Sometimes you never see it coming. Sometimes you do. Life throws these curve balls that come in the form of loss. Yesterday we felt this loss hit us very hard. We lost two very good friends, George the emu and Manettethe cat.
George was found wandering loose in Sharon Township a few years ago. No one ever stepped forward to claim him so he got to keep his new home at SASHA Farm. Awhile later we got another call to rescue an emu on the loose. We named him Dundee. Although George and Dundee had a few tense moments that quickly gave way to a friendship that lasted for a few years. George and Dundee became brothers. The emu brothers were two of the most popular animals at SASHA Farm. Now that George is gone Dundee is very lost. He misses his brother and friend. Although he is surrounded by other animals at the farm we sense he feels very alone right now. George had been sick over the winter and after vet visits, medication and a lot of consultations on his condition no one could diagnose his illness. However, when the snow melted and he got back outside he improved and we were hopeful. His recovery was short lived and he started to decline again. Now we have lost him and his absence does not go unnoticed. Having to break the news to our volunteers was the hardest. He was loved by so many and now when they arrive to say good morning to him George will not be there. It’s heartbreaking but George leaves behind a legacy and that is: Emus like hugs and if you ever hugged one you know that you’ve made a friend.
Dear, sweet Manette. He came to us a few years ago as a stray cat and quickly worked his way into our hearts. He suffered from kidney issues as well as other feline respiratory symptoms on a consistent basis. His health issues required many vet visits and a long list of medications. When a cat requires medication and a lot of extra care you get to know their personality pretty quickly. Despite whatever he was being treated for he was happy as ever and purring away. Manette was very close to a few of the other black cats we have and it was cute to see them all lay together in one cat bed when there were ten other empty ones. He touched our hearts and we know our volunteers feel the emptiness in our cat barn. They worked very hard to care for him and we are sure he appreciated it. If those purrs didn’t say it then I don’t know what did. Goodbye dear friends.
