Eleanor

Eleanor came to her Final Refuge family 15 months ago in terrible shape. She was found laying in a ditch, probably thinking she was going to die there. She was very very thin, weighing just 36 pounds (way too thin for a German Shepherd mix!) and looking like she had not been bathed or brushed for years! Eleanor was very timid, and acted like she was sure she was going to get in trouble if she did anything other than lie on her bed. We had her bathed and brushed, which we knew would make her instantly feel better, and then began an intensive effort to get her to put weight on with extra good food and lots of supplements. From her intake exam and blood work, we suspected that there was possibly cancer lurking some place in that poor body, but felt she was certainly worth the effort to help her to feel as good as possible. Eleanor had a great deal of arthritis, especially in her hips and back legs, and so when she trotted around the pasture with the other dogs, she looked like she was doing her own special version of the bunny hop! She also had lots of stomach issues, which made it a challenge to encourage her to eat some days. She was a different girl outside, and we were sure she had a smile on her face when she was either exploring the yard or just laying in the sun. Eleanor had a depth in her eyes that told us what a beautiful soul she had and it was such an honor for her Final Refuge family to enjoy her company for a little over a year. When life got just too hard, and she was not comfortable moving around much, we sent her on her way. We believe she is now without pain, and left this world knowing she was very much ADORED! She deserved all that and more. We will never forget our dear sweet Ellie and hope our paths will cross again some time.