Stroodle the St. Bernard might be a giant at 140 pounds, but she’s as sweet and as gentle as any dog could ever be. She’s like a giant teddy bear! And sadly, she’s recently suffered some sadness in her life which should remind us all to never take what we have for granted.
Stroodle lived with her owner, an older gentleman, for her entire life. As neighbors report, the man was quiet and kept to himself, but it was well-known throughout the neighborhood that he had a big dog that he loved very, very much. When he passed away, they assumed that someone would be coming to get Stroodle and take care of her – they were mistaken.
As the days went by, nobody came for Stroodle. The neighbors started coming over to take care of her by feeding her, letting her outside, and making sure she had plenty of fresh water. When someone eventually did show up, they were not there for Stroodle.
It was a moving van that came to pack up the entire house. They filled up the truck and left the house empty, with a confused Stroodle still inside. After the movers left, it was clear to the neighborhood that the poor dog had been abandoned. So one of the neighbors brought her to the safety of the Placer SPCA.
While Stroodle was living at the SPCA, a large lump was discovered on her. And sadly, it turned out to be cancerous. While Stroodle showed no signs of discomfort, the tumor was malignant. Stroodle had gone from being a beloved companion to a homeless and terminally ill stray in such a quick turn around. It was heartbreaking to everyone at the shelter.
The Placer SPCA immediately got the media to cover Stroodle’s story. The SPCA director talked about Stroodle and how sweet she was, and how everyone at the shelter had already fallen in love with her. They recognized that it was a huge ask, but they were hoping someone would take this big girl for the few months that she had left.
Then one family, the Cotton family, saw her story and they could not stop thinking about her. After the family had a very honest and open discussion with their kids about Stroodle’s health and life expectancy, the family went to meet her.
It was Thanksgiving Day when the Cotton family and Stroodle met – and by the end of the visit, they couldn’t say no. They knew that they had to give her a home for however little time she had left. The next day, the family took Stroodle home.
With the holiday season in full swing, it is so wonderful to see that the Cotton family opened up their hearts and their home to Stroodle. There is no doubt that she’ll bring lots of love and joy in her final days, as well as receive it back.
