Ruthanna

This blog was created to capture stories about the Sennott and Coakley families. This time I'd like to share the story of one of the family pets, a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel named Ruthanna.

Ruthanna crossed over the Rainbow Bridge on Wednesday, March 7, 2018. She would have been 16 on April 15th.

In 2008, two good friends, Lesa and Tim worked with Lucky Star Rescue. They were fostering a rescue named Karmen. I had been thinking about getting a dog since I no longer had to travel for work and they introduced us. Karmen was precious and she came to live with me. I started fostering for Lucky Star. A few Cavalier's stayed with Karmen and I and then moved on to their furever homes.

In March, 2009 I got a call asking if I could foster a rescue. Lucky Star had raised money and were going to an auction where hundreds of dogs were being sold. That weekend when I went to pick up my foster, I met Ruthanna.

She had spent the first  almost 7 years of her life as breeding stock in a puppy mill and had been treated very badly.  I don't think she had been out of a cage for any period of time and had health problems including a knee that required surgery. When we got home, Ruthanna stood in a submissive position and didn't move. I would pick her up periodically and carry her outside. Then we'd come back in the house and she would be still again.

After a few days, she started to come out of her shell. Ruthanna was a joy to have around. It didn't take long before I knew she would be a failed foster and was going to stay as part of our family.  I was told that I'd be lucky if she lived a couple of years, she was in such bad shape.

It is amazing what a little love can do, she soaked it up like a sponge. Soon she was exploring the house. She would sit in the chair with me in the evenings while we watched TV or read.

It took her months before she barked the first time. She only barked when she wanted to go out or was hungry. She had an internal clock that was amazing. It went off at 6:30 am and 5:00 pm. She could be very persistent when she was hungry. She relished her food, I think she must have gone hungry many times while she was in the puppy mill.

Neither of the girls knew what to do with toys, but Ruthanna found a little stuffed animal that she used to carry around. She didn't play with it, but carried it around like she would a puppy. It was her constant companion until Bentley came to live with us in 2011. Then her maternal instinct switched to him and I don't think she ever picked up the stuffed toy again. She loved him and mothered him until the day she died. Part of her daily morning ritual was washing his face. 

Bentley taught Ruthanna how to play. He would throw his toys up in the air and carry them around. He was a bundle of energy and she would sit and watch him play. One day after she had been watching him, she went over to a toy he had tired of and started pushing it with her nose and barked at it. It was such fun to watch her blossom into the dog she became.

When we would go for walks, Karmen would take off after a squirrel or a lizard, Ruthanna just sat and watched her. The look on Ruthanna's face said, "Karmen you are never going to catch that squirrel, why do you expend so much energy trying?"

I went home for lunch every day and the three of us would go for a walk. About half way to the corner, Ruthanna would sit down and wait for Karmen and I to walk to the corner and back. Then she would re-join us and we would head home. Later when Rick moved into the neighborhood, she would stop at his house when we walked. After a walk, the girls each got a carrot. Ruthanna would stand with her bottom in the air and munch on her carrot.

Thanks to Dr. Krug at Campbell Village Vet, Ruthanna had her knee surgery. Her health problems persisted through the years but Dr. Krug found a way to overcome them.

Ruthanna found a special place in my Dad's heart. She would get up in the chair with him and sit for hours. She could look so pitiful at times. When I was a little girl I had a doll named Pitiful Pearl, that soon became Ruthanna's nickname.

Ruthanna brought so much love into our house. Both of our world's changed the day she came to live with us. I'm not sure who was rescued, Ruthanna or me. She was so full of unconditional love. Every day when I came home, she was at the door to greet me. When I worked at home she was at my feet under my desk. I love all three of the dogs, each has a different personality and brings so much to our lives. Ruthanna will always have a special place in my heart, she was so gentle and sweet.