Stray dogs and cats are far and away the biggest category of animals we take into our care. Most of those are legitimately lost or unowned but some are “strays,” the quotes denoting an important distinction. These “strays” are animals that have obviously been cared for, lived in a home and for whatever reason, are left to fend for themselves. Domestic animals can’t fend for themselves so abandoning them is sentencing them to a life without food or shelter. If they come to us, they are lucky.
In April of 2021 a member of the public brought in a Golden Retriever who was exactly that type of “stray,” found wearing a leash and harness and wandering near the busy intersection of Taylor Kidd and Gardiner’s Road. We held out hope that someone would quickly come looking for this beauty but no one ever did. After a week or so, we named her Mae and went about our usual routine of determining her overall health. Based on her teeth, we guessed her age to be seven. She had some skin issues and a few lumps and she needed a spay surgery. Once the spay was done, we found a foster home for her to recover in. During her time in foster, one of the lumps had become a concern so she came back for an x-ray. The lump was on her mammary gland so surgery was scheduled. The tumour we removed was malignant. Many canine mammary tumours can be avoided with an early spay but Mae had already lived half her life, increasing the likelihood of mammary cancer. We decided to put her up for a palliative adoption, telling any potential adopter that while her life span was limited, she could live pain free for some time.
Older animals are hard to adopt. An older animal with itchy skin and a cancer diagnosis takes a very special person. Beth Rowlatt was just that person. Although I’d never met Beth, I had met her son on a few occasions. Beth called me to ask about Mae and I was honest with her, as she recounts in a recent email. “When I spoke with you on the phone inquiring about her, you informed me that she was considered palliative - that she might live 3 more months, or 3 more years.”
Mae’s condition and the uncertainty surrounding it, did not faze Beth at all. As a nurse she had spent her adult life caring for people so providing a little extra care to Mae and monitoring her health seemed to be a natural extension of that. I was thrilled we could match the two of them.
I have no idea what the first seven years of Mae’s life were like, but she’d had a pretty rough go from spring to summer of 2021. She’d been abandoned, gone through two surgeries, a long recovery, a stint in our kennels and time in two foster homes. Now that Beth had found her, Mae was poised to live an amazing life. A month after the adoption was finalized, we got this update from Beth, “We took Mae home from the “meet and greet” and she became part of our family instantly! I feel as if I won the dog lottery with her, she is so sweet and well trained!”
The pictures accompanying the update showed Mae at the cottage by the water, in the backyard with her “sister” Lilo (a Collie cross) and sleeping in her big comfy dog bed.
Although I never take these connections for granted, time passed and I hadn’t thought about Beth and Mae for a while. As I mentioned above, I got an email from Beth recently. A while back, Mae’s cancer had returned. In Beth’s words, “I made the heartbreaking decision to let her go a few weeks ago. She had an osteosarcoma on her shoulder, and the X-ray also showed masses in her lungs. She was still mostly herself, wagging her tail and enjoying her walks and meals. She was the absolute best dog!! I miss her every day. I thought I would send along a few pictures that hopefully show how happy she was in our family. I am forever grateful for the opportunity to be her mom!”
People often ask me, how I can handle seeing animals who have suffered abuse or animals that have been abandoned in fields or at busy intersections. Without question it’s tough. Some days it’s almost unbearable. When those days happen, I think back to stories like Mae and Beth’s. Mae found a second chance at life and love and a family to care for her and Beth found that unconditional love only a pet can provide. As Beth said when I asked if I could tell her story, “The term who saved who, definitely applies to us.”
Every single person here knows exactly how you feel Beth. We’re sending our love and condolences on the loss of Mae and our thanks for giving this “stray” dog the life she deserved.
