Delaware Valley Bichon Rescue

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	Delaware Valley Bichon Rescue P.O. Box 2411 Cinnaminson, NJ 08077 phone: 856-829-7615 fax: 775-637-4324 susandare@comcast.net

This page is a tribute to our friend, Bear. He touched our lives and our hearts in a way that no other dog ever had before, and probably in a way that no other dog ever will again. Please read his story. It is a tribute to the resiliency of these defenseless little creatures, but also a sad commentary about the cruelty of some human beings.

About 4 years ago, we were contacted by a shelter down in Delaware. A good samaritan had witnessed someone throw a little white dog out of their car, moving at a high rate of speed at the time. That little white dog was Bear. He was picked up and brought to the animal shelter, where they quickly realized he was a "special needs" dog that would be difficult or impossible for THEM to find a home for - so they called us. We went down right away & picked Bear up.

Bear had suffered obvious abuse and neglect during his short life. Whoever he lived with had neglected him terribly. Bear had a "fistula" on the roof of his mouth. A fistula is an open sore that forms when there is some sort of infection in the body that has no place to go. In Bear's case, this fistula developed when his teeth were allowed to - quite literally - rot in his mouth. The teeth and gums became absessed, but no one bothered to take Bear to the vet. Finally, a fistula opened to allow the infection to drain. Bear's fistula went from the roof of his mouth to his nasal cavity. In addition, Bear, who was 8 yrs. old at this time, had never been neutered.

We took him to our vet & had all of his medical needs addressed. He had his teeth cleaned & had quite a few removed. He was also neutered. Bear spent about two months in a foster home with a wonderful lady who treated him like gold. We placed Bear with a family down in Delaware, and for a year things seemed fine. After a year though, Bear was returned. That family was less than forthcoming about their schedule, and it turned out that Bear was left alone far longer than he should have been. When he started having accidents in the house, it was time for them to bring him back. Once again, he spent about a month or so in foster care. During his stay, he was introduced to "Maxy-boy" who is our featured pet this month. He and Maxy were adopted together by an elderly couple in Massachusetts.

For two and a half years, Bear & Maxy were so happy in their new home. They had a 'mom' and a 'dad' who loved them deeply & would do anything for them. But in another sad turn of events, Bear & Maxy's new 'parents' who were already quite old themselves, started to suffer from declining health. Finally, they had no choice but to sell their belongings and move into an assisted living facility. Sadly, this facility did not allow pets, and it left the family with no alternative but to return the two AGAIN. For Max this was a 2nd visit to DVBR, but for Bear it was a 3rd visit.

When the two arrived, it was quite obvious that Bear was not well. For two weeks we struggled to help Bear get well. When we took him to our rescue vet, the news was not good. It turns out Bear was in the advanced stages of cancer. The vet believed that he would not live much longer, and that he was probably suffering. He strongly advised us to put Bear to sleep. This was a chronic, terminal condition that Bear had been suffering from for quite some time. Most likely, his family simply couldn't stand the thought of doing this themselves. They were probably already overwhelmed with the other losses they had suffered. At the end, we felt this was the last thing we could do to help our little friend.

Bear was such a special little dog. He had suffered such horrors at the hands of humans - yet he loved everyone he met unconditionally. He was devoted to his foster-mom right to the end, and we are sure he was devoted to his Massachusetts family as well. Bear was a trooper. He never complained. He was quiet as a mouse. Despite chronic diarrhea during his final days, due to the cancer, Bear would try his darndest to make it through the doggy door & out into the yard before it was too late. He wanted so much to be a good boy. Bear was a quiet, reserved little dog, who wanted nothing more than to be near his human friends - and of course - near his "brother" Maxy. His loving personality is a stark contrast to the "animals" who threw him out of their car, and "left him for dead" four years ago along I-95.

Everyone who met Bear, loved him. It would be impossible NOT to love Bear. He will live in our hearts forever. Rest in peace little Bear.

		Delaware Valley Bichon Rescue is a non-profit organization as recognized by the Internal Revenue Service pursuant to Section 501(c)3, et seq. of the Internal Revenue Code. All donations are 100% tax-deductible.

Many thanks to Patty Burke for allowing us to use her Bichon image in our logo. This image is copyrighted
and may NOT be copied from this website without the written permission of Patty Burke.