Frito

~12 years old ~ corgi mix ~ Rainbow Bridge

February 11, 2023: Rest in Peace, Frito

It breaks our hearts to share the news that earlier this week SECR said goodbye to our beloved forever foster Frito. Below is a tribute to this sweet boy from the people who knew and loved him best: his foster parents.

The longer you spend working in rescue, the greater the chance that you’ll cross paths with one of “those dogs.” One of those dogs that you didn’t expect to meet. One of those dogs you didn’t expect to save. One of those dogs you didn’t think would make such a profound impact on your life. One of those dogs you never thought you’d come to love so much so quickly. For us, Frito is one of those dogs.

Frito joined our family as a forever foster through the Southeast Corgi Rescue in August 2021. Rescue pulled him from the shelter where he wound up as a stray, and we all committed to giving him the best possible life we could for as long as we possibly could. And, admittedly, we didn’t think it would be very long. Frito was estimated to be about 11 when he came to us, and he was in rough shape to say the least. He had cherry eye in one eye, limited sight in the other, was likely deaf, and battling a bad skin infection and a UTI. A visit to the vet also confirmed that Frito had advanced cardiomyopathy, leg and flank growths that were a suspected sarcoma, and advanced dental disease. He was – in every possible way – a hot mess. But, he was our hot mess. And it was pretty amazing to see how much this sweet old man transformed as soon as he had a family to call his own.

Frito had surgery to take care of his cherry eye and remove his growths, and his health took positive, slow steps in the right direction. He was an old man who had already been through more than his share of strife, so no one expected a miraculous change. But, in his own way, that’s exactly what Frito made. Miraculous change. After much too long a wait, he felt better, found all the comfiest spots to lay his head for a nap, got some pep in his step for romps in the yard, learned what it was to love and be loved, and discovered he’d no longer have to go without one of his favorite things in the world – food. There wasn’t a meal Frito didn’t crave or a treat he’d turn down, and he’d always remind us how ready he was for breakfast and dinner by hovering under foot. He always made sure we knew, too, how thankful he was for his new lease on life and the people – and foster siblings – that made it happen for him.

Frito didn’t really have a reason to be kind or loving or have the profound trust in us that he did. While we didn’t know much about his background the condition he was in when he came to us told us people had probably only let him down in the past. But, despite that, Frito had a heart of gold and left the past in the past to focus on the present he had with us. And we’re so grateful he did, because his calming, soulful presence was one that helped us as much as we helped him for longer than we ever thought it would – nearly a year and a half.

Over the last few months Frito slowed down considerably, still happy and as food-motivated as ever, but spending more of his days napping and resting than he had before. His last day was much like the many that came before it, with Frito napping and lounging until it was time for dinner, and while he may have eaten a bit less than usual he still approached his favorite time of day with excitement for his meal and a snack. Not too long after Frito experienced a sudden and very unexpected complication with bloat, quickly going from calm to distressed and having difficulty catching his breath. We took him to emergency care quickly, and a thorough evaluation revealed that Frito’s only hope would be emergency surgery. It wasn’t guaranteed to help, though, and given Frito’s advanced heart condition it likely would have been too much for his little body to handle. We didn’t want him to suffer, so before he could we did the best thing we could for Frito. We held his paws, told him we loved him, and let him go peacefully over the Rainbow Bridge surrounded by all the love and light he brought to our lives for the last year and a half.

Frito’s last day with us was an unexpected one, and mealtimes will likely never be the same without that sweet old man hovering at our feet. But, we’re also thankful that Frito spent his last day doing all the things he loved the most – with the people he loved the most – and that when it was time to go he was able to do so quickly and pain-free. Dogs like Frito are ones we should always be thankful for, because as much as we think fostering changes them, it does more to change us – and remind us that it’s the little things in life that are the biggest. Thank you, Frito, for everything you’ve done for us, what you’ve taught us, and the lasting mark you’ve left on our hearts. We will love you forever and always.

September 1, 2021: Welcome Frito to SECR!

The SECR family is growing again! Please help us give a warm welcome to our newest distinguished gentleman, Frito.

We pulled Frito from a shelter where he wound up as a stray, and we’re glad to have him because this guy needs our help with a long list of medical issues. We took him for his first vet appointment as an SECR newbie yesterday, and in addition to battling Cherry Eye in one eye and infection and quite possibly limited site in the other. Frito also has dental disease, arthritis in his spine, a yeasty skin infection, and a UTI. Frito also has a significant level three heart murmur and we suspect that he is deaf. We’ll be treating his eyes with eye wash and drops, his skin with medicated baths, and his UTI with antibiotics. Frito’s eyes and teeth will need surgical attention and he’ll need more advanced care for his cardiomyopathy, but we are waiting on his labs to come back to confirm his fitness for anesthesia. We’re also getting a radiology consult for what we hope is just a gas build up in his abdomen to rule out any more serious masses.

Frito has a long road ahead of him but despite all his issues he has a warm, loving demeanor and shows a little pep in his step. We’re happy we’re going to give him the chance he deserves. He’ll be placed with one of our special needs fosters that will see him through all his critical medical care and give him the constant reminder that he’s loved.