Soo-Ling was picked up as a stray in Florida in August of 2013, and was rescued by an organization named Bald is Beautiful which is headquartered in South Carolina. Her breed, Chinese Crested Powder Puff, should have lots of flowing hair, but she did not, because she was infested with demodex (a type of mange). She was emaciated, nearly bald, also infested with fleas, both ears were infected, and her teeth were in terrible condition. She was estimated to be about thirteen years old at the time that she was found.
A foster mother volunteer who works with Bald is Beautiful nursed her back to health, and we were allowed to adopt her in March of 2014. She was blind in one eye due to a cataract, but she didn't let that slow her down. She was sweet, spunky, and playful, and she brought joy to our household every single day of her short time with us.
Our little old lady gradually began to fade with age, eventually becoming totally blind when her other eye developed a cataract as well, but she was very intelligent, knew her surroundings well, and never let her blindness slow her down. Also, regardless of joint supplements given, her mobility became somewhat compromised, but she never complained or showed any signs of discomfort. We kept her coat short the last year of her life to minimize the daily maintenance that it required.
By the time of her passing, she was undergoing successful treatment for other health conditions including inflammatory bowel disease as well as kidney disease, tolerating the medications well and seemingly happy and content. The final blow came when she seemed to suffer a spinal injury, and it was time to stop. I stroked and kissed her and told her how much she was loved as she closed her little eyes and took her final breaths. She went peacefully to the other side of The Bridge, where she waits for us to join her and her fur-siblings who have gone before her.
We will never forget our sweet little princess. We were only privileged to have her with us for only three short years, but she brightened our lives every day that she spent with us.