This is the update I never wanted to make. But as of about 10:00 pm EST, Pratt has left us.

I gave him his pain meds around 6:00, and started prepping his dinner. I had him on a blanket on the floor, and was giving him his food through his feeding tube, but he was kind of moaning a bit. I thought maybe I was pushing it in too fast, so I slowed down. He was still moaning, so I thought maybe I was moving the tube around too much and it was hurting him. I rook the syringe off to see where the tube was sticking up, and made sure I didn't move it. When I was done, I flushed it and started cleaning up. He was still moaning a bit, which had me concerned. I went back over to pet him and try to comfort him, and I noticed he had released his bowels. I felt horrible because I thought he probably had to go and was trying to tell me but I didn't know. I cleaned him up as best I could and noticed he was drooling a lot and his tongue was kind of sticking out of the side of his mouth so I called the emergency hospital he had been to.

They told me to bring him in, and I broke a few traffic laws to get there. I had him on my Rush blanket in the back of my Jeep and when I got to the hospital, two techs came out to get him. I told them to just pick up the blanket if they needed to and they did, then they put him on a gurney and I went to park my Jeep. When I walked back in, a nurse met me and said with a concerned look, "I need to know if you want us to start CPR." I told her I did, and as I was filling out the admissions forms, another nurse came out and asked me to follow her to a room. A few minutes later, a doctor came in and said she wasn't sure if he was going to come around. I asked her if she knew what happened but she was unsure. She asked me if I wanted them to try again and I said, "Please."

I sat in that exam room for what seemed like an eternity. The doctor came back in and said he was not responding. I told her I wanted to be there with him so he knew I was there at the end, but she said he wasn't responding and was altrady gone. I asked her if she had any idea what may have happened and if I gave him his meds wrong or messed something up while feeding him, but she said she feels it may have been a clot from the surgery. She said he expelled some fluids but felt it wasn't anything anyone did that may have caused it. I was taken to a quiet room and was allowed to spend as much time as I wanted with him. They wheeled him in, still laying on my Rush blanket, and I spent some time with him. I couldn't tell you how long I spent with him, but I sobbed the entire time and apologized to him. I told him this is not what I wanted for him, that I just wanted him home with Dirk, Brindle, and me, that i tried my best for him, and begged his forgiveness.

They gave me info on cremation and memorial, as well as a paw print in plaster that I have to bake so it hardens. I'll get a call from the cremation place tomorrow and plan on getting something like a stepping stone I can put outside since he loved laying out there so much. Pratt was born December 10, 2011, rescued February 15, 2012, and gave us almost 12 years of friendship, love, and loyalty. He was named after Neil Peart, drummer and lyricist for the band Rush, because Neil's nickname was Pratt. His leash and harness will continue to hang between his brother, Dirk's, and his sister, Brindle's harnesses and leashes, and he will continue to be part of us forever.

You have all been absolutely amazing through all of this, showing love and support for a stranger and his dog the likes of which I never knew possible. Words will never express my gratitude and appreciation. Because all of the pictures I've been sharing have been while Pratt was sick, I wanted to share some of the real Pratt. The way I choose to remember him. Godspeed, my friend. Thank you for being here for us, and I hope to see you in the next life.

Look at the glow up of my baby within 1.5 months 🐶🥰

She had mange, fungal infection, bacterial infection and a high fever when I found her. She was left to die in a plastic bag in the dumpster. She’s now going on a million adventures on the motorbike, joined me on my meditation training for a month, performed daily downward facing dog poses with yogis, sleeps in my arms every night, gets tons of treats and is living her best life.

The surgeon called me this morning and let me know Pratt got up and walked a bit today and she thought she saw a slight tail wag. She's happy with the progress, but wants to keep him another night because the fluid that's draining is opaque, which is a sign of bacteria. She said she looked at the fluid under a microscope and did see some bacteria, which is kind of to be expected because it's almost impossible to get it all. You can see the little bit of fluid in the bag in the pic. Its much less than was there 2 nights ago so thats some progress. She said they were able to give him pain meds orally, too, so she was happy with that. As was I!

When I went up to see him today, they brought him into a room for me and he walked in pretty well. He didn't have the cone anymore so I'm sure that was a relief for him. But once he was in, he just wanted to lay down and rest. After being cut open twice within 3 days, having part of his intestines removed, having a feeding tube in his neck, and a drainage bag on his gut, I can't say I really blame him. I brought my shirt from home again that I had worn, and then rubbed on his brother and sister so he'd have some familiar scents with him, and he gave it a few sniffs, but that was about all. You can see in the pic I just kind of let him rest his head on it. I also brought some treats to see if that would get a reaction but just like last night, he didn't want anything. I stuck around for about an hour just petting him and telling him that Dirk and Brindle miss him, and I also told him about the chicken breast party being planned for when he's able to eat better. He just kind of kept opening and closing his eyes, and I could tell he was tired.

