It was a mere 2 1/2 months ago that we took Russ, a dog we had helped rescue, into our home. I had to look back and see how long it had been, and that doesn’t sound long at all.

He was in the care of All About Labs Rescue; the plan was for us to foster him while he went through his heartworm treatment and got healthy, then he would be listed for adoption and go to his forever home. Many of our friends and family were skeptical and hinted that we were his forever home. No, we assured them, he would probably be happier in a home without the constant activity of little children, and we would be able to let him go when the time came. I guess we won’t ever know who was right, because the time never came.

Apparently, Russ had contracted distemper sometime in his earlier life. Normally dogs begin showing symptoms very soon after contracting the virus, but in rare cases, it can lie dormant for years until a later time in life. He was vaccinated against distemper in May when he was rescued, but the vaccination does nothing if the disease is already present. There was no way to know it was there, and by the time his symptoms began to be severe enough to suspect distemper, it was way too late to do anything about it. (Even if caught early, there is no cure; you can only treat the symptoms and hope for the best.) Our Russ-boy had to be put down today because the neurological damage had progressed to the point where there was no way to restore a decent quality of life.

Putting down a dog is an experience I’ve never had until today. We were afraid it would come to that point with Sasha, but God spared us from that. Today, with Russ, it was clear that it was the right thing to do, so fortunately the decision-making part was easy for us. The experience itself was what was hard. We were so thankful to have Donna from the rescue with us. Her presence helped us tremendously. And the doctors and staff at Hillcrest Animal Hospital were absolutely wonderful. The quality of care and the understanding and support we received from them were amazing.

This dog rescue thing is a dangerous business. The more you love, the more you can get hurt. I guess we rescued Russ in more ways than one. Our intent was to rescue him (and his companions) from a life of hunger and abandonment. We did that; Russ was well-loved and well-cared for, and I know he felt safe and happy with us. But, in the end, he required a second rescue—a rescue from his fear, frustration, and pain. Thank God he wasn’t alone in the woods when this happened. He was with people who loved him and who could deliver him from the state he was in.

This isn’t at all what I had in mind when we got involved in dog rescue, but unfortunately it is a necessary part sometimes, and a part we have to be willing to do.

(You can read some more about our experience on David’s blog.)

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