I knew that I had
wanted a Mastiff and I thought that I'd learn more about the breed by volunteering and
fostering for Mastiff Rescue. Within a few weeks of volunteering, I was given the
opportunity to foster Rifka, who was 5 years of age.
Poor Sweet Rifka had
hardly any fur, entropion, and was miserable looking. After correcting her
entropion, and a lot of time and good nutrition, Rifka was a different dog! She was
so happy and fun to have around. Rifka may not have been the "prettiest" of
Mastiffs, but she was so beautiful in my eyes. Rifka taught me how fantastic
Mastiffs are.
Sadly, at 7 1/2 years of
age, I lost Rifka to cancer. She stopped eating one day and I knew something was wrong.
The following day the cancer was found on an ultrasound. She was scheduled for surgery to
remove the affected area of intestines the following week. The day of surgery, she
suddenly went downhill. Tristin was fantastic and donated blood for her. During
surgery, the cancer was found to have spread all over her abdomen. I had no choice
but to let her go.
Although I only had
Sweet Rifka for 2 1/2 years, I'm forever grateful for her and will never forget her. She
is the dog who got me hooked on Mastiffs! |