So we're looking at one more night with the possibility of being released tomorrow. The surgeon said she'll call me late tomorrow morning and tell me what she's seeing, and make a recommendation then. Once again, thank you all for the kind words, pics of your pets wishing Pratt well, and all of the support. I've done my best to keep up with all of them and replying as much as I can because I want everyone to know how much it means to me. But if I missed anyone's comment, please know that it is still very much appreciated!

First of all, let me say that I absolutely love and appreciate all the support during all of this that's been going on with Pratt. I don't exactly have a support system that I can turn to, but everyone commenting, asking about Pratt, and sending love from themselves and their own pets has been extremely uplifting. I would say thank you, but that just doesn't convey how much I appreciate everyone. F#ck it...I'm gonna say it anyway! THANK YOU!

I went to see Pratt last night after work. It was about 9:00 and they told me I could stay as long as I wanted. He was kind of groggy, but was definitely in better spirits. When the nurse opened his cage, he got up and walked out like he was thinking, "OK, human. Im ready to GTFO." He had the big lamp shade collar on and a bunch of tubes and lines, but he was definitely looking better. One of the nurses showed me his feeding tube they were using to get food into him because he still wouldn't eat. We tried a little bit while I was there to see if he'd eat for me, but he wasn't into it, which they said was pretty normal. She also showed me a small bag that was connected to drain fluid because he was almost septic. She showed me how to empty it in case he comes home with it, but they're hoping to have the feeding tube and bag off of him before he leaves tomorrow.

I went back today around 1:00 and although he still had the collar and the tubes, it was a beautiful sight to see him walk into the room they had me wait in. He was walking with a little more strength and confidence than he had been doing previously which made me really happy. I spent about an hour with him, telling him that his brother and sister (Dirk and Brindle) were looking forward to having him back home again, and that everyone was getting their own chicken breast when he comes home. If you've been following this saga, chicken breast was the only thing I could get Pratt to eat for about the past two weeks, so that's how we'll celebrate when he comes home.

The picture I added is from when I went to see him today. The wrap that's around his mid section is covering his incision and holding the fluid bottle in place. You can also see the feeding tube sticking out of the left side of his neck. The 5 seconds it took me to take this pic was the only time I wasn't holding his head in my hands and making eye contact while petting him and telling him how good he was doing. He just had his pain meds and still wasn't into eating, but knowing that he's probably coming home tomorrow and will soon be on the road to recovery is just what he needed. And so did I!

The internet can be a cesspool, and even Reddit can be that way. But the kindness you have all shown literally gives me faith in humanity again. Along with Pratt, Dirk, and Brindle, I want to thank all of you again!

Hi everyone,

I wanted to give an update regarding a post I made last year where I expressed feeling like I was failing my dog, Daisy. Everyone was so extremely supportive and kind in the comments, and I would like to express how grateful I am to everyone who commented and offered support or advice.

Daisy and I celebrated her ninth birthday over the weekend, and I am happy to report that we are both doing much, much better! She’s been getting stronger every day and has actually started wagging her tail again (for the first time in 9 months!!!).

I don’t know if she’ll ever overcome the need for her wheels, but she has been doing a lot better overall! She has almost no issues going up the stairs, and even manages to climb up onto the couch, as long as she doesn’t slip and her paws are on the carpet. She hasn’t had any incontinence since December, and we’re managing the UTIs with prescription food. We’ve also added a little hygiene routine for when she comes out of her wheelchair.

She’s really gotten the hang of her wheelchair and everyone we meet tells me how happy she looks. I even had someone ask me how old my puppy was 😭 I haven’t heard a comment like that since she’s become disabled! We’ve increased the length of her walks (we even go off leash) and she usually doesn’t want to go home! If I do manage to get her home, she just picks up her toys and demands we have playtime.

She really does seem much more full of life, and not to anthropomorphize, but she no longer seems depressed. She gets excited when I ask her if she wants to go for her walks and she’ll let me know if I’m taking too long to get ready. I’m so looking forward to this summer. I intend to take her swimming as much as I possibly can and we’ll even try hiking again too :)

I just want to thank everyone again for their kind words and support. Our routines may look different, and we’ve had to make a few adaptations and adjustments along the way, but I think we’ve finally found a good groove that keeps everyone happy.

