To Bobby

This is Bobby. If you have been following the blog, his must be a familiar face to you.

Not long ago, Bobby was diagnosed with a serious case of heart worm. He was scheduled to undergo a major operation to ease his condition. But it was discovered that his arteries were too clogged for the forceps to be inserted into his heart.

So the operation was shelved and he was prescribed  lifelong heart worm medication and twice weekly trips to the vet to drain the fluid from his stomach.

Because the shelter was unsuitable for his recuperation, Leng kindly took him in and has been fostering him since late August 2010.

Bobby enjoyed home life with Leng, a life he had never known before. When some of us went to visit him at his new home, he had grown so attached to his new home that he barely paid us much attention! Perhaps the sight of us made him fear that he would be brought back to the shelter. Perhaps he was worried that he had to leave his fosterers whom he had come to know and love.

You guys played a part in financing Bobby's medical needs. I'm sorry to break the news that our dearest darlingest Bobby passed on this Friday morning at 415AM.

According to Leng, he stopped eating and vomited during lunch the next day. He was immediately sent to the vet and tests showed that he was suffering from pneumonia. This aggravated his heart worm condition. Leng spent the night administering intravenous antibiotics to the poor boy.

But at 415AM, Bobby's body could take it no longer. He left us on 28 January 2011. We suspect he was 10 years or older.

Thank you for taking Bobby in during his last few months, Leng. We are absolutely certain you brought much joy to him in the time he spent with you. You made him understand what being a house dog was. You made him realise that his nights didn't have to be cold and lonely. We are grateful for all the help you have given us with Bobby.

And... goodbye Bobby. When I got to know you, you were already 8. They warned me that you could get temperamental, that you sometimes bit guys or people who wore glasses. I was lucky. You allowed me to cuddle you, hug you and walk you right from the start. With your furry white face and body, you sometimes reminded me of a tiny polar bear.

We hope your huge stomach is no longer bothering you from where you are. We have missed you these past few months at the shelter and we will continue to miss you. You will be in our thoughts always.