# In Loving Memory: Orion



## RebelGSD (Mar 20, 2008)

Another wonderful boy, one of my favorite fosters, crossed the Bridge on Dec. 21. 

Orion owes his life to this Board. He was posted August 1, 2008, he was out of time at the overcrowded Trenton, NJ shelter. This is his original thread 

http://www.germanshepherds.com/forum/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=757254&page=6#Post757254

and his shelter photo










Orion (named after the contellation "The Hunter" by the son of the volunteer who picked him up at the shelter) had the most wonderful temperament. He was also the most neglected and dirty dog we have ever seen. From waist down he was covered with feces caked in into his matted coat (including the tail) and his rear end was soaked with urine that was dripping as he walked. While his foster mom soaked his rear end with warm water to dissolve the feces (mixed with urin), hundreds and hundreds of maggots started crawling out of the coat as they were drowning in the water as they were washed away in the sink. His foster mom cleaned him up and cut most of the mats. Even after a two hour soaking and bath, which he thoroughly enjoyed, he smelled so badly that he needed another bath at the vet.

He was taken to the vet to be neutered and it was discovered that he had one retained testicle which required major surgery. However, during the surgery they discovered a mass in his abdomen. They removed a 2 lbs tumor that was of the size of a large coke bottle. The mass that was removed from his abdomen turned out to be a fatty tumor surrounded by some tissue that tried to enclose it. The great news was that the tumor was benign and Orion made a full recovery. 

Initially, it was touch-and-go after he returned home from the hospital. He had a footlong incision on his abdomen and he lost a lot of blood. his gums were pale and he was very weak and wobbly first. He quickly discovered toys and the donut and the cuz were his favorites. He wanted to chase the cuz even when he was very weak after the surgery. This is one of the happy photos with the cuz - his entire tummy was shaved naked during the surgery.










He regained his strength within a few weeks and his cheerful, happy personality soon showed. His favorite activity was to try to steal the cuz ball from the other dog's mouth (as opposed to playing with his own cuz ball), which the other dogs did not appreciate.

He was a gorgeous boy



















...and he never got tired of playing



















Orion went into a wonderful home and was adored by his mom and his GSD sister Annie. This is from the e-mail we got from his mom.

"It is with a heavy heart that I tell you, I had to have Orion euthanized on Monday 12/21/09. I drove him to his doctor during the blizzard on Saturday because he had been throwing up all night and was having great difficulty walking Saturday morning due to what appeared to be pain. He had been having trouble passing his stools for approx. two days (despite giving him apples and pumpkin) and I thought he was in pain from constipation. When I got him to my doctor he had a fever of 105. My doctor sent me to the emergency hospital, as they were closing early due to the snow, and he didn't know what doctors would be able to get in that day. The hospital initially thought he had pancreatitis and were treating him with IV fluids and plasma. After two days of showing no improvement (other than the temperature had gone back to normal), and enduring many test, they said the only way they could know for certain what was going on was to do exploratory surgery. An ultrasound had shown an enlarged pancreas but they didn't know for sure if it was inflamation from infection or if it was a mass. I couldn't let him go on the way he was, so agreed to the surgery. The surgeon called me from the the OR to tell me that he had a huge mass on his pancreas and they were 99% sure it was cancer, there was an oncologist on site as well. I decided to let him go at that time to take him out of his pain. Annie and I had a very difficult Christmas, as he already had gifts under the tree. He was such a joy, and I consider myself so blessed to have been a part of that wonderful creatures life even though for only a very short time. He brought SO MUCH HAPPINESS to us and made me laugh like no other dog has. I want you to know that no dog could have been more loved, and thank God every day that he chose us for his forever home. He had a wonderful Christmas last year with us and got to go on what I'm guessing was his first vacation. He had a great time at the cabin we rented in the Shenandoah Mountains in VA and got to swim in the Shenandoah River with his best pal Annie for a whole week !
He will be truly missed !
Thank you for bringing such joy to our lives with what you do every day."


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## FuryanGoddess (Dec 26, 2009)

*hugs*

We too, lost a dog the 19th. It was very hard, exp on my children. My daughter still cries for him almost ever day. 

RIP, Orion. Be at peace!


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## LHunter82FXRS (Oct 20, 2008)

RIP Orion









What a lovely story and I am glad he had such a loving home.


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## VALIUM (Nov 15, 2007)

I'm deeply sorry. Run free in Heaven Orion, no more pain anymore sweet baby.


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## JenM66 (Jul 28, 2005)

Handsome man.

I have to say I am glad I don't go to the rescue threads. If I had seen him....being 10 minutes from Trenton.....they'd all be living with us!

THANK YOU for saving him and for giving him a good life!!


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## elisabeth_00117 (May 17, 2009)

What a wonderful story and how lucky for all involved in this wonderful boy's life.. 

RIP.


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## RebelGSD (Mar 20, 2008)

Thank you, I am going to copy this page and send it to his mom. We are all devastated, it was so sudden and his good life was way too short. He was very much spoiled in the past year and he deserved it after the hard beginnings. I am pretty sure that he lived out most of his life in a small kennel run that was never cleaned.


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## Remo (Sep 8, 2004)

What a gorgeous boy. It is a shame that he did not get to enjoy the best years of his life much longer.

Please pass my heartfelt condolences along to the kind folks that adopted him.


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## Sue F (Oct 3, 2007)

I understand her pain at losing a beloved dog too early...my thoughts and prayers are with Orion's family. I am so glad he was able to enjoy life with a family.


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## lucymom (Jan 2, 2009)

What a stunning boy who has hope and trust and character in his eyes even before he was rescued by you. He really blossomed, and perhaps had his first real experience with being loved in the very last part of his life. He is handsome, inside and out and I am in awe
of you and his wonderful mom for saving him and giving him that love, and giving him a place to put all that love he'd been saving up.

My heart goes out to you and his mom. I wish her courage and peace.


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## shilohsmom (Jul 14, 2003)

I am so very sorry for everyone who was touched by this special dog and his loss. Thank you for sharing his amazing story. RIP Orion


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## caview (Jun 30, 2008)

What a great dog and a great soul!!

My deepest condolenses on this loss!

God bless you and his wonderful family!

Tanya


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## wolfstraum (May 2, 2003)

Orion was tremendously loved by his family...he was a very lucky and obviously special boy.....he looks so happy in teh photos...

we lost too many the last few weeks - Orion has great company in my Kyra, her brother and the others lost recently....

My condolences to his family - and gratitude to them for making him a happy boy even for a very too short time...

Lee


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## AnnaRiley (Feb 14, 2008)

This is so sad. Thinking of his family tonight.


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## LisaT (Feb 7, 2005)

Orion


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## Qyn (Jan 28, 2005)

So very sad that his battle is over but also very glad he spent the part of his life that really mattered with people who put his welfare first. 
Thanks to them on his behalf.








Orion. Beautiful boy at rest.


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## JeanKBBMMMAAN (May 11, 2005)

What a beautiful boy. To go from having maggots...to wearing a Halloween cape...I am sure his last days were filled with love and gratitude. I hope that his mom gets to read this thread. Thanks to you, Rebel, and to her for giving Orion with the soulful eyes the love of a lifetime.


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## jesmagmisty (Jul 13, 2001)

I'm so sorry. Brings back many sad memories of Maggie's pancreatic cancer. I'm glad he had some time in a wonderful loving home.


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## Kayos and Havoc (Oct 17, 2002)

I remember his story on the board. 

What a wonderful family to give him so much love.


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## steve350