left to right: Suzanne
and started comfort care. She didn’t seem to have much of a future. They sent out requests for Pawspice care to local rescues. YTNR received a re- quest as well. “Stray dog, no history... severe periodontal disease, mobile teeth with severe calculus... cloudy eyes, unstable on back legs... bilat- eral patella luxations, 2/4, and an- gular limb deformities of hind legs... slightly dazed... greasy, slightly sparse hair coat throughout with general- ized crusting... incipient cataracts... enlarged heart”, accompanied by a sad grainy picture. MaryElizabeth thought we just could not leave her behind. Our friends all agreed. Initially worried about bringing in another Pawspice doggie in our household of two terminally ill Yor- kies, all doubts disappeared when we picked up a small bundle with soulful eyes, a list of diagnoses and concerns, and copies of care that had already been provided. A little boy walked by, asked to pet her, and told his par- ents he wanted one just like her. He smiled, we smiled, and we drove off into the sunset with her on my lap. She lifted her little head high, and the bits of hair blew in the wind. She sniffed the air filled with promise. She was noticed, saved, and safe again. Never microchipped, and never claimed, we don’t know her story. We do know there was a time she was loved—since she’s trusting, sweet, and
never afraid to fend for herself, or to reach out. We also know there was at least a period of her life she wasn’t well cared for, medically neglected, and in discomfort and pain. We’ll never know why—only that it’s the same neglect faced by so many ani- mals, for no fault of their own. But this little girl we could save. They called her Mae at the Humane Society, but when she came home, she bloomed into Suzanne. The vet- erinarians and care providers at our local clinic healed what was possible. They pulled her bad teeth, treated infections, treated her skin, and dis- cussed how to handle the non treat- able issues. Mommy’s shampoo, once wrongly prescribed, seemed to work miracles on her little skin, and soon her hair started growing back. A healthy diet and regular brushing transformed our little Suzanne into a beauty that everyone wanted. Initial- ly up for adoption, we just weren’t able to part with her, feeling bad about the emotional and financial cost that will await an adopter, and too sad to let our little miracle go. She had crawled too deep into our hearts, too deep into the heart of her babysitter-person Su- zanne, and the hearts of our friends— and everyone else who came to meet her. We became foster failures for the second time in a year. And she became our little girl. Today little Suzanne Vermeulen has a
two cousins that spend time with us. Our other grandmother lives in New Mexico and we have not met her yet. She heard about our thunder fear and we got thunder shirts from her with essential oils in the mail just TODAY! She must be a nice lady! We have, like Smokey earned our combat mission metals and are safe and cared for forever. Thank you to Animal Clinic of Monticello, Nicole, Carson and YTNR for being so pa- tient with us. It took a long time but your timing was perfect. We were cer- tainly in a “FOXHOLE” like Smokey! Please continue your mission “to find the best possible homes for Yorkshire Terriers”. You certainly did for us! 1ST RUNNER UP SUZANNE by Hannelie Vermeulen It was late spring 2018—new life had sprung all around us. Our family had just grown by a new doggie that stole our hearts, and we were celebrat- ing the joy. Meantime, somewhere in southwest Washington, a little lost soul was wandering around; mat- ted, with patches of hair loss, a bad little back, rotten little mouth full of painful teeth, and a slew of other is- sues too long to list. Finally she was saved by the area Humane Society, who evaluated and diagnosed her,
62 • T op N otch T oys , J anuary 2020
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