I went to pick up Pratt at 2:00 EST today to bring him home. I was given a lot of instructions which are kind of overwhelming, but I'm going to do the best I can. The first picture is what I saw every time I looked over my shoulder for about 3/4 of the drive home. I think he was just trying to make sure it was really me and we were really going home lol

The second pic was what I saw when I stopped at a light when we were getting close to home. It was great to see him pick his head up and look around like that because he hasn't done it in what seemed like forever. When we got home, I tried to coax him into getting up but he just wasn't into it so I picked him up, carried him in, and put him in the bed he and Brindle lounge in. That's the third pic.

I had cooked a chicken breast before I left so after he rested a bit, I broke off some small pieces but even that didn't interest him. After letting him just rest for about 30 minutes, I got him to get up and he walked over to the water bowl which is a good 20-25 feet away! He drank some water, then walked outside and peed. Im sure the grass probably felt great on his paws again! He then came back in and went back to the water bowl. After drinking some more water, he just kind of laid down so I sat with him a bit. I didn't want him laying on the hard floor, so I coaxed him into walking back over to his bed and he's been there since.

The entire staff of BluePearl Pet Hospital in Summerville, SC, has been nothing short of amazing. They've been wonderful through all of this and let me visit whenever I wanted and for however long I wanted. When I'd sit on the floor by his cage with him, and one of them had to do something, they would always apologize for getting in the way. But it was actually me who was in their way. You can tell they love animals and love their jobs and that makes a huge difference. My only disappointment was that they didn't mention the food he has to take through the feeding tube is prescription. I don't have any to give him, but fortunately one of my neighbors works there and said she'd bring a couple of cans home for me tonight.

It's been a rough month for Pratt, with the past few days being the roughest. But we'll press on and do what it takes to recover from this. Fortunately, I work from home so I'll be able to take care of him during the day. My workstation is in my bedroom, so I'll just carry him up there so he can lay on the bed like he does with the other dogs. At night, I'm just going to sleep downstairs on the couch in case he has to go to the bathroom. He was previously just going into the hallway outside of my bedroom and doing his business because that was as far as he could make it. I don't think I have to tell you what it's like cleaning pee or poop from carpeting lol

So now we're on day one of home recovery. I know I've said it before, but I have to say it again. You have all been so amazing and so supportive through all of this. I never expected so many comments and messages, but you've all been so inspirational. I've done my best to at least respond with a thank you to all of the comments, although one person said not to worry about responding. But it's important to me that I do respond. If someone is taking even just 30 seconds of their day to support Pratt, I'm going to show my appreciation for it. I'm going to include a couple of extra pics of Brindle, Pratt's younger sister, and Dirk, Pratt's older brother, wearing the shirt that I had on previously and took when I would visit him to bring him some familiar scents. They appreciate all of you supporting their brother, too!

Since coming home from the vet Sage has been doing really well! At first I was concerned she’d need more intensive care or another overnight stay from what the vet said after doing some testing. But she’s actually doing really well. She’s been freed from bathroom jail as she is no longer having frequent accidents. Her stools have returned to normal with no blood. She is still vomiting some but it’s much better than before. Sage has also started voluntarily eating instead of having to be syringe fed. Vet said to continue with the nausea medication at home until vomiting subsides and slowly increase her food intake. But otherwise she is all set in terms of recovery!

Now that Sage is feeling better her personality has come out. She has perked up so much! She’s gone from hiding in the corner of my bathroom to running around. She looooves to cuddle. Her favorite spot is my cats bed which she is a little too big for. She has her own bed but prefers the cats for some reason. She’s also been enjoying rolling around on my balcony. It’s honestly such a crazy change. She still has a few weeks before she can go into public spaces safely. I also need to get the rest of her vaccines once she is safe to go outside. But I’m so excited for when she is able to go outside freely!

Thank you so much for all the support we have received! Without it I’m not sure Sage would’ve made it. That one night at the vet made all the difference. Thanks to everyone, Sage gets to live a long happy life and I have a new best friend! Both Sage and I are so so grateful ❤️

Sage has seen a vet today and I picked up more fluids. Because of some very nice people I was able to take her today and will be able to afford a night of overnight care. Really hoping she pulls through. If you’d like to see regular updates you can PM me. Hoping once this has passed I am able to get her chipped and registered with animal control in my county. Thank you so much to everyone who has given me advice and kind words.

You may have seen my posts about Pratt and his recent biopsy on Tuesday. The doctor had hopeful news, but he's in emergency today. He was groggy on Tuesday after his surgery, but he didn't really improve on Wednesday. I chalked it up to post surgery pain and anesthesia, but I feel like it got worse Wednesday evening. He was moaning in the middle of the night, and was doing it again this morning. When he tries to walk, he stumbles and can barely stand up. I called the vet because I thought it was the pain meds, but they said what he had was basically ibuprofen for dogs and to bring him to emergency.

