Lily

From her foster mom:

Lily was found wondering the streets and taken to a local humane society. She was a matted, over-grown mess covered in feces, fleas, and dirt. She had a huge mammary mass and a second smaller one, bad knees/hips and needed dental work badly. She also had a case of kennel cough.

The day after Lily came to our home, she was taken to the vet for an intake appointment. It was determined that she needed the mammary mass removed and biopsied, as well as a lot of dental work. Surgery was set for several weeks out to give Lily time to adjust to her new home. However, Lily’s mammary mass became enlarged and required emergency removal. Lily was spayed, and had 11 teeth removed. About 10 days later, we learned the sad news that Lily’s mass was cancer and had spread to the surrounding lymph nodes. Lily had a grade 2 tumor with life expectancy of about 30ish months. Our hopes of getting Lily healthy enough to one day be adopted were dashed and the sadness of discovering we will be Lily’s final home set it. However, Lily is clearly a born fighter and we are determined to make Lily’s life the best we possibly can with whatever time she has left.

Lily is such a people person. She loves everyone and is perfectly happy walking up to anyone and asking for attention. She can spend hours laying on you enjoying her puppy massages, belly rubs or back scratches.

Lily also loves to play! Chasing balls, shaking and throwing plushies, and playing tug o war with the house puppy are some of her favorite games. However, what Lily loves most is chasing and playing with our puppy! Lily has taught her so much and has so much energy that she often tires the pup out. Watching her play, you often forget that she is sick.

Lily loves to eat and has just learned how to take treats and peanut butter off a persons hand. You can tell by Lily’s reactions that she had a hard life before. So little moments like this, let us know that even after all she has been through, Lily is still able to love and trust. We love seeing Lily learn that she is safe and try new things that she clearly wasn’t able to enjoy before.

It’s sad knowing someone let this beautiful little girl down, but with the help of Old Dog Haven and their supporters, Lily now has the chance to live a life full of love, good food, medical care, and can spend her last days with people who love and value her in a warm and safe home.

Update:  After much too short a time, her loving foster family had to say good bye to dear Lily.  Her medical issues were too much to overcome.  This tiny thing made a big impact on her family and although they will miss her terribly, they are very grateful to have known and loved her.  They gave her the very best ending possible and she was sent on her way with love.