Please wrap your arms around Spaetzle’s family as they had to say goodbye to their beloved girl today. She will live on in our hearts forever.
Her furever momma, Ashley, writes: Spaetzle (formerly Louise of Thelma & Louise) crosses over the rainbow bridge this morning. After she had her puppies in rescue, you helped take care of some tumors in her breasts. A tumor came back late last year. That tumor was aggressive and we had it removed, but it came back again with a vengeance and was all over her body. We tried steroids, but it didn’t slow the growth. It did, however, make a shy girl much more brave and we enjoyed the last three weeks with her being so playful. I’m so grateful that I was able to be at home every day with her during this time. We grew even closer. She enjoyed hot dogs for breakfast before we took her to the vet to help her cross. She was one tough old lady and I am forever grateful to Lone Star Bulldog Club Rescue for allowing us to love and spoil her. I honestly believe she knew that this is how life was and that she had forgotten about her life in the puppy mill. Please send good thoughts for Daisy Sauerkraut who was so close to her and to Kolache (formerly Marshall Dillon) as they grieve the loss of their little mama. And thanks for trusting us with the sweetest soul that has ever existed.
Louise has been adopted! A long awaited day has arrived for a very special girl. She entered our rescue program from a shelter. She had been part of a large local animal seizure and was very pregnant. She tragically lost all her babies, and then went through cancer surgery. She has fought so many battles in recent months, but tonight, she rode out of the driveway in the back of a luxury vehicle. She has new amazing parents and a new fur brother. Ashley and Hans adopted Bratwurst (formerly Brad Pitt) and Schnitzel (formerly Angelina Jolie) from us in the past. If you ever met Schnitzel, you would never forget that sweet, hairless girl. She died the day Louise gave birth and her first puppy died. Hans and Angela believed Schnitzel was needed to direct that pup to the Rainbow Bridge. Bratwurst has been so lonely and needed a playmate. Who better than another special needs girl who has had to endure so many problems? A special girl for a special family! Following their German trend, Louise’s new name is Spaetzel. They even brought her a new color and leash to help her feel pretty!
Please welcome Louise to our rescue family! She comes to us after a recent local puppy mill bust that involved the seizure of 132 animals. Louise is 5 years old and weighs 32 lbs. She is a mess health-wise, but everyone in the shelter loved her personality and came out to bid her adieu before she left for our vet’s office.
Our vet tells us Louise is “with child.” In fact, she could have 5-7 pups and she could go into labor at any point. Her milk is in and she’s being closely monitored for the next step: her C-section. We’re so grateful we were able to get her out of the shelter when we did. It could have been fatal for her and the babies if she had stayed much longer. Please, please keep Louise and the vet staff in your thoughts and prayers. We need all the support we can get!
4/6/17 Update: It has been an extremely emotional few days for Louise and rescue. She had a c-section Tuesday and 6 pups were delivered. One died almost immediately. They were critical because of the condition Louise was in and the lack of pre-natal care. Her nipples were so huge from all her litters that the babies were not able to nurse. So our vet and her staff were feeding them by hand. One by one the babies succumbed to the stress and crossed the Rainbow Bridge. To make matters worse, Louise has a mass in her mammary glands and the vet suspects cancer. That will be addressed in the next few weeks.
4/19/17 Update: Louise is gaining some much needed weight. She is now getting on the grass to urinate, but still poops in her cage. We think she will be ready for her cancer surgery next week.
5/14/17 Update: The day has finally come! Today was Independence Day for this precious Bulldog mama. Today, after many weeks in the vet clinic, Louise has left for her foster home. I wish Louise could tell me about her life and the way she has lived. Louise joined rescue pregnant and sadly, the babies didn’t make it. We also knew that Louise had breast cancer and was very malnourished. She really was just a pregnant bag of bones. It has been a long, hard road for Louise. Her ear, eye and skin infections were addressed. She had her cancerous tumors removed from her breasts. Louise has many battle scars that all tell a tale of abuse. Louise is fearful to make eye contact. She cowers if you go to pet her. She is learning what a leash is for and she is pretty sure she does not want to walk on one, at this point. Louise wishes she was invisible… that no one would talk to her, that she could stay cowered in the corner. I would say that Louise is half Frenchie, half Bulldog, or her breeder was trying to say he/she bred “mini Bulldogs.” Louise is certainly different in appearance ~ she has a tiny head and a tiny Bulldog body (a perfect size to fit in a purse or back pack!). We know most folks who look at Louise will not say, “Oh, my gosh! I have to have her!” But that’s OK with me and Louise. We will just hang out until a qualified family says, “Oh, my gosh… I love that girl!”