“He’s brought smiles and laughter back in the house.”
By Sarah Williams
This past June, I did a home visit for a couple who had just lost one of their bassets to cancer, leaving the surviving basset, Fluke, in a state of morbid grief. The sadness in the home couldn’t be hidden by the welcoming smiles of the lovely British couple that greeted me. They shared the story of their sweet Daisy, whom they had adopted as a puppy from Charleston Animal Society 12 years ago, and how a visit to the vet in May revealed that she had melanoma which led to her rapid decline. Fluke just lay on the floor completely indifferent to the stranger who was listening to his mom in her grief.
Fluke was adopted the year after Daisy, and he happily followed as she ran the show. But now he was on his own. He no longer greeted the doorbell with a howl. He had no appetite. In all that grief was a desperate request; Fluke needed a buddy, and fast. I left the home visit determined to play matchmaker and find a basset to bring joy back to this house quickly.
Literally the next day, the CBHR adoption line received a request from a family to rehome a 6-year-old basset named Rosco. They had fallen on hard times and could not adequately care for him. Accompanying the email was a picture of a handsome, fluffy basset. He looked like a huge, life-sized stuffed animal from FAO Schwartz!
I immediately called the grieving family and told them about Rosco. In my heart I felt certain that one of life’s miracles was happening at that moment. It was decided that Fluke’s family would foster Rosco, giving Fluke the partner he so desperately needed; and if Rosco was the source of joy that we all hoped he would be, then he would be adopted and another Happy Tail would be added to the CBHR website.
Rosco arrived at his new home on the fourth-of-July weekend; all 84 lbs of him. He was the happiest, fluffiest, biggest basset boy you could imagine. Though he was 6 years old, he looked and behaved like he was 2. He made himself right at home, took over cooking duties in the kitchen (until his mom found ways to keep him out), delighting his parents with his wagging tail and following them everywhere. He kept his dad’s favorite chair warm when he was out, became a huge hit at the local breweries that his family loved to frequent with the dogs, and happily agreed to be photographed with everyone who met him.
Most important though, Fluke’s spirits were lifted. He let his new brother kiss him and lick his ears, and anxiously waited at the door to go out on walks with his new buddy. All was good again. This is where the Happy Tail should end, and we all smile and feel good about what we do.
When Rosco went for his wellness exam (a clean bill of health is required before adoption), there were several lumps that the vet decided should be biopsied. Rosco’s family, having just lost Daisy, wanted assurance that this lovebug was going to be around for a long time. It turned out that the lumps were not as problematic as his enlarged lymph nodes. In early August we got the call that Rosco had lymphoma; incurable in dogs. This brutal cancer comes on quickly, and life expectancy is a matter of months.
There are options to extend the life of a dog with lymphoma, such as chemo, but the best life expectancy for Rosco was a year with no guarantees. When I went to see Rosco, Fluke, his mom, dad and their daughter to discuss the prognosis, I was so touched by the graciousness, love and acceptance of this outcome. “He’s brought smiles and laughter back in the house,” they all said.
Rosco’s mom felt that maybe there was a message here; some sort of calling, like working with senior dogs in the future? I shared the story of a 10-year-old dog that I had adopted 2 years ago that died 4 months later of prostate cancer. Would I do it again? Absolutely. He brought so much unforgettable joy and left this world happy and surrounded by love.
Whether you adopt a senior dog or a puppy, there is no guarantee on their long-term health. The guarantee is that you will have a permanent paw print on your heart from the unconditional love you received, whether it was for 12 years or 12 weeks.