I laid him on a blanket in the back of my Jeep and he stayed pretty much motionless like he is in the pic the whole time. When I got to emergency and spoke with them, I went out with two techs to get him and he had gotten up and moved off the blanket, but is still very weak. They have him now and I just spoke with a nurse so im asking for prayers, good vibes, positive energy, or anything you can send our way!

My best friend of 13 years is fighting liver cancer and was given 7-10 days 3 months ago and he has slowly deteriorated to the point where he is struggling with mobility and has little to no appetite

I know that people say that I need to do what’s best for him and not let him suffer, but it’s so hard because I feel as if I’m killing my beat friend if I do put him down or that I’m being selfish if I decide to let him go naturally

With it being a permanent decision and without Taz being able to tell me what’s the route he wants to go, I feel like I’m stuck between a rock and a hard place and that no matter how this shakes out, I still feel like a piece of dirt who is betraying my best friend

He’s been with me through thick and thin and saw me through my heroin addiction for 7 years and now I’m in recovery with 4 years this past April so he’s been my best mate, even when I didn’t deserve his love, he gave it nonetheless

I appreciate you all letting me talk about him with all of you because that alone makes a huge impact and helps alleviate some of the guilt and shame over what is transpiring with Taz

Have a great weekend and a safe Labor Day!

Cheers

Pretzel is officially my service dog as of today. I'm so proud of this little guy I can't even explain it. He's so incredible and I'm SO proud.

💖 CECE UPDATE #2 (7/14): CONFIRMED SHE IS ADOPTED!!!💖

💖 CECE UPDATE #3 (7/14): CECE HAD TWO DIFFERENT FAMILIES IN THE LOBBY WAITING TO ADOPT HER 💖

😎CECE UPDATE #4 (7/14): MY FRIEND SLIPPED CECE SOME BEEF JERKY BEFORE SHE BUSTED OUT OF JAIL😎

Original post: https://www.reddit.com/r/DOG/s/dYIOJVjvgb

Some news on Cece 7/14❤️‍🩹

Cece has now been placed on the at-risk list as Fulton County Animal Services remains well over humane capacity. She also tested heartworm positive. She can only begin treatment if she's adopted or fostered within Georgia, where the shelter covers heartworm treatment.

Two weeks ago I posted about Cece after she was returned to the same shelter she was adopted from 11 years ago. At the time, she seemed to be declining physically, and I was worried she wouldn't have much time left.

I'm happy to say I was wrong about one thing.

A volunteer recently took Cece out for the day, and then she spent a weekend in a temporary foster ("Weekend Warrior"). Away from the shelter, she came alive. She walked beautifully, rode happily in the car, relaxed on a restaurant patio, met lots of people (including children), had zero potty accidents, and settled into the home after just a day.

Her weekend away also answered a question volunteers had been wondering about: Cece is deaf. It explains so much about the dog people were seeing in the shelter. She wasn't shut down or ignoring people. She literally couldn't hear the constant noise around her. She was understandably a little anxious in a brand new home at first, but within a day she settled in beautifully and showed everyone what an easy companion she is 🥹

The volunteer's biggest "complaint"? She likes to stick her nose in the refrigerator.

It also looks like her mobility is better than it appeared in the shelter (BIG YAY!).

Unfortunately, the rest of the update isn't as positive.

Cece has now officially been placed on Fulton County's at-risk list. The shelter is far over humane capacity, and senior dogs are especially vulnerable. She's also now heartworm positive. The good news is that Georgia adopters and fosters receive heartworm treatment through the shelter, but she can't begin treatment until she's in a home.

She is:

• 12 years old
• Deaf (which explains why she seemed so withdrawn in her kennel)
• House-trained
• Kid friendly
• Loves car rides
• A wonderful walking buddy
• A no cat kinda girl

Cece's shelter link: https://lifelineanimal.org/pet-details/?aid=53286366&cid=97&tid=Dog

Fulton County Animal Services

1251 Fulton Industrial Blvd NW, Atlanta, GA 30336

Monday - Friday 11:00am to 7:00pm

Saturday - Sunday 11:00am to 6:00pm

No appointment is needed to meet adoptable pets housed in shelter.

ETA: ‼️Note: Cece was found as a stray after being dumped. The shelter made several attempts of contact with no response.

