In Memory of Lucy Lou

Few dogs have touched as many of us in FBRN as Lucy Lou did. When she came to us last summer, her back legs were stiff and peg-like, and she used them as a unit to hop around on. She was incontinent, wore a diaper, and would need extensive rehabilitation to recover some use of her legs. We found a wonderful volunteer who works as a vet tech in a clinic where a specialist could supervise her physical therapy, and we moved Lucy Lou to Texas. Over the months she was in Texas, her foster mom worked hard to help her regain some mobility in her legs. She took her to therapy and gave her nightly sessions in the bath tub to help work Lucy Lou's atrophied muscles. Lucy Lou was featured several times on the blog, and her progress was inspirational.

Meanwhile, her foster mom continued to go above and beyond what many foster homes would find it practical or feasible to do. As a vet tech, she was able to express Lucy's bladder to help prevent infections, to provide enemas when Lucy Lou's system needed it, she and her family became familiar with the diaper changing process, and Lucy Lou became a beloved member of the family. Many of you will remember seeing her video, in which an energetic, happy Lucy Lou plays exuberantly with the other dogs in her foster home. She ran so fast and furiously that she ran right out of her drawers! We all rejoiced to see this girl so healthy and so adaptive.

Which is why when she had a life-threatening UTI in February, so many of us were shocked. The first two vet's opinions were that Lucy Lou was going to bleed out, that she was in pain and would die and she should be euthanized. We sought a third opinion.

Our third vet felt she could be successfully treated with strong antibiotics and special care. This vet volunteered to take Lucy Lou to her own home and nursed her over the weekend, falling in love with her as everyone always did. Lucy Lou rallied again and was able to go home. But over the course of the next month, she fell victim to more infections, she began to fail, and she lost the spark and happy personality she'd always been blessed with. Our volunteer and the vet who had nursed her tearfully came to the conclusion that the damage to Lucy Lou's system of repeated infections and heroic efforts to help her recover had taken an irreparable toll. Together, they decided that euthanasia was the kindest thing, the most humane thing, they could offer. The Board of Directors was consulted and very sorrowfully agreed with the decision.

Lucy Lou's last day was spent in the loving company of our volunteer's family, who were all present and able to hold and love Lucy as she was prepared for her next great adventure. Lucy Lou passed away in the loving company of those who had gone beyond what most volunteers and owners and their families could or would commit to do.

Our gratitude to this volunteer is deep, and our debts to her faithful, generous supporters are many. Lucy Lou was a beacon of hope for many of us who have known dogs with spinal problems, and her spirit caused hearts to glow and gave us many moments of pride and inspiration and laughter. Many of us hope and trust that Lucy Lou is running somewhere right this minute, jumping and tossing her toy and racing the big dogs somewhere, and we'll always think of her that way.
Godspeed Lucy Lou.