Mar

Snarf!

posted by:

shelterjen

Of all the dogs that have passed through Peanut Pet Shelter, one of the very worst we have taken in (and believe me there have been some true horrors!), was a little dog we lovingly referred to as ‘Snarf’, who came to us in the summer of 2008.

All Peanut Pet Shelter pets are given names. Those names aren’t just randomly chosen – they are given the name we think suits them. We like to give them NICE names, so accordingly, this little dog was allotted ‘Petra’, but ‘Snarf’ she became and Snarf she remained!

Snarf was the skinniest dog imaginable – a walking skeleton – just bones covered with thin, dull, dirt-encrusted, bug-ridden light brown hair. Her nose was broken, her tail was broken and her spine was strangely ‘S’ shaped. Worse still, she had just given birth to puppies. Snarf was a wonderful mother, struggling to feed her 4 tiny black scraps while undoubtedly suffering severe discomfort and only being a step away from death.

How grateful this little dog was for every kind word and every bowl of food. Food was always eaten at hyper speed, as if at any moment a hand would shoot out and snatch the bowl away.

As Snarf could only breathe through her mouth due to her broken nose, eating and breathing at the same time was somewhat of a challenge for her, and a truly nauseating experience for anyone unfortunate enough to be standing close by! She slurped, she snorted, she grunted, she belched – seemingly all at the same time, and an additional, peculiar ’snarfing’ noise she made earned her, her nickname.

I would love to tell you a heartwarming story of this courageous little dog’s amazing recovery – but I can’t. Sadly, in spite of medical attention and good food, little Snarf never regained her strength and her breathing grew ever more labored. She was gently sent to her rest when her pups, Bethany, Ben , Belinda and Briony were 3 months old.

From the start the pups were very weak and slow to grow and thrive. They all suffered from horrible skin conditions that no amount of medication could cure (if only I had tried sesame oil then!). Time passed and Ben and Bethany gradually grew stronger and their skin started to heal. Belinda and Briony however, were slowly fading. They weren’t thin or sick, they didn’t suffer. It was as if they had reached their full potential and the road they were traveling led nowhere. They both passed away, gently, without a struggle. They simply went to sleep and didn’t wake up – first Belinda and one month later, Briony. Perhaps now they run and play together in broad green meadows, with the strength and energy that eluded them in life. I like to think so.

While they always had wonderful temperaments, it took more than a year for Ben and Bethany to become the strong, attractive, adoptable adults they are today – proof positive that persistence reaps rewards and every life deserves a chance.

Last Saturday, Bethany flew to Wilmington, North Carolina, on the first stage of her journey to a wonderful new life. We are hopeful that Ben, too, will soon find a loving, forever home of his very own.