On Sunday, after our frigid meetup at Toto Park, I raced out to Scarborough Pound and bundled up Apple. I could not get her out of my mind since meeting her the day before. Apple had come in as a stray a couple of weeks prior. She clearly had Cherry Eye in her left eye, together with a growth on the inner lid of that eye. Age-wise, they guessed her at around 10. But what they noticed most about her is exactly what I did. This incredibly happy spirit, despite her circumstances. Nobody came to claim poor Apple.

          Here's the perfect example of how shelters and rescue groups work together to save lives. The shelter staff know that Apple would be best served by a reputable private rescue group to ensure her eye would be attended to and a lasting and loving new home would be found with someone who adores the golden-agers like we do. Otherwise, she could sit and wait in that shelter for weeks and weeks and maybe never find the home she deserves.

          I know we're stretching ourselves right now. Bad timing indeed after the rollercoaster ride Laura-Bell put us on. But how could we say no to this sweetheart?

Apple has instantly become the apple of our eye!!

         

So just as Laura-Bell is busy packing up her suitcase to finally leave the hospital and head home later this afternoon (our Chief Vet wanted her to stay one more day), Apple moved in…just down the hall.

            Apple will undergo her surgery today. The growth on her eyelid is irritating her cornea, not to mention the Cherry Eye which can worsen if ignored. Better we remove the growth sooner than later and, while we're at it, repair the Cherry Eye by way of a new procedure that is showing a higher success rate with less chance of recurrence.

           

          Without a doubt, running a rescue is like riding a rollercoaster. Some days, it's a nice quiet ride with no ups or downs. But we always know it's only a matter of time before we're tail-spinning towards a nail-biter of a ride downhill. Requests for help start zooming at us in all directions. We start free-falling. But we're not scared. There's a safety net. Because we're never on that rollercoaster alone.

Thanks for always riding the rollercoaster with us.

Your company, your support, your friendship - no matter what you can offer, even if it's just cheering us on from ground level,

always gets us through the ups and the downs.

 

 

 

Your gift is kind of like being right there with Apple today.

If you're able, please consider making a donation towards her eye operation. Apple is one of the sweetest beagles we've ever met. If anyone would cover you with kisses in thanks, it's her. So if you want more than a tax receipt, you just let us know!