Hope

Hope, a lab mix, was pretty young for an old dog — probably about 9 or 10. She was dropped off at a shelter with end-stage lymphoma. Not wanting Hope to spend her final days at a shelter, she went to an Old Dog Haven Final Refuge home where she was pampered and surrounded by love from her foster parents and her canine foster brothers. Hope was very friendly and wiggly, and immediately trusting. She loved attention, and above all else, loved walks. However, even though her tail was wagging and Hope was trying to stay strong, her foster parents could tell she was in pain. The lymph nodes around her neck were so swollen that she had trouble breathing and eating, and she had a hard time getting comfortable. Treatment might have bought her a little more time, but would ultimately prolong her suffering. After three days, as much as they wanted her to stay, her foster parents knew the best thing for Hope was to release her from her body. After a long, peaceful walk at Green Lake, they let Hope go. They wish they could have had much more time to get to know her, but sometimes that is just not in the cards.

The important thing is that she spent her final days as every dog deserves — knowing that she was loved and valued.