LOVED AND LOST
COCO
German Shepard
Female, 8 years old
Coco was found by the train tracks in El Monte. A good samaritan had spotted her and reached out to us. She was there for days, lying there unable to move. Coco had a fracture through her spinal column, causing it to twist on itself. Since she was found by the train tracks, the neurologist said that she was probably hit by the train. Her spinal cord was completely severed. She was in a lot of pain with no chance of recovery. She had no bowel and bladder function, and forcing her into a wheelchair would put even more stress on her fractured spine. She would have no quality of life, and most importantly, she would be in pain. You could see the pain in her eyes and we could not let her suffer anymore. We held her in our arms as she crossed the rainbow bridge.
Despite the unimaginable pain she was in, she had the sweetest disposition. We are sorry that humans failed you, Coco. You deserved far better. We take some comfort in knowing that she did not have to endure a slow painful death by the train tracks. Coco had a rough life but she was able to know what it was like to be cared for and loved, even if it was for a few days.
Coco may have been with our rescue for only a few days, but her impact on us is immeasurable. No dog should ever have to go through what Coco went through. This was our first loss a a rescue, and while it hurt, it also reminded us of why we do what we do. We will continue fighting one dog at a time in Coco's name and honor.