER vet showed that he had a fast growing cancer in the lungs that had not shown up on the x-rays at all even just three weeks earlier. We couldn’t imagine letting him struggle for each breath, so surrounded by a few dedicated volunteers on Easter Sunday (also a full moon), we said our goodbyes and sent him off to be with our pack on the other side and to reunite with his person. We will miss him and know that Dancer will miss him most of all, but take comfort in knowing we provided him the best life possible and did everything we could medically to try to diagnose and treat him. We have the best supporters and donors that enable us to provide unparallelled care and the best volunteers who are immediately on top of any new change in behavior and give up their family time to help the animals. Run free Rebel!
4/1/18
