Hope
December 18, 2004 – January 31, 2005



December 18, 2004 Hope was taken by the local humane society from abusive and neglectful owners in Hutchinson, KS. Her owners had kept her in an outside kennel run inside a privacy fenced yard. The neighbors reported to the authorities that the dog was not being taken care of.

Hope’s plight came to our attention the first week of January 2005 through Friends of the Animals in Kansas, Inc. We were told that she was an older female. She turned out to be approximately 9 yrs old or more. We said we would take her. I notified Friends of the Animals and they told me there would be a transport coming to CO by the weekend and would try and get her on it. She handled the trip like a trouper, passing through 4 volunteers and 2 days on her way to us. Every volunteer said she was a real sweetie and very happy.

CWVRG took possession of Hope on Sunday afternoon, January 9, 2005. She was extremely skinny, 54 lbs. She was in better condition than when she was taken. She was very weak and undernourished. We suspect that she had hip dysplasia, but she had learned to compensate and didn’t seem to be in pain. In fact she jumps up on people and the counter in the kitchen.

The day after we got home was spent smelling her new environment and checking out the kitties. She handled the resident Vizslas very well. She met the girls and immediately took on a confident posture, no aggression or growling. But, when she met Riley, her whole posture changed. Her ears pricked up as she caught sight of him and she started hoping on her front feet. It was as if she was saying “what a hunk, I think I am in love”. Needless to say she gets along with other dogs.

She learned to listen and thoroughly enjoyed being in the house. She acted like she was in heaven on earth. Being in the house is a whole new experience for her and she is not housebroken. We are working on that. When told to lay down in the living room with the other dogs, she hesitated like she was asking if it is alright or not, then she slowly went over to the dog bed and laid down on part of it. She waited for some kind of consequence, got none, then got on the rest of the bed, rolled over on her back and wiggled back and forth making contented guttural sounds. I don’t think she ever had a dog bed. This bud was slowly turning into a beautiful blossom. She discovered new and exciting things every day, like what it is like to be a Vizsla who is loved.

Day 1 – smelling and getting acquainted
Day 2 – she gets along with the other dogs and spends outside time with them. Doesn’t really understand the playing thing, but she does run with them wondering what they are running for, but it is fun so it is ok.
Day 3 – she comes when given the command “Hope Come”.

By the second week she was letting us know just how smart she was for an old dog. She blended in to the daily routine. She knew when she was expected to go into her crate, especially when given the command “kennel”. By the end of the 3rd week she was letting me know when she had to go outside and go potty. She knew “go potty” and would go when I told her to do so during the housebreaking training. She learned “go lay down”, “come”, and her name all in a couple of weeks. She really surprised me when she started asking to go potty.

We were able to put about 5 lbs on her in 12 to 14 days. Her coat was clearing up and the sores on her legs were disappearing. She was extremely loving and appreciative of everything given to her, a warm home, comfortable dog bed and lots of love. She gave back much, much more.

By the 3rd week Hope started being selective about eating and slowed down her food intake to the point that by the end of the week she was refusing to eat. I tried force feeding her and she allowed it, but by the weekend she wouldn’t even allow that. She would eat the little rawhide sticks, but she couldn’t live on that as a steady diet. She was getting weaker and having trouble finding a comfortable position on her dog bed. She was most comfortable laying on her back with her belly up and hips spread. Even in that position, if I got up and left the room, she was right behind me.

On Monday, January 31st, we made the trip to the vet. She had lost all the weight she put on. She was back to 54 lbs. I was hoping he might have some magic solution that would allow us to get her appetite back and prolong her life just a few more months or years. But we both knew that miracle was not going to take place. Hope knew more than me, she was trying to let me know she was ready to make the trip over the Rainbow Bridge. She had experienced the love and attention that she deserved and should have had her whole life in just 3 short weeks.

Hope, we miss you and you will always be remembered. Hope is pain free now and I picture her running in the fields chasing birds and playing with other Vizsla friends. She is free, free, free. Free from people that would abuse and neglect her. She was just about the sweetest, giving, and loving Vizsla I have ever met. God Bless you Hope - Rita