Sparky was a very special pup to his pet parent. He loved that dog. He loved Sparky so much that he was fearful to seek medical treatment for cancer. Sparky’s pet parent was so sick that he landed in the emergency department because his body forced him to seek medical treatment. Thankfully, the social worker on his case listened to his concerns about having to be admitted because Sparky was left at home all by himself with no one to get him out to potty, feed him and make sure he had fresh water. His pet parent was assured by the social worker that he didn’t need to check out against medical advice. Sparky would be cared for so that he could receive the care that was needed to help him get back home to Sparky.
Poor Sparky was scared when we arrived for his first visit with him. His pet parent was gone and they really didn’t get many visitors so Sparky wasn’t too sure about strangers. We quickly learned that Sparky loved hot dogs and with a few packages of hot dogs we were able to win him over so that we could care for him while his pet parent was receiving the care that he needed. Given his fear issues it was best that Sparky was cared for in his home. His pet parent was comforted that we would visit with Sparky three times a day to get him out for walks, have some snuggle time and stay in the familiar surroundings of his home.
Sparky’s pet parent was in and out of the hospital for almost a year battling his cancer. We’d get the call from his social worker when he would reenter the hospital and we’d spring into action to care for Sparky until his pet parent would return. One day that didn’t happen. We received the call one morning that Sparky’s pet parent was back in the hospital. It was like any normal time that we needed to spring into action to get visits arranged for Sparky. Then we get the call from the doctor later that afternoon that Sparky’s pet parent was dying and he wasn’t going to be able to come home to Sparky. The doctor relayed to us that Sparky’s pet parents’ biggest fear was not that he was dying but that Sparky wasn’t going to be cared for. He feared for Sparky’s future and hadn’t made plans for his care in the event of his death. The doctor let Sparky’s pet parent know that we were going to take good care of him and find him a home with someone that would love him as much as he did. His pet parent passed away peacefully knowing that Sparky was loved and would be cared for.
With the help of the Berea Animal Rescue Sparky now has a new pet parent. Sparky is living the good life and spends his winters in Cleveland and spends his summers in Maine.
