Lil' Paws In Loving Memory

In Loving Memory

Thank you to all of those who donated their time or money to help these dogs. These wonderful friends are gone but never forgotten.

Elgin

Elgin was a street dog when he entered Lil' Paws. He had aggression issues and was very much underweight. He QUICKLY became a spoiled mama's boy, howling whenever his foster mom left him for five minutes. Medical tests showed that Elgin suffered from Chronic Renal Disease and Chronic Valve Disease, which were the reasons he was not able to gain weight. After many months in foster care, his foster mom made the hard decision to end his suffering when he no longer had the energy to greet her at the front door when she got home from work. Elgin was such a funny, quirky, loveable little dog and we're very glad to have known him. Thank you, Amber, for taking such good care of him and for loving him in the last months of his life.

Ginger

Our long term foster, Ginger aka Gin Gin crossed over the Rainbow Bridge July 24, 2007. Ginger came into Lil' Paws in November 2006. She was found by a good samaritan on the east side of Austin. Ginger had obviously had several litters of puppies in her days out on the streets. She also was extremely malnourished and had a horrible skin condition which caused her to itch and to have tough black skin. Ginger's mouth was full of leaves, twigs, and cigarette butts (obviously what she had to eat).

After coming into her new foster home that late night, Ginger was very scared and shy. Her foster mom took her to the vet to be spayed and given vaccinations. She was tested for heartworms (was surprisingly negative), had a dental, and her skin was treated.

At first, Ginger kept her distance from everyone, but after about a week, she started to become attached to her foster Dad, Perry. She would follow him everywhere and look at him adoringly! In the coming months, she began to bond with the other members of her foster family. Ginger's foster parents worked with her continuously for the 8 months that she lived with them, helping her learn about trust and how to be part of a family. They loved her dearly, regardless of the behaviors she showed.

Now Ginger will no longer have to suffer or remember the bad life she had before coming to Lil' Paws. Her foster parents will never forget the little "paw waves" she would do for them when she wanted something. We love and miss you, Gin Gin.

Posey

Posey came to us from the city shelter with her buddy, Lollipop. Both dogs had been surrendered in a state of serious neglect, which prompted an animal cruelty investigation. Posey was such a mess of matted fur that it was difficult to tell from her shelter picture which end was which...she was barely recognizable as a dog. Turns out there was a real little gem under all that fur! Posey is a tiny girl and is very friendly and sweet.

After a month of being with Lil' Paws, Posey was diagnosed with pneumonia. After several trips to the vet, a lot of IV fluids and LOTS OF LOVE Posey decided she was ready to cross the Rainbow Bridge. Posey passed in the arms of her foster mom, which gave her the best month of her life. Posey will never be forgotten and loved forever.

Little Man

Little Man was a very tiny, older 4 lb. Maltese. He was found wandering the streets of Houston in a terribly neglected state. Little Man had approximately 4 inches of matted hair on his tiny body when he was found. The angels that found Little Man had all of his hair cut so he would be comfortable instead of hurting.

Little Man went into a wonderful foster home where he was doted on and loved dearly. Even though he had an unsteady gait, cloudy eyes and terrible arthritis, he was so happy to be in a home where he knew he was safe and loved.

Three weeks after coming to Lil' Paws, Little Man went to sleep in his favorite bed and peacefully crossed the Rainbow Bridge. Thank you Laura (foster mom) for making his last days wonderful.

Paw Paw

Paw Paw was a sweet little old man who was left at the city shelter at a time in his life when he most needed someone to love and care for him. While his eyes are cloudy with age, he's alert and loves to be held.

Unfortunately, after many vet visits and lots of love, hugs, cuddles, and kisses Paw Paw crossed the Rainbow Bridge on 7/06/06. Paw Paw touched so many hearts in the short weeks that he was with his foster mom while at Lil' Paws. We will forever miss you, Paw Paw.

Pepe

Pepe was a beautiful cream maltese/poodle mix. He was only about 12 inches off the ground, but he stood tall among all of his other dog mates. I met Pepe in his senior years. He had the softest eyes I had ever seen, the biggest heart and it was always open. No matter who or what he met, he was excited and accepting. He was a gentle dog, but he always stood his ground. Even though his years were advanced, he was full of energy. I never saw him tired, and he never walked anywhere when he could run. He was not a lap dog, but he came up to me through the day for an exchange of rubs and pats, tail wagging and soft eyes staring into my soul. His gentleness and bravery will forever live in my heart.

Henry

Henry was born November 21, 2002 in Brownwood, TX. He came to live with us January 17, 2003. He was a character right from the start. Always happy and always disruptive! He chewed on our shoes and socks and tried to actually get into my husband's sandals. I don't know if he loved the smell or the size or what but he never gave up trying to get into those shoes until he was just too big! We noticed one day when he was about 13 months old that he was favoring his left leg. He had been exhibiting some unusual but inconsistent symptoms but always seemed to be better when I took him to the vet. They were actually making fun of me calling me an overprotective mother! This time, he really was in trouble. He went to the Specialty Hospital and had surgery to determine exactly what was wrong. He was diagnosed with a form of lymphoma called GME. After chemo treatments for about a year, he was considered in remission and we were thrilled. In November of 2005, he started losing weight and I again took him in. He was diagnosed with kidney failure from either the chemo or cancer. Henry was put on meds and seemed to be doing well and was expected to live for about three more years. In August of this year, he caught a virus and just never recovered. He was put to sleep on September 21, 2006 exactly two months shy of being four years old. He was incredible and will be missed forever.

THANK YOU to the following for donating in memory of Henry:
Mr. and Mrs. Bollom
Sarah Warland
Paul Koike

Babs

Pretty Babs was only in our program for a short time. Not long after came to us from the city shelter, it became apparent that she was ill. After numerous visits to the vet, we learned that she had a very serious heart condition. She was placed on various medications and daily breathing treatments, but her little heart was just too damaged and her condition rapidly deteriorated. Sadly, Babs went over the Rainbow Bridge. While she was only with us a short time, she was very much loved, always in someone's arms or snuggled close on the couch. We'll all miss you so much, little Babs.

We often know very little about the history of the dogs we rescue, as most come from the city shelter, either abandoned by their former owners or as strays that were never reclaimed. When a health concern arises, we do everything we can to try and save the dog in our care, which can be very costly. If you would like to make a donation to help us continue to rescue and find loving homes for little dogs like Babs, we would be very grateful.

Buttercup

Buttercup was a small Apricot Poodle that was Owner Surrendered to Town Lake Animal Shelter. She was put into the Adoption Program at Town Lake and several people put applications in to adopt her. Once Townlake Animal Shelter did her heart worm test and results were positive all applicants backed out from adopting her.

Buttercup has went through the three-series treatment for her heart worms. She was rushed to the Emergency Animal Hospital with complications due to heart worm treatment. The Emergency Animal Hospital has admitted her and immediately put her on oxygen,IV's and medications. They feel that she has a blood clot in her heart. Buttercup's bills totalled $1700. They tried weaning her off the oxygen slowly since she was brought in but she was not responding well to this method. They had bumped her oxygen level back up. She was stable but still not out of the woods as of yet. She did eat her 4pm meal and drank some water. The Dr. on duty told me she would have to stay on the oxygen until she was able to breathe easier on her own.

I received a call from the Dr. at Central Park Animal Hospital to be told that Buttercup passed away. All the employees at Central Park that worked witih Buttercup tried everything that they could to save her. This is so sad knowing that this all could have been prevented had her previous owners had just given her heartguard. For those of you that never met Buttercup she was so full of life, never met a stranger and was just one of the sweetest little girls. She loved to snuggle with you on the couch and in bed and was always by your side.

Her foster to adopt parents Ann and Charlie Musgrave. are just devasted by this experience. They are an older couple that have some health problems.It was probably one of the hardest things I have ever had to do this morning when I called them to tell them their baby was gone. Just hearing these two elderly people cry on the phone totally tore me apart. These two are just so sweet and the kindest people you would ever meet. They both gave Buttercup so much love while she lived in their home and just spoiled her so.

After Buttercup had her first heartworm treatment Ann or Charlie carried her everywhere in the house so that she wouldn't walk and get exhausted. Their lives for the first month after her first heartworm treatment revolved around precious Buttercup.

THANK YOU to all of Buttercup's financial sponsors:
Ken M.
Christoper and Niki T.
Catherine M-S.
Kevin F.
Judith H.
Sara R.
Kristi A.
Joanne S.
Nicole V.
Debra S.
Ilene and Bill H.
Keely J.
Joan and Earnest S.
Jeanette B.
Ann & Charlie M.
Amy Aukema