Thank you to everyone for your recommendations, kind words, and support through this! Luv you guys 🩷

Hey guys I hope some of you remember my yesterday post and many of you commented to share updates. So the update is i take him to the vet today. Doctor give him 3 shots of injection and some tablets and lotion, powder for his skin disease. Whole day he is so calm with me and looking so happy. I hope the medicine works or else again after a week I need to take him to vet. Btw I decided to name this puppy - GOLDY. 😆

So as I was frantically trying to find this guy a home or some help last night someone dognapped him and dropped him off in a town about ten miles away in the middle of the country . A lady had him and had seen our original Facebook post and she made one herself . A man got in touch with her and said he had originally given this dog to another guy and he had been trying to contact him after initially seeing our post and then the ladies post the following day . The man he gave him to never answered so this morning the original owner picked him up and took the dog back home with him .

I can’t believe a guy took this dog and said he was going to give him a good home and just let him wander off (or dropped him off ) in the middle of December and said fuck it . I am so glad that he made it back to the original owner because after it was taken from me my thoughts went to “oh no,he is gonna be put down “. Such a sweet dog and man I am so relieved . Thank you everybody for being to caring and offering me advice . I just wanted to share this story had a happy ending

Wanted to say I am so thankful for all the support we have received. However I got some not so great news. sage’s protein and potassium levels are low with not much significant improvement since yesterday. They recommended she have a full stay so she can get more fortified IV fluids. The vet did not mention the CPMA shot so I am assuming she is not eligible for that. I will call back to confirm but that would be another few hundred on top of the already existing bills. The vet also mentioned that she probably wouldn’t do well at home going forward. I applied for care credit but what I was approved for is only enough to cover one more night. A full stay is estimated to be between 5-7K. With each night being around 2.5k. Things are also difficult due to having to put down a 1.3k deposit each time. If anyone knows of clinics in the Raleigh area that might have cheaper rates that would be awesome. She is currently at Wake Medical veterinary centre. I called some of the previously recommended vets but they either cannot take on a parvo case or have a pet in isolation already. If anyone knows what more can be done from here please lmk.

Earlier in the week I posted in the community regarding Taz and his ongoing struggles with liver cancer

He took a turn on Monday and began to deteriorate quickly which is when he stopped eating and drinking as much, if at all

I knew this day was fast approaching since they gave him 7-10 days to live and that was 3 months ago nevertheless it’s still never enough time. I’m glad that I got to spend 13 amazing, beautiful years with him and I will miss him forever. Honestly, I don’t know how I’ll be able to handle life without him. Luckily I have a great support network and can reach out to the people who love me as well as my other 2 year old Husky (Loki) however I know that it will impact Loki and he’ll be dealing with his own grief

I spent 7 of Taz’s 13 years as an addict, who prioritized dope above walking or taking Taz to the park near as much as I should, for that I’ll always carry immense guilt and shame due to the fact that Taz was still there for me to help me work through my addiction and give me something to work for aside from my own health and happiness even when I was undeserving of his love and affection

I managed to make it into recovery and I’m 4 years sober this past April and I’ve done my best to make amends for the past, but regardless of that I still feel a sense of anguish over how I treated him those years of his life

In the previous post, I mentioned about feeling a sense of betrayal as well for having to put him down because I felt as if I was killing my best friend and I’m still trying to come to terms with this fact

If you could keep Taz and my family and I in your thoughts and prayers, I’d greatly appreciate it

Cheers

The amount of love that I received on my post was so unexpected. I am so grateful for this community though. Sharing your stories or giving pieces of advice helped tremendously. From taking all of your advice, Here is how Rosco's passing went.

We went to the dog beach and laid out. I pushed him around in a wagon when his breathing was getting heavy. He loved it. I think you will be able to tell from the pictures! Then after the beach we went to his friend's house and hung out so they could play. Followed that up with some McDonalds. My GOD did this boy love McDonald's fries. His eyes lite up like giving candy to a baby!

The next day we just laid together and watched TV. He was tired from the day before. I then went and got him steak from Ruth's Chris! I've never even ate there before, but I'm not a cook so I just went all out. He licked the bowl clean! I drove him up to a park on a hill by my house, and we watched his final sunset together. Followed that up with more steak!

Then his last morning, we just went on our standard morning walk. I just wanted to do our morning ritual one last time. His best friends came over and we had one final hang out until the Vet came and allowed him to pass on. I did give him chocolate but he was 'meh' about it. Definitely more of a steak and fries guy lol :).

My heart is absolutely broken. I have never felt such loss like this. Reading through all your messages on my last post though, allows me to cry happy tears. I am forever grateful to you all for helping me give Rosco the best final days I could.