Fare well, Jester

Last week I posted about my trip to the San Francisco Bay Area, where
we were able to rescue ten dogs who have since settled  in nicely, some have already been adopted.
Our two Let’s Adopt! girls Sophia and Esperrranza are awaiting their spay surgery and glamour shots…
One of the dogs we pulled was a dog we named Jester. We were told he just needed a dental and had some nail problems, but was otherwise in good health.

Well – in actuality, Jester’s organs were shutting down and he was dying.
It is with great sadness that I have to report Jester’s passing. He was the 8 yr. old Aussie shepherd mix, who in the end could barely walk, and was unable to hold his bowels.
After long talks with my rescue partners, two different vet opinions, I made the decision to relieve Jester from his suffering.
Here’s what I wrote to my fellow rescuers that day:
I picked up Jester from Dogstar at about 12:30PM.
I had planned to take him on a nice walk, feed him some steak and then take him to the vet.
Unfortunately, his hind-legs wouldn’t cooperate, so we took him straight into my car.
We arrived at my vet’s clinic with lots of time to spare – so we sat down, soaked up some sun, Jester had his steaks which he loved so much, he licked my fingers clean
I gave him big belly rubs, thinking of all of you, who have shown so much goodwill toward this boy.
When it was time, we strolled into the office – everyone knew and was so kind.
They took him back to set the catheter. My vet gave him a quick exam and agreed that this was a dog in A LOT of discomfort.
I brought a cozy blanket for Jester, and we settled down for a while. I gave him more hugs and kisses. Mark, the vet entered the room, set down on the floor with us and asked me whether I was ready. Well, when are you ever ready for this, but this was about Jester not me, so I said yes.
The first order of business was to find the cookie jar.
Mark fed Jester lots of cookies. Then it was my turn, while Mark did his work…. Jester literally passed away while munching on cookies.
We agreed that we wanted to be fed Sundaes as well before we “go out” some day.
This was the best we could have done for Jester and he wasn’t scared, he wasn’t  stressed. He was calm, happy, a belly full of steaks and cookies.

I am still very upset with the shelter or whoever gave this false information. Jester should have NEVER spent a week at Martinez. They should have put him to sleep the day he came in. That would have been humane. Whoever had a chance to look at him for more than 2 minutes, MUST have seen that there was something terribly wrong with this dog.

I am annoyed with his former companions, I am sure he was a loyal friend to. How dare they just dumped him at a killer pound, with all the stress and noise to have him sit there in pain, confusion, suddenly abandoned with out the comforts of home. What has he done? He was sick, not a criminal. The least an animal’s caretaker MUST do is give their animals a dignified death. This should be a budget item in everyone’s household. As important as rent or a mortgage. To dump this poor dog after 8 something years was so cruel.

Why not take him to a vet and have him go with dignity.

What is wrong with our world?! Has everything and everyone become disposable?

On the other hand I am very glad, he had a week here in Portland where he was loved (the staff at DogStar adored him, and we didn’t have the heart to tell them where we were taking Jester…), well fed, relatively happy considering the pain he must have been in – and we were able to give him a dignified passing.
I’ll get his ashes back in a few days and will spread them at my favorite place here in Portland. A little beach, where the Columbia and Willamette rivers meet…

…Fare well, Jester <3

you touched so many in just the few days we shared.
~Misha