Mark: I am part of a rescue network out of Nyack New York, the Dapper Dog on Main Street. In 2006, I fostered a black german shepherd dog that was completely beat up, rescued by the Dapper Dog owner’s son from a fence in New Paltz, NY. He had wounds where his neck was tied, he smelled of skunk and he had a knob on his front paw from a wound that was not treated-most likely pit bull bait. And his teeth were filed straight.
His eyes were cloudy too.
So I took him in and kept my other 3 dogs away from him so he could recuperate. He was a beautiful 85 lb. specimen. All black- very rare.

After a few days my husband said there is no way we are letting him go!

So I integrated him in the pack with the help of a trainer and he was the sweetest bottom ranking member of the pack.. My husband named him Ivan.

I bathed him every day to get the stink off him. I fed him holistic supplements to bring his coat back, and got him coat conditioners, and fed him raw meat patties.

We would groan every time he laid down. He was a peaceful black teddy bear that was so nice to everybody in his own quiet way, despite the trauma of his life. We had no idea how old he was, but he was older for sure.

He was in a word- awesome. He hobbled around the backyard trying to catch up with the younger dogs, but he held his own.

He learned from the other dogs to hit me with his paw when he wanted attention. All our friends and family loved Ivan.

He had his own couch in our bedroom where he slept like a prince!!!!

So after a bout with pneumonia in June of this year, Ivan began coughing pink saliva Sept 1.
I brought him right to the vet where they xrayed him and found lung cancer. It hit us like a ton of bricks-not our sweet Ivan.

So I ran around for 25 days trying to cure cancer with holistic meds and vitamins. During these days, he laid in the sun in our back yard, and I cried marveling at his beauty, But my denial was broken when Sept, 25th he would not eat and he was painful to touch. We drove him in his bed to the vet and held him and hugged him and let him take his last breath, comforted by the fact that we could give him happiness and peace in his last days.

Like you, our time with him was too short.

Mark you are doing a great service by bringing attention to all the dogs in need of rescue, and bringing all us dog lovers together. If you ever have a dog fundraiser, I’m in!

Meredith from NJ