By Chris Roy – Special to the Sydenham Current
Mia is a 13 year old rescue dog.
Mia is my dog.
I met Mia in June 2010.
I gave Mia a home because her first family had a car accident and were no longer able to physically care for her.
We were fast friends.
Mia is a gentle, full-of-life dog who loves everyone and anyone — especially children.
She mothers my other dog and bathes him daily taking particular attention to his ears.
I have no regrets having made a home for her.
Very recently, I noticed an unusual smell in her mouth.
Concerned, I worked very hard to have a look in her mouth that night.
To my horror, there was a very large,oozing mass on the upper back part of her mouth and it was badly infected.
Many things ran through my mind immediately.
Of course, I fixated on cancer.
I called her vet the very next morning.
Mia went to the vet for all the prescribed tests.
I awaited the biopsy.
The results came back and Mia has a high grade fibro sarcoma (a cancer found mostly in older dogs.)
Mia’s x-rays came back clear with no evidence that it has spread.
Her blood work came back most impressive for a dog her age, which speaks, I think, to the quality of diet she’s enjoyed and its importance.
The vet is hopeful.
Next, the awful decision many pet owners have faced, end of life care for their beloved pet.
I am proceeding with excision of the tumour in hopes that she joins the other 92% of dogs who live a year or longer.
I am proceeding not so much for prolonging her life but more for continuing the quality of life she will have left.
Without removing the tumour and it’s nature, she will not die from the cancer itself.
The tumour will grow rapidly and within weeks she will not be able to eat or breathe because the tumour will occlude her throat.
Every dog owner knows the cost of owning a pet and the expense of day-to-day care let alone an emergency situation like this.
I am fortunate enough to be able to extend Mia this care.
Others are not.
I am doubly blessed to have a young lady in my life, Terry Anne Burke, my cousin.
Terry Anne is a compassionate being who is both physically and developmentally challenged.
Terry Anne knows how much Mia means to me and how expensive it would be to make her better.
Terry Anne wants to help however she could.
Earlier today she offered to help me fund Mia’s procedure with the proceeds from the yard sale she is having this Saturday at Wallaceburg’s Town Wide Yard Sale.
How do you respond to that?
I had to laugh with tears in my eyes.
Why can’t the world have more people like her?
I thanked her and explained that we were blessed enough to be able to pay for her medical expenses.
Then it came to me.
I explained to Terry Anne many other rescue dogs were not so lucky.
Maybe, if she were willing, she could donate her proceeds to another rescue dog who also needed medical care.
Terry Anne liked that.
I, then, contacted Myriam Armstrong with Pet and Wildlife Rescue (PAWR) asking if there was another dog who was in need of funding for medical help.
I have an answer.
Benny is going blind and needs to see a specialist.
Terry Anne is now worried she will not make much money to help Benny.
I assured her every little bit helps.
How amazing!
Such a girl could be willing to help me just because she knows how much my dog means to me!
Now, she is willing to do the same in Mia’s name-sake.
So here it is. I am calling out to all my family and friends to show Terry Anne that every little bit helps and when everyone helps it does make a difference.
Please stop by 51 John Street in Wallaceburg (across from St. Elizabeth) and check out her yard sale.
Simply stop by and tell her how much she is doing to help and if you can buy something or make a small donation I would very much appreciate it.
Or please donate directly to PAWR and mention Terry Anne and Benny.
