09/02/2022
Ode to Suzy, aka Suze, Caminata Suze, Uze, Uzey
RIP. Age Unknown.
Suzy, sweet sweet Suzy. You came to us by chance back in March of 2011. Your entrance into our lives was a surprise. Who would have thought a quick trip to San Jose would bring us such joy. You spoke to Henner from a broken-down truck on a late-night ferry ride from Puntarenas…and he heard you. Oh, the lengths he went to bring you home to us once he saw your dire situation and broken spirit, he called me and said…” what do I do”. My response, “you know what to do”. That is another story how we paid to steal you, literally and figuratively, but we have always known that if he did not take you at that moment, you would have not lived to the end of that day. It is so true; another’s trash is another treasure, and you were ours. And we became yours.
That first night was scary, I was shocked when you first arrived close to midnight in a cardboard box. I assumed, we assumed, you had to have been over ten years of age. So battered, so small…so weak. terror; it was in your eyes. I was afraid. Henner said have faith.
The next day at the vets was not a great day. He said, after several exams, that you were to date, the worst case of neglect and abuse he had seen in his office. Almost every bone in your body had been broken at one point in your life and your head had almost been decapitated, your skin was covered with fungus and infection from exposure to unsanitary settings, you had almost no teeth and what teeth you had stank. Malnutrition had rotted you from inside out. He also noted that due to your teeth, he could tell you were not as old as we thought which broke our hearts. To know that a young, beautiful young dog had endured and suffered so much due to abuse at the hands of a human, the horror. You were aged beyond your years, unfairly. On his table, we all watched in agony as you tried to walk, having to dislocate each shoulder to navigate your six-inch nails. It was tragic. He said it was best to let you go.
But your eyes, my god Suzy your eyes screamed “I am alive inside, just love me”.
And so, we left that office knowing we were on a journey. We knew, you were ours. We bathed you, trimmed you, fed you, loved you and you were home. Six months later and after tons of incredible love, attention, nutritional supplements, antibiotics, and good home cooked food you were running across the beach like a puppy again. Remember your daily walks to La Javilla to visit people, at a surprise to us given the miles it took to get there and back? Oh Suzy, you always surprised us with your strength and love of life.
It was such a wonderful journey to take with you. You were a survivor from the beginning. Gifted with many lives.
It took us forever, almost until your last day, to be able to touch you without you panicking in fear. But somehow, you knew within a short time that we were a safe haven for you and that no harm would ever come to you in our presence.
We will never forget the day, after many months of being with us, when you came up to the sofa and peered up to Henner and I with your tail wagging….a new spirit in your eyes. “I’m going to jump up on the sofa” was what I could hear from the rapid tail movements. Mind you, there was a rule back then…”no dogs on any furniture”.
I looked at you with trepidation…the thought of you making the jump made me think instantly of vet bills and the harm that could come to you. Henner cautiously stated, “So help me god if she jumps up on the sofa and makes it don’t you DARE kick her off.” Houston, the puppy landed.
Hence. Suzy is the beautiful reason our furniture is covered in dog hair.
She is also the reason for so many beautiful things in our lives. She was, and always will be, a part of a fabulous family, two humans and five furry ones. Suzy, Lola, Chori, Tugo and Pelu. Generacion Dos….we are a family. There are no words to express how much we will miss you Suzy, but there are a million to describe the joy we all experienced together over the past 11 years.
Thank you, Suze. Woof Woof. Wau Wau. We will never forget you.
There is nothing that can compare to the relationship between a dog and human, especially when you rescue each other. Suzy…Uze…Caminate Suzy…rest your soul on the hillside with the past paws of Cristal Azul. We are all a family and I know…. we will all be running in the waves above together some day. And we will walk together again.
