Martha

Martha came to Home Again Dalmatian Rescue from Tennessee on December 19th 2008. This is the best picture we got of Martha, as she was sick the whole time she was with us, none of her other pictures did her justice. She was such a mellow, cuddly bundle of love. I don't understand how anyone could leave her. She was great in the car, off leash, on leash, everything! She held no grudges, so gentle and quiet and easy to please. She would have made a family or a child so happy. But Martha just didn't get that chance. 

She seemed healthy and active, so nobody knew that she was sick until five days after she got here. She started to show symptoms of kennel cough along with other not so nice symptoms. Martha was loved and spoiled while she was here. She wouldn't eat anything we offered her except doggie biscuits and Beggin' Strips cause she was so sick she didn't want to eat. We had to offer her ALOT of those to keep some weight on her. I am thankful that she was able to get to feel what it was like to snuggle and sleep on a warm blanket and go for walks. She unfortunately never got to interact with her own kind since she was contagious. 

After one month and four different antibiotics with no improvement Martha lost her battle with pneumonia, sepsis and kidney failure.  On top of that, she was HW positive, too. When she went into respiratory distress we took Martha to the vet. With her advanced illness and worsening conditions, there was nothing else we could do for her and the hard choice was made. On January 22, 2009 Martha went to The Bridge and away from the pains she suffered here on Earth. Martha is missed; it's hard to find a very mellow well-behaved dog, so when they leave us they leave a large hole. She was an exceptional rescue, one that would have not taken alot of work. She was great.

For a couple weeks we truly thought that Martha had turned around, even the vet said she was going to make it. It was horrible but between Martha and another Dal's death months before Martha came along, this strain of kennel cough in that shelter is now known to the rescues and we know how aggressively it has to be treated.

Dalmatian Rescue of Colorado donated alot of funds toward her care and we thank them so much.