We lost our senior rescue, Buck, today. Rest easy boy ❤️

We began fostering Buck in January. He was 11 years old when he was surrendered to the shelter before Christmas. His history was vague, but we know he was a hunting dog when he was younger, he was hit by a car at some point, and his previous owners left him outside most of the time.

He was so incredibly sweet. He loved us and we loved him.

The last few weeks he began declining. His panting was terrible and constant as he was struggling to get air due to a disease labs tend to get. His airways had scar tissue from the constant labored breathing. He struggled to get up more, and would fall sometimes. He had issues with his back legs. He kept having accidents, especially at night, and his dementia was getting worse. We could’ve medicated him more and more, but the vet said his quality of life would just keep getting worse.

It was hard today, much much harder than I thought it would be. I knew it wouldn’t be easy, but we had the mindset getting him that this would happen sooner than we’d expect. We just wanted him to have some semblance of comfort and love at the end of his life. But I didn’t think we’d be crying this much. I didn’t think the house would feel so empty. It is so quiet without his panting, or kicking of the walls in his dreams, where that was the one time he could run like he used to, until today.

I wish he could’ve been around some time longer to meet our daughter who is coming in November, but he was with us when we found out we were pregnant, and through a majority of the pregnancy.

Seven months was not long enough. You will forever have a place in our hearts. You changed our lives, and I am so grateful to have had you. Rest in peace Buck, our sweet boy. Run free ❤️