Willow ~ 4/24/08 to 4/22/13

[Toni]

Willow (updated photo taken 5/6/10)




Poor Willow was terrified at the shelter where she had been dumped by her owner. We wanted to get her out as quickly as possible, so she came to me 4/24/10 from southern Illinois. Her coat is in terrible condition and full of mats, burrs and stick-tights. On top of that she is very thin and has pretty bad kennel cough. Because she is so contagious, she is being quarantined in my tack room in the barn. She seems to enjoy the peace and quiet and likes sleeping on the raised dog bed in the aisle where she can watch everything going on. She is getting better about taking food from my hand but will dart away to a safe distance, as she is still unsure of things. But she is quickly learning about belly rubs and is continuing to feel more comfortable around me. She is very soft and sweet and has the biggest most expressive eyes. I have been brushing out a ton of dead hair and mats and will be giving her a bath as soon as it gets a little warmer. I don’t want her to catch a chill and make her cough any worse than it already is.

We believe Willow to be a Border Collie, approximately three years old. She has received all her shots, but still will need to be spayed. She is on antibiotics for her kennel cough and will need to get better before she can have her sugery. If you have any questions about Willow, please email me at [url]burnham@chartermi.net[/url]. Willow is being fostered in southwestern lower Michigan.

[Toni]

Willow is finally over her kennel cough and can now live with us in the house. She is such a gentle soul, and everything is so new to her, I am sure she was never allowed to live in a house before. At first she wanted to find a quiet place to get away and observe her new environment, so I left her alone so as not to worry her. After a day or so she was starting to feel more comfortable and would cautiously approach me on her own for pets and treats. She is learning to negotiate stairs but still prefers to be on the main floor when given her choice. She enjoys having a crate to lie in and I leave the door open so she can come and go as she pleases. At night she sleeps in a crate with the door closed and is totally quiet and keeps her crate clean and dry. I am allowing her more freedom as she has not bothered a single thing inside the house and has been perfect so far with her housebreaking.

She does not like to go outside without me, so I go with her and she seems more comfortable with me by her. I have never heard her bark since she came here, and have never seen her play. She gets along with my other dogs but has not shown much interest in them. She does not even look at my cats.

This girl is VERY soft and is going to need a quiet home without children. Sudden noises and movements are very scary to her and she will need time to learn about this big new world now open to her.

[Toni]

Willow went in for her spay surgery and while there we decided to do a test for tick borne illnesses and she has tested positive for Lyme's. She had to go back a few days later to have blood drawn so a more extensive test can be done to find out the severity of the disease. Once the results are back the vet will know what dosage of antibiotics she will need. She will need be on the antibiotics for 30 days then will need to be re-tested in six months to make sure the infection is gone. She will be with me until she finishes her treatment.

Other than that she is doing well and enjoys being in the house. She is a VERY soft dog and will need an understanding family to help her with her fearfulness. She loves attention from my husband and I, but will not compete with the other dogs for it. She is quiet and stays in the background when they are around. However, when they are all outside and she is in with me, she loves to come to me for pets and belly rubs. She is such a gentle girl, and I have still never heard her bark since she came to me.

Willow will not go to a home with children. She will need a quiet life where she is not forced to deal with new people on a regular basis, as this is not fair to her. Most likely Willow will always be shy as I believe this is in her nature. To add to the problem she was an outside dog her entire life and had little interaction with people during her formative years. She will make a loving companion for the right person or couple, but it will need to be a very special home.

If you have any questions about willow please contact me at Toni@northstarbcrescue.org

[psmith]

Willow went in on Tuesday to have blood drawn for a test that will determine the severity of her Lyme’s disease. However, due to a mix-up at the vet’s office the test could not be done. I had to take her back on Friday for another blood draw and will know in a week or so what the results are. This will determine the course of treatment, which is usually 30 days of antibiotics. Willow is going to need a quiet home as she is a very soft dog and is easily frightened.

[Toni]

Currently Willow is not ready for adoption.....

[Toni]

Unfortunately, Willow has started having severe seizures and is currently under a vet's care to see if we can get them under control. Because of her extreme fear issues and now the epilepsy, Willow will be living out her life with her foster family as a permanent North Star foster dog.

If you can find it in your heart to help sponsor Willow to help pay for her expensive seizure medications and veterinary costs....we would welcome the help. You can donate on our website at http://www.northstarbcrescue.org.

[Karen]

Sending lots of prayers and healing vibes to Willow, and hugs to you Toni. She is such a special girl and you've done a wonderful job with her. She is very lucky to be joining your family.

[Toni]

Thanks to the help of our wonderful vets....over the past three years we have been able to control Willow's seizures with medications so that she could have a good quality of life.

However, over the past few months the medications were no longer helping and her seizures were becoming more frequent and escalating in intensity. Increasing the dosages would cause severe damage to her liver and kidneys, and so we made the difficult decision to end her suffering. Willow went peacefully while I held her in my arms and the vet administered the shot. I feel blessed for every single day we had together...and now she is at peace at the Rainbow Bridge waiting for me.

I want to thank all the people who helped Willow along her journey to come to North Star and especially those who made contributions to help us provide her with her medications and veterinary care.

Rest in peace my sweet Willow....until we meet again.


Went to the Rainbow Bridge on April 22, 2013

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