BRILLIANT ARTIST

A fantastic and talented local artist, Rita E. Schneider, donated one of her outstanding paintings recently. I have been a big fan of hers for over one year, since I saw her art work for the first time. When invited to her home, I always needed to have the guts to ask if I could go in to her studio --- it was thrilling.

So when she sent me an email that she had a painting ready for the hospice, I was at her door in a minute. I was touched by her muse, her subject Julian, one of our wonderful rescue dogs that Rita also had fostered.

You can read about Julian on an earlier blog, the blind young dog who got to run with the other dogs through an apple plantation, and know love for a little time. Now he is running in the Garden of Eden, across the Rainbow Bridge.

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GOODBYE & FAREWELL, BRAVE AND GENTLE JULIAN

Our beloved Julian, also known as Benji, is now free to run with the wind across the rainbow bridge.

Julian is one of those heartbreaking cases we come across too often here in Campania. He was found beside a road, seeming to have been hit or suffering from disease. After much testing, we found he had a rare virus affecting his brain. Once we identified it, we found we couldn't cure it, but could likely treat it.

He was in a great foster home, with some other dogs, but kept having seizures that would have us running with him to the vet clinic, where they stabilized him. This happened pehaps a half dozen times.

He was blind in one eye, and sometimes had trouble getting around, but after a seizure and treatment, he was a happy and fairly normal little guy.

What struck all of us about him, was how he seemed to come alive when someone petted him, or showed him any affection at all. He had a true, big, and pure heart. Life dealt him a awful hand, but he enjoyed each day he had to the maximum of his ability.

Yesterday, he had another seizure, and again we took him to the clinic. Both myself, and the veterinarian (Dr. Loungo) agreed that all that could be done, had been done, and it was time for Julian to cross over the Rainbow Bridge. With tears in our eyes, we helped him out of his pain, and on his way.

You will remember that I recently also said goodbye to my dear Tjojs, the dog whom I adopted in Sweden, and was with me for 14+ years. While I mourn her deeply, in many ways I mourn Julian even more. Tjojs had a full, wonderful and varied life. She got to do and see so much, and together with me we grew, loved and learned from each other. Julian had such a short life, yet such a big heart. He deserved so much more and better than what he got. Any soul who could thrill to just a little affection from a stranger like he could... deserved so much more.

Farewell, Julian. We will miss you deeply, and will try to embrace what you taught us in your gentle, simple love-of-life. Perhaps you will wait for me across the Rainbow Bridge?

UPDATE ON JULIAN

Remember Julian found not able to walk, blind and confused? We got him to Dr Damiani's clinic and after that our wonderful Rita and Jake became his foster parents. One night he had a scary seizure and had to go to the emergency clinic for observation.

Later, a couple of days later, we had an appointment at Dr Damiani's clinic to take out fluid from brain area, done by neurologist Dr Longo. The fluid could not be older than one hour so a person from a laboratory was standing next to Dr Longo and could right away drive the test to their lab.

One of the tests came out that he is having an infection/inflammation in his brain. The other result is pending. We have to wait for more puzzle-pieces to come together, but there are 4 possible causes. On the picture above, a "healthy" brain would nearly not have any purple dots.

Keep your Amore paws crossed for Julian.