Our promise to Candy was to provide her with a safe and loving environment for the rest of her life, and we kept that promise. Candy, aka our little Candy Cane, gained her Angel wings and has left behind many broken hearts.
The light in Candy’s eyes dimmed very quickly, and we knew it was time; unfortunately, she had a difficult time letting go on her own, so we helped her on her journey. For us, a heart wrenching kindness for Candy, a peaceful passing with dignity, surrounded by love.
Above all else, here at Paws Give Me Purpose we put quality of life first and Candy most certainly showed us her desire for life. Even when we know a dog is here in hospice, and there will be an impending passing and are prepared for it, it is still one of the toughest phases we go through – and it never gets easier.
You could say that Candy’s best life started the day she arrived at Paws Give Me Purpose almost one year ago. Prior to her arrival her entire 14+ years of life she was used for breeding and lived in a hoarding type situation with many other dogs. Candy was blind, deaf, had no teeth, was covered in masses and was diagnosed with canine cognitive dysfunction. Regardless of this, her will to live was amazing!
Her most favorite things in the world were food and sucking on bully sticks. She never missed a crumb, and her sense of smell was so powerful she could sniff out a bully stick nearby and would head right over to it. Coming from a horrible past of neglect where food was most likely scarce, these things were of very high value to her and she would not allow anyone to get near or take it away.
Candy mostly kept to herself; she knew nothing about love, kindness, or a human touch. She did enjoy the company of other dogs very much, but would cower being handled by people when she first arrived. She very quickly learned that she could trust Sanctuary mom who became her most important person. She enjoyed weekly, warm lavender bubble baths, and would enjoy walking back and forth in the tub. She learned what a lap was and proudly would sit in Sanctuary moms lap for some petting, brushing and pampering. And even though she could not see she would look up at us as if she could every time she sensed someone was near. Every single one of these tiny moments brought tears of joy to our eyes – Candy knew she was safe and felt loved for the first time in her life.
Candy had a best doggie friend here in Sanctuary, Francesca, and they would spend time together and cuddle. It was as if Francesca was Candy’s dog mom and she would always look after her – they truly loved each other. Sadly, Francesca passed away back in November of 2021 and Candy never filled that void or bonded like that with any other dog here. We would like to believe that Candy and Francesca are now cuddling together once again.
Candy was truly a beautiful soul inside and out and there is no heart here left without her tiny paw prints – every heart here is broken. Candy, you will forever live on in our hearts – you were taken way too soon. We were blessed to have known you and love you.
We’d like to think that Candy’s 11 months of joy here with us was able to wash away her past suffering. She was spoiled, and loved deeply just as she should have been her entire life. Candy’s life mattered and we will never forget her.
Thank you to each and every one of you for caring and for being a support to us during this time.
