Candy

You probably don't notice anything odd about Candy from this photo. Instead, you see her sweet, happy face, her pretty coloring and her pink collar-- meaning at one time, she was somebody's baby. I was surprised to see such a lovely spaniel at the shelter and figured she would be adopted right away. But Candy has a little problem. Maybe a big one:

See that strange pink thing? It's a tumor that practially drags the ground. It's got to be uncomfortable and needs to be removed. Sadly, the sort of labwork that needs to be done for her might not be available in the shelter setting. It could be a matter of taking it off so she can live a long happy life, or it might indicate cancer that's already spread throughout her body and removing it would only make her more comfortable, not save her life. But frankly, I don't think it matters which. Even a week or a month of freedom from it would mean so much to her. Quality, not quantity of days is what matters.

Candy loves to be outside, even on the hottest days, and cries when you put her back in her kennel. I had to pick her up and carry her into the shelter yesterday and at first I thought touching the tumor would be sort of gross but really, it's just part of her body, and the relief of me carrying her made her relax a bit. I feel so sad for her. I wonder if she was abandoned because of her condition. It's hard enough to face an undiagnosed illness. Harder still to do it alone in the world.

Candy hasn't given up yet.

UPDATE 9/3: Candy's growth began bleeding internally and she was euthanized this morning. She's free of it at last.