Hello HART Friends,
It is with a heavy heart that I share this sad news. I said goodbye to my dear friend, Rudy, on October 23, 2012. Rudy was my beloved companion since I adopted him as a three-year-old rescue pup from HART in August 2003. He had been a stud dog at a Chihuahua puppy mill in West Virginia, and I didn't change his name because it was all he came with. He was my sidekick throughout my 20s, and the most loyal friend a girl could have. Rudy was four pounds of feisty who lived more during his lifetime than a lot of humans.
In the end, I always understood that I had an obligation to repay Rudy's years of love and affection by making a difficult decision based on what was best for him. He was suffering from both kidney failure and congestive heart disease - the treatment for one undermines the treatment for the other, and neither is curable. Fortunately, he was in good health until the end, and I loved him too much to ever prolong his suffering.
Rudy was a memorable soul with a heart of gold. You can see him showing off his personality on camera in this video I took of him at the end of September. And of course, I had to include a photo of him in one of his signature purses. Rudy's in peace now, and I was blessed to have him in my life for so many wonderful years. He was a special little guy who will be greatly missed by his friends and family always.