They say a life is not measured in time, but by the love shared in the time we are given. Dutchess was not with us long but she was loved and she loved intensely. She came to BRLA from a shelter in September of 05, barely a year old and barely weighing 35 pounds. She immediately captured the hearts of everyone at BRLA. Volunteers took turns feeding her soft foods to try and get her weight and strength up. It took Dutchess all day to eat a meal. She had an incredible will to live. Our Dr. Mohan discovered Dutchess was anemic and she showed signs of severe malnourishment which was affecting her internal organs. Dutchess spent her days riding with Ursula in the BRLA mobile ICU van. She would often ride on top of the cages, leaning into every turn and having the ride of her life. She shared Ursula’s home and the company of the many other boxers that needed constant care. As ill as Dutchess was, she found joy in the simple efforts extended to her to make her life fulfilled. She made the best of every day and lived her life enjoying the moment.

A second blood panel reveled that Dutchess was also in kidney failure. She had protein losing enteropathy so we added bone meal to her diet and as much protein as she could take in. Even with all of our efforts to get her weight up, she never weighed over 40 pounds. She wore her bright red sweater to keep her lean body warm. And of course looked adorable in it. In February she continued to develop complications, her once soft dark mahogany coat was losing luster quickly. Dutchess no longer wanted to eat and she started to stagger. She was rushed to Dr. Mohan who did everything he could to try and get her up again. We were all hoping for a miracle. It soon became apparent that she had lost her once powerful will to live. With Ursula’s arms holding her tight and kissing her sweet face, Dutchess went quietly and quickly. She was our Monkey face, she was such a fighter and she was so loved and treasured.

Rescue work can be such a high, when you see the sick made well, when you see the scared become confident, when you see the homeless find their home. Unfortunately there is the other side of rescue, the reality of those you lose to medical conditions no matter the efforts put forth. This is the true test of rescue, to deal with the emotional heartbreak. It takes a strong commitment to the living for us to never quit trying.

We will never know if Dutchess was born with bad kidneys or the failure was a result of her neglectful owners. She was a very sick little girl who never had a chance to grow up. She put up the most courageous fight to live and showed such a bright boxer spirit. Dutchess will remain in our hearts at BRLA. This was a tough goodbye.