As I sit here writing my story, I can’t help but to get emotional. Although it has been over three years since Fiona Frances went to Heaven, it feels like just yesterday.
My story begins here – we were on an easy hike through the Cleveland National Forest when my dogs started acting strange. Through the trees I could see a gray animal moving, almost as if it was stalking us. Before I could become too nervous, out popped Fiona! Of course, she wasn’t Fiona at this time. She was a severely underweight, neglected, and sad looking dog. It was no secret that she had endured a lifetime of hardship. It was love at first sight! I couldn’t believe how goofy she looked. Fiona was so skinny and small. Her and I both knew that we needed each other, and the rest was history. She moved in that day and my heart was never the same!
I can’t lie, once I got her home the thought did cross my mind – what am I going to do with this dog? I had other animals and wasn’t sure how they would all get along. Thankfully, it was summer time so I set up beds, food and water in the garage and spent my one-on-one time with her. Once it dawned on me that she was a Mastiff, I was shocked that anyone would let this beautiful girl out of their site. Then it hit me, she was dumped. On the mountain, it appeared she was sleeping under a tree and a large bag of dog food had been torn open and thrown everywhere. She didn’t run away or get lost; someone drove her up the mountain and kicked her out of their life. The only reason, I can guess, is because she could no longer have puppies. It was obvious that she had been overbred. However, it only took us a couple days to realize that Fiona was going to fit in perfectly with our pack.
We slowly introduced Fiona to our big girl, Dixie Belle. Dixie is a Ridge-less Rhodesian Ridgeback who gets along with everyone. They became best friends right away. She adapted perfectly to the routine and loved getting to know her siblings. A few days after moving in, it became clear that she was going to be Momma Fiona. She was in charge of the other animals, and stuffed animals, and made sure everyone knew she loved them.
On our first visit to the vet it was confirmed that Fiona was indeed a Neapolitan Mastiff with health problems. First, our vet found numerous mammary tumors that were visible from looking at her belly and confirmed with an ultra-sound. Second, she was diagnosed with spondylosis, a degenerative condition of the spine in which bone spurs develop along the vertebrae. It wasn’t hard to tell that she was in pain as her back legs seemed to twist when she got tired and she had a tendency to drag them as she walked. No matter the diagnosis from the vet, I knew I would fight everyday for Fiona and never give up!
Fast forward to the following summer. Fiona often ventured to Dog Beach, in Huntington Beach, CA. She often looked like the scariest pup out there, but was in fact terrified of every dog, especially Corgis. She did not enjoy playing in the ocean but would attempt to go in and do some swimming. She preferred to go on walks at the local park and role in the dirt. When the doorbell would ring or she would get scared, she cried and howled. When it was her birthday, she wanted to party. New stuffed animal babies were her favorite. She would keep them all in a pile and not allow anyone to touch them. She enjoyed sitting on my lap while being told how pretty she was. Eventually, she realized that if she bumped into me hard enough that I would give her treats.
Life with Fiona was perfect, and then the worst happened. We had stairs built so the dogs could go up and down on the furniture easier. One day, Fiona must have come down the wrong way because she started limping. We took her to the doctor only to find out that she had a slipped disc. Surgery was our only option to help her and I was terrified. We knew this was would be a massive procedure because of her size, age, health and procedure itself. She made it through, and everything appeared to be fine. She had to be hospitalized for a few days to recover, but I went to the hospital every single day to spend time with her. The veterinary technicians loved her. They would send us pictures and videos of her throughout the day and we all thought that she would be ok. The day before she came home, we purchased a brand new crate (doctors said she had to be confined for a few weeks to continue healing), tied a yellow bow on it, bought her a comfortable, beautiful purple rug (purple was her favorite color), and a lot of new blankets to snuggle with. Finally, Fiona was home!
The next few days went by with a blur. One day I was walking my dogs and got a call saying that I needed to come home because something was wrong with Fiona. I ran home to find my girl in so much pain and that golden sparkle in her eye was quickly fading. Before we could make it to the hospital, she passed away. My world crashed.
Fiona Frances passed away in March of 2016 – years later I still cannot believe it. I know she was older and had health issues, but she was so happy and so strong! Not a day goes by that I don’t think about her. I miss her more than words can describe. Fiona’s impact on my life was the driving force I needed to create this animal rescue.
My mission at Fiona’s Family is to provide a happy, safe and nurturing life to those fur babies who need extra love and extra help. I am committed to carrying on with this work in Fiona’s honor.
