[pyrnet] Merry Christmas, Rudy

[darrell goolsbee <dgg@star-telegram.com>]

Rudy didn't make it to his first Christmas.

I wish he could have, but it wasn't possible, and he wouldn't have been
able to enjoy it anyway. All because of some thoughtless, careless
"breeder"/owner who didn't bother to take the few minutes and spend the
few dollars that would have saved Rudy an agonizing fate.

Rudy was a 4-month-old, sweet, pretty Pyr pup who was found wandering
the streets by animal control, and I took him home from the shelter two
weeks ago, not intending for my home to be his last.

Rudy liked to ride, to play and to jump up on the sofa. But all too
quickly, he became sick, and as the illness got worse and worse, it
became apparent that he had distemper, even though we were never able to
get a test back with a positive result.

I wish all careless and uncaring dog owners could have met Rudy, seen
what a wonderful pup he was and then seen the horrors of how this
disease affected him. Then they surely would not ever leave a dog
unvaccinated again.

I kept hoping that perhaps Rudy would be one of the lucky few to survive
this disease, but it was not to be. He finally quit eating, and I had
him euthanized this morning.

At least Rudy finally was loved and cared for, if only for a brief time.

Darrell Goolsbee
Fort Worth, TX