Zaras List

Jan. 1, 2008

They were huddled together in a cage at the shelter. There weren't any two dogs in worse shape that day in the shelter. They had been neglected for many years and then discarded at the shelter where their death was all but certain. It's the age old story of dogs who require grooming that haven't seen a groomer in probably years. Cher's legs were tied up in knots so badly she couldn't walk. The kennel attendant cried when we told her we were taking the two. She couldn't hug us enough. She said just that day she'd put in a request for euthanasia because they were in such bad shape and didn't deserve to suffer any longer. We promised their days of suffering were offer.

Cher is a senior who spends most of her days sleeping and every now and then gets up to cuddle with Sonny. She's very treat motivated and is sure to wake up when she senses the treat jar is opening! Cher is blind and deaf. She requires daily medication (2x's a day). She's had ear surgery b/c her ears were so infected and probably neglected for years. She still eats, trots around the yard, responds to love and care and obviously feels better than she's felt in a long time. Her eyes are blind from not producing enough tears which is common in many small dog breeds. The tragedy is that with daily medication these dogs don't have to go blind.

Sonny is a middle aged guy who has found the love of his life. We don't know their history and whether they've always lived in the same home or maybe she's his Mom or as we like to speculate, she's just the girl who captured his heart. What we do know is that Sonny is fiercely protective of Cher. When they're outside, he likes to run and play but Cher isn't out of his sight long before he's running over to check on her, give her some kisses and then jet off again. He can be found every night cleaning Cher's ears. We're still fighting infections with her and Sonny is so kind and loving as he patiently cleans away...

At the end of the day, you'll always find Sonny curled up next to Cher. And heaven forbid that we take Cher to the vet without Sonny or take her away for long periods of time, because he'll lose his mind. He stops eating, stops any activity and is despondent without his Cher. We learned that the first time we took her without him to the vet. It's a mistake we won't repeat.

We know that Cher won't live forever. We know that she may be on borrowed time now. With the cold months coming, we're all a bit on edge. We plan to give her love, attention and the care she deserves until it's time to say goodbye. Her medical expenses have been costly but for this little pair, they're more than worth it!