Central Ohio Sheltie Rescue - Updates

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WOW Columbus

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Dec 1, 2010, 1:30:46 PM12/1/10

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Hi everyone –

Penny Sanderbeck, director of the Central Ohio Sheltie Rescue, a fellow lady rider, and one of our chapter’s supporters, is going through a very rough and tragic time. In a less than a week, Penny has lost several of her Sheltie dogs to a serious virus. Two of the fallen dogs, Hunter and Gunnar, were are Penny’s own personal dogs and founding members of COSR. A couple are still sick and recovering from the bug but their outlook is very positive. The full e-mail I received regarding this sad turn of events is below.

I met most of these dogs in August when I brought Josey the Sea Lion to Penny’s house to visit them, and when you’re surrounded by animals this kind and loving (they were even nice to Josey!) you get attached to them quite fast. Here’s a picture of the late Gunnar and Josey.

If you’d like to send condolences or words of comfort and support for Penny and her family of Shelties, you may direct all e-mails to her assistant, Denise, at whirl...@hotmail.com.

Thanks,

Christine

Christine,

I just wanted to let you know what is going on with the rescue right now and ask for assistance. A very nasty bug has hit Penny's house. Unfortunately, it hasn't passed yet, and we've had some terrible tragedies. The dogs that are ill have either (a) mild coughing that moves to pneumonia in a matter of days (b) intestinal flu that causes no eating for days and severe vomiting (c) both. We're still trying to ID what this bug really is.

On Friday at 1 am, we lost Hunter. Hunter had no symptoms aside from refusing food once a few days prior. He was obviously very healthy otherwise. Our vet thinks the disease attacked his heart valves. There was nothing we could do. He died in Penny's arms very suddenly.

On Sunday at 5 am, we lost Gunnar. Gunnar had obviously been struggling for years with kidney disease and cushings. He was with me from Saturday afternoon on in hopes that I would be able to watch him closer, but that couldn't save him in the end. He hadn't been eating in days but only had a mild cough -- unfortunately, after all of the other stress from Cushings, that is all it took.

Today at around 8 pm, we lost Mylo. Mylo was the dog that brought this virus in with him from a shelter so you never met him. He also never had the opportunity to meet his forever home. Mylo had been with our vet since Saturday morning getting IV antibiotics and additional care.

We still have three staying at the our vet's office that are still very sick (Spirit--the white one, Preston--dark brown fluffy coat, Sammy--another you didn't meet). Jako, the other senior dog, is struggling with the disease right now at Penny's, and we're trying to pull him through it.

I'm telling you this because some of the photos you took for WOW are being used for designing the urns for both Hunter and Gunnar. Those were excellent photos, and those photos mean a lot to us right now. I was hoping you could pass along all photos you have of the dogs from that day. At the time, we didn't realize that could be the last photos of some of these dogs. It would mean alot to everyone to have any photos you took to help everyone remember the dogs that passed and those still fighting this.

Please send them directly to me because Penny is obviously trying to grieve and care for the remaining dogs right now. Gunnar and Hunter were both her personal dogs. She raised Gunnar from a puppy before she even started the rescue, and he was very special to her. Hunter was the first dog to ever come through COSR. Right now, Penny is having to cope to get everyone through this and to be sure the 6 remaining dogs at her house are monitored closely. She's requested that all emails and calls to go other people until this is all over. She has requested that no one but our vet contact her by phone or email. This is obviously very heartbreaking for her. I did mention to her I would be requesting any photos you had after she sent me some of your photos for the memorials.

Sorry we had to burden you with such terrible news. I know you really enjoyed spending time with dogs. We sincerely appreciate you taking photos with the pups, and at the time, we didn't know how much it would mean. Thanks for helping us with this.
Denise