Flo GH-1057 (FTA)

It is with a heart that is broken in a million pieces that I tell you of Flo’s passing. She was a wonderful dog that was unfazed by anything. She came to me directly on November 15, 2017, from JFK Airport after her flight from Egypt. Barb Schaefer brought her to me that very day. I chose her because her tail was blurry in the photo from Egypt. I knew she was wagging it.

She had been spayed but she had mammary masses that needed to be removed. We needed to take x-rays. It was then that we found out she had been shot at some point in her life because the bullet was by her chest. Then she began to bleed as though she was in heat. We did an exploratory surgery looking for part of an ovary that may have been left.. nothing. Then with further palpation, we found a vaginal tumor. It was a venereal tumor. Somewhat rare in the USA. The treatment was chemotherapy. Thank you to Goldheart for making her treatment possible. She had 6 rounds of chemo and never missed a beat.

The oncologist told me she did great and she was one of their favorite patients! She came to me blind in 1 eye but that didn’t stop her. She saw me through some terrible times of my life. She was a calming force to my trials. A true blessing. And then…she broke a couple toes and was in a splint up to her elbow for 4 weeks. Whenever she needed x-rays, we were able to take them without any type of sedation. She laid perfectly still. She was so special. Like no other dog I have ever had. She loved whoever she met and they loved her back. I was fortunate to be able to take her to work with me at Shiloh Vet Hospital. All my coworkers insisted I bring her if they hadn’t seen her in awhile. Añd then…her blind eye developed severe glaucoma and it had to be removed. She was such a trooper .

She was sweet, brave, and I can say, perfect. She developed a rapidly growing tumor around her neck that caused her pain that I knew was severe. After all she had been through and being as stoic as she was, for her to not want to lift her head or wag her tail, I knew she was in tremendous pain. The decision was heartbreaking but I owed her the comfort that she gave me. We have a gazebo at the office. It was a beautiful sunny day. She had Hershey kisses and sugar cookies and candy. Her favorite was Smarties. She passed surrounded by the people most important to her.

Dearest Flo, you were a gift from Heaven. You will always be in my heart.

Sue Farrell, April 2023