Victor
He was a beautiful, tall galgo boy who one day just walked into a man’s home. That man was called Victor, so it seemed appropriate to give him the same name! Victor was in a terrible condition, he was underweight, covered in ticks, his coat filthy and full of little wounds. We took him to the vet, where it turned out he was infected with the parvo virus. Annick took him into her home where he was cared for and treated.
It was clear to us that he had never been physically abused, he had just been neglected. He was the sweetest boy we had ever seen. He was always calm and happy and very tolerant, even towards the sometimes overly enthusiastic puppies who shared his foster home.
We were convinced that he was getting better: he gained weight and his muscles strengthened, his coat shone and he was finally running around and playing with the other dogs. We thought he was ready for adoption.
But then his condition suddenly declined. We took him to the vet, where they told us the parvo had damaged his kidneys and there was nothing more that we could do for him.
We thought that when we would have to say goodbye, it would have been because he'd found his forever home...
Victor, although our time together was too short, we are grateful we had the privilege to meet you. You will be forever missed.
The Biberon Babies
We got a call saying that there was a dog giving birth in the streets, and that something was wrong. When we arrived, five puppies had been born and mum was not looking too well, her tummy felt hard and she was excreting black goo from the birth canal. Three of the puppies were already dead. We rushed them to the vet, where six more babies were delivered, of which three were stillborn.
Mum had to have her reproductive system removed surgically, since it was infected by the failed birth (or maybe vice versa, who knows?). We called her Reina, and hoped she would make it and be able to care for her pups. Reina got better in a record time, but unfortunately, she wasn't able to care for her newborns. Even though Els gave them everything she could - feeding them every two hours, keeping them warm herself or by heat lamp, cleaning them up, loving them... - it was not enough for most of them. Of the eleven pups, only five made it through their first day and of those, only two survived to be adopted.
Mama Reina is now happily adopted with another ASAP dog, Rios, right here in Spain. They have a big yard, a lot of space to play and a lovely forever family. Her two sons, Boelie and Ralfie, have both been adopted into the best forever families as well. Boelie ended up in the Netherlands, together with their surrogate mommy, Cleo, another ASAP dog, and Ralfie in Belgium, where he joins two doggie sisters.
Obi
We had to say goodbye to one of our sweet adopted babies.
He started his life as a very scared pup, but he turned out to be a bundle of cuddly joy! He loved his foster mum, Els, and after he was adopted, loved Celine! Thanks to her patience, energy, time and love for him, he was the happiest pup ever.
We had never thought this one would have found a forever home. It's sad that we had to say goodbye to him, but we still are glad he had the best life we could give him - however short it was.
Lordy
She had been a happy and lovely girl, the queen of Els' pack. She was kind and affectionate. Her temper was amazing, considering the fact that she had a severe case of hip dysplasia.
She never let it get to her, or she maybe didn't even realise that her hind legs were not how they were supposed to be. Strolling along with the other dogs, adored to be in the sun. When she was about to get fed, she was hopping around in a way you wouldn't believe!
Recently, her legs got weaker and she couldn't move as she used to. Her temper changed, she wasn't the same sweet and loving girl we knew once. We knew she was in pain.
Lordy, we hope you are the same happy hopping queen in the land over the rainbow. You are missed.
Lulu, Saphira and Pink
This family's story is truly heartbreaking. Podenco mom Lulu gave birth to four gorgeous puppies: Boss, Bowie, Pink and Saphira. Boss and Bowie are the only two of them who are happily adopted now...
Pink passed recently after being reserved to be adopted - the young pup got ill and in less than two days he gave up. His future adopters and his foster mom were devastated. After Boss and Bowie got to their forevers, Saphira waited patiently for her turn. She eventually got to go in foster in the Netherlands, where she blossomed. Shortly after that, she was reserved to be adopted. But luck wasn't on her side, after staying in her new home for only two days, a terrible accident happened that she couldn't overcome.
Mom Lulu needed some more time to learn how to trust us. She came to us as a timid, rather calm girl. We gave her the time she needed. She soon trusted the other dogs in her foster home and turned into a happy, playful girl. After a while, she did start to trust her foster parents and she became a perfectly adjusted and affectionate little dog. Our hearts were filled with joy when we had finally found a forever home in the Netherlands. The day before her flight though, she got ill. We rushed her to the vet, where she was treated for her stumach problems. But the treatment came too late... She passed in her foster carers' arms the night after that.
It is saddening to think about stories like this. These dogs had a rough start in life and then when we thought their bad luck was finally over, it wasn't. Stories like this one sometimes make us want to give up - because when we can't even help them when they are in our care, what's the use? Well... It's Boss and Bowie. It's all the other dogs that we did help to find a happy home. And that's what motivates us to go on, although we sometimes need some time to mourn for dogs like Lulu, Saphira and Pink.
They are in our hearts every day, all day. They will never be forgotten.
