Foxy's
Story ~
Over the last number of months, the horse racing world and fans
everywhere gained and then lost hope that Barbaro would win his
ultimate race. Recently I faced my own heartache. Early in December
my beloved Pomeranian Foxy became ill. I took him to Cornell Veterinary
Hospital where he was diagnosed with a severe liver infection.
After two weeks, it seemed like he was recovering, but another
medical problem was discovered. That problem was resolving; then
he developed lung issues. He was up and down and I gained and
lost hope, only to gain and lose hope many times over the course
of a month. Our January 5th evening visit wasn’t much different
than our other visits. I hugged him, kissed him as many times
as I could during our brief visit and then I said goodbye, crying
as usual.
I didn’t know that would be our “last goodbye.”
The next morning as I arrived for my morning visit, the doctors
we administering CPR. They said it must have been a clot as Foxy
was gone within a minute.
Foxy fought like a champ. From a young age he had a seemingly
endless list of conditions that we managed. Despite the odds against
him, he lived a very happy and for the most part, pain free life.
He was a tough little guy of six-pounds. His feisty spirit as
well as extraordinary veterinary care, especially from Dr. Jean
Schaedler, allowed him to reach almost 13-years-old.
Foxy was one of S&L’s first columnists. He wrote the
“Ask Foxy” column where he gave advice on a variety
of topics relating to our non-human companions.
His legacy will live on. As great as Foxy was as a younger boy,
he was more special to me as he aged and our bond deepened. I
have started a charitable organization in his honor called Foxy’s
Fund. The focus will be on the care of aging pets. Check out foxysfund.org
for details.
~Marian Giallombardo
Foxy:
Birth 3/28/94 – Death 1/6/07
