Lollie arrived January 19, 2007. Someone found her on Reedy Road and brought her to the shelter.  She had been recently groomed but had no collar nor tags. Everyone knew someone would be looking for her. Aside from tipping the scales at 58 lbs she appeared to be in good health. Lollie’s health, however, began to deteriorate rather quickly. Approximately one week after her arrival she became very lethargic, incontinent, could not walk and appeared to be gaining even more weight.

We were able to make a few phone calls and found a local rescue group that just happen to know someone partial to Cocker Spaniels and so Lollie was placed with a lovely lady named Suzanne on February 16, 2007.

Suzanne’s and Lollie’s first stop was the vet’s office.  As it turned out Lollie, now Lucy Lou, had a thyroid disease. Medication was started immediately and Lucy Lou became a permanent fixture at Suzanne’s. These two visited the shelter quite often and I will never forget the first time she returned, none of us recognized her, she had lost 10 lbs and had turned out to be quite a ham!  There were many visits that would follow and with each one she had become more active and had managed to get her weight down to 38 lbs. 
 

Lucy ruled the house and, according to Suzanne, gave Wilson a little direction on how to be a dog.

Lucy, however, had another illness and after another trip to the doc was diagnosed with Lymphoma. The fight was on and for several months Lucy and Suzanne were winning. Suzanne said the cancer had come back strong and Lucy felt it was time.

Suzanne said Lucy was a gift and some gifts are not meant to keep.  I believe she’s right.

Lucy was a gift and I am sure the feeling was mutual. Suzanne’s face lit up when she spoke of Lucy and her antics. They shared 1 yr and 27 days of their lives together and a lifetime of memories for Suzanne. It’s hard to say if Lucy Lou enriched Suzanne’s life or if it was the other way around. I think both.

Thank You Suzanne for caring for Lucy when, as you say, everyone else would just comment on how big she was and keep walking. Lucy needed someone special and you came along. Although you may not know, the love you showed for Lucy enriched all our lives.