Requiem for a Champion
By Mauri Formigoni


She was glorious! You knew right away that she was an extraordinary being, like pets you remember from your early years. The cocker spaniel that slept with you, got sick and couldn’t eat tuna fish, and then died of distemper. I dreamed about her for years and searched out her smell in my bed. Camilla was a Neapolitan Mastiff who arrived at the shelter at the age of 11 when her aged human mother took in her grown kids to live with her and they insisted that the dog be surrendered. The mother cried and the dog cried. The huge, blue-grey dog lay on her tummy and howled and chattered her teeth and tried to tell us her story.

Several other mastiffs also came that week, from out of the blue. They went to great homes, but we wondered where they came from and why now? Camilla was the oldest and the most charismatic. She was quickly adopted by an old friend who was a lover of Sharpies.

She visited and said yes, I will take her. I drove the dog to her neighborhood wondering if this was a good idea, and the old girl lumbered out of the car and toured the yard, peed, announcing herself, and took over the house. Over the years she became the focus of the house and family. The wary tenured pets, the Sharpies, took to her and understood that Camilla got her way and chose her toys and bed. One in particular was SauLee, who adopted Camilla as her mother and they bonded. We all knew that Camilla was living on borrowed time. The life span of larger dogs is short, and for Neapolitan Mastiffs it is about 10 years. Camila was so funny, spirited and loving, that we all thought that this would not apply to her. She was now about 14 years old, and doing well, though moving less and less. Then suddenly one day, she could not eat, and it seemed that one system after another broke down. There was nothing to be done. So she went gently to sleep, and was cremated and buried in the yard she loved. The people who worked in the house said that the house was sadder without her. And poor SauLee could not believe that she was gone. Dogs grieve as m
ightily as do humans. They must be allowed time and comfort during their pain. 

The loss of a special pet who loves you unconditionally is a terrible loss and is felt by many people to be the worst loss of all. The loss to pets is also terrific. One dog that was spunky and smart, but not big nor frightening, used his “brother,” a Great Dane, as his alter ego, and together they stood their ground against the world. When the Dane died, he was left alone and could no longer bring fear into the eyes of his neighbors. Pablo howled for weeks in grief. We try to be brave but no one knows if it is better to try to replace a loved one with another dog quickly, or to wait and grieve in peace. Each of us must decide for ourself!

Why would people like Nancy and Bob continue to subject themselves to the reality of grief when you lose a precious friend and be willing, as the numbness of grief lessens, to take on another needy pet? It is because some animals are just so extraordinary and sympathetic, and because many people have huge open hearts waiting to give life and love to others. How lucky that these people and animals get together. Are you interested? You need to search hard to find the special ones, both people and animals. You can physically see the sparks in the air when a searcher finds his favorite among all our dogs. It happens regularly. 

We are the Sociedad Protectora de Animales, located at Los Pinos #7 (just off Calzada de la Estación (Canal), 152-6124. We are open for visits Mon–Fri, 11am–2pm.