If there’s one thing that always leaves me heartbroken, it’s seeing a stray dog who is already suffering from some sort of medical condition.
The knowledge that they are struggling with survival and some other problem is really just sad and I wish I could reach out and help all of them.
While that is unrealistic, there are a lot of wonderful people in this world who rescue and adopt mostly dogs with some sort of medical condition.
In Winslow’s case, his mom, Gabby, had saved him from a horrible fate when she arrived just in time for his rescue.
Winslow’s Struggle In Life
When a group of rescuers from California first found Winslow, they noted that he was a stray and didn’t have anyone else.
While it was unclear if that was the case, they knew they had to help him, so they took him back to the shelter.
They found out that he had breathing issues, and they weren’t intending to keep him around for long.
The most likely assumption is that they thought he wouldn’t get adopted because of this, so they were going to euthanize him.
Poor Winslow had suffered so much and he didn’t deserve this. However, things would soon change for him when he met his new mom, Gabby.
On the day of his euthanization, one of the volunteers took him home. Gabby had heard of his story and rushed to his aid.
Gabby told GeoBeats Animals: “What drew me really to Winslow was that I saw this tiny little dog that needed my help, but not just that, he looked like he had this terminal genetic disorder called Mucopolysaccharidosis type VI. And something about him, it just pulled at me.”
Their First Meeting
When she first saw him in person, he was really small and weighed barely over two pounds.
This can be attributed partially to his condition, which also meant that he had a swollen nose, an underbite, and leg deformities.
This meant that he had a lot of internal problems with organs like his heart, lungs, and so on. It was causing a lot of issues for him.
Gabby continues by saying: “Upon first meeting Winslow, he was enjoying a meal of a pollo loco chicken. And here I am taking him in a car somewhere else. He was upset, when I took him away, you know, taking him home.”
When he first entered his new home in California, he immediately got comfortable and took charge. His new mom noticed that he acted so viciously, almost like he owned the house.
However, despite his adorable ferocity, he loved playing with other dogs and the cat in the house and they were always incredibly patient with him.
He also loved to cuddle with his mom, and she would often have to place him on the bed because he was too small.
His mom also loved buying him small clothes so he could wear them during the day and stay warm and comfortable.
Winslow’s Amazing Life
Gabby noted that it wasn’t easy taking care of Winslow because she knew there was nothing she could do to cure his illness. Despite this, she wanted to give him the best life he could have.
She said: “But with my previous experience, with my previous dog that had the same genetic disorder, I was able to push through and just enjoy every day that I had Winslow, every adventure that we had, every trip that we took together.“
He was with her through some of the toughest times and she was there for him. It was just amazing seeing them together.
However, despite her best efforts, Winslow would cross the rainbow bridge shortly after turning three years old.
Gabby misses him dearly, but she will always cherish the amazing memories they created. He was a very special dog, and I am glad to see he enjoyed his life to the fullest in his last days.