Dumaguete Animal Sanctuary

Every Life Matters

RIP

Edna

Edna

Edna was rescued from the side of the road on 14 April 2023.  It would appear that she hadn't been on the streets long, particularly as she was blind and her nails were so long, so most likely she got sick and her owners simply dumped her.  She was extremely dehydrated.

Edna RIP

Edna RIP

The staff sat with her around the clock (as they do for all new rescues), willing her to live and giving everything they can to try and help them live.  The same day Edna was rescued, poor 
Waffles passed away, and Edna started to eat. She had refused all the food we gave her until we went out and bought her chicken - she devoured it!  

Unfortunately, it was not enough, as a few days later, Edna had a seizure at 2am and had to be on oxygen in addition to the medication she was on to help her fight the lung infection and anaemic condition she was in.  We were not going to give up on her as we believed she had a chance of recovery and we wanted her to experience love, play and devoted attention at least for a short time.  She eventually passed away on 21 April 2023, but we hope she felt the love for the few short days she was with us.

Waffles

Waffles

We have some really sad news to share. Waffles passed away 17 April 2023 at the Sanctuary.
Thank you to everyone who donated for him. We will transfer the donations to Edna and Philippa.
From the moment we rescued him he wasn't alone. All critical patients have a vet assistant 24/7.

Waffles when rescued

Waffles when rescued

He always had someone stroking him and cleaning him and trying to entice him to eat.
It's tragic to think of how he suffered but this makes us even more determined to push forward with our spay and neuter campaigns. It's the only way we will ever see an end to this suffering.
Run Free Waffles. We hope you felt the love, even for just one week.  You can read more on his profile page here.

Waffles being treated

Waffles being treated

Salvador

Salvador

One of our oldest residents, Salvador He passed away at midnight 24 March 2023 at Animal Wellness. He wasn't alone, the night staff were with him and tried to revive him. Salvador was a very old dog when we rescued him on March 9, 2022, just over a year ago. He had multiple issues when we rescued him- congestive heart failure, thyroid problems, he could hardly see or walk. He also had chronic bronchitis and bladder stones.

Salvador walkies

Salvador walkies

We gave him the best care we could and pretty much all of his issues resolved except his heart and bronchitis - which kept coming back.
He was very comfortable for the whole of the year. He had a comfy donut bed in the consultation room and went out for walks every day, which he thoroughly enjoyed.  He really was a happy soul, but time marches on and in the end, his heart gave out.
We are always tremendously sad when we lose one of our dogs as we are so attached to them all. Sometimes all we can do is make the end of their lives comfortable and happy and let them know that they are loved.
It was a privilege to be able to get to know him, to spend time with him and to love him.
Run free sweet boy - we loved you so very much.  You can read more a bout Salvador on his profile page here.

Salvador

Salvador

Creamy

Creamy

Today is very sad day at the Sanctuary. Our beloved Creamy, one of our very first rescues, passed away unexpectedly.
The day before his passing, Creamy was still very much enjoying life. He went for a walk, played with his friends, and ate his dinner.
But on Wednesday morning our staff noticed that he was panting more than usual. 

Creamy

The vet happened to be there, so he gave him a checkup. Within 10 minutes Creamy lost the ability to stand and his breathing got rapid. We put him on oxygen, but sadly he died not long after.
It’s hard to pinpoint the exact cause of his death. Creamy was an old dog, so the vet thinks it was possibly his heart that gave out or pancreatitis.
The moment Creamy passed away, all the dogs started howling as you can hear in the last part of the video. They will miss him just as much as we will.
Creamy had such a hard life but we take comfort in knowing that he was happy in his final years at the Sanctuary. He always had a full belly - in fact, he was even a (reluctant) contestant in our Fat Camp in 2021.
Dear Creamy, you were loved beyond words and missed beyond measure. You will live on forever in our hearts and memories.  You can read about Creamy and see many more pictures of him on his profile page here.

Creamy

Wilbur

Wilbur

Wilbur had been poorly but stable for some time. He had been eating well and starting to get stronger until 2 days ago when he suddenly started vomiting blood. This could have been due to numerous factors - some very serious and some not so serious and very treatable.  You can read about Wilbur's rescue and treatment here.

Wilbur

Wilbur

We took him straight to the vet and started the process of numerous tests to identify the cause. At this point we had a lot of comments to put him to sleep, but without knowing the cause, we were not willing to end his life if it was due to something treatable.  We always want to give a dog a chance to live a life of love and care, most likely for the first time ever.

Wilbur when rescued

Wilbur when rescued

Wilbur when rescued

Wilbur when rescued

He was not in a great degree of pain - dogs will signal pain in various ways if it gets too much to handle. Wilbur was calm and his hear rate was normal. He was also on pain meds.  However, at around 4pm yesterday he started showing signs of pain and further tests showed he was going into multiple organ failure. We knew then that it was time to let him go, so at 4:30 pm we put him to sleep.

Wilbur

Wilbur

Whether to take their life or not is a decision that is never taken lightly. The decision is based on test results, prognosis, vets recommendation, chance of recovery and quality of life. Every decision to end a life has been very carefully and painfully considered. The obvious concern is whether the dog is suffering, but EVERY dog we rescue is suffering to some degree - that is why we rescue them.

And every time that decision is made, it takes a little part of your soul.

Wilbur

Wilbur

We have witnessed many amazing recoveries in dogs that were recommended euthanasia - Shaun, Max and Matty are examples of these. It's never a clear cut, black or white decision - but one with multiple considerations as many pet owners have likely experienced.  It is a decision we face on a daily basis. We are heartbroken that we couldn't save Wilbur and see him live a life that he deserved to live, but we are comforted by the knowledge we made the right decision to put him to sleep at the right time. Rest in peace Wilbur - we are so sorry we couldn't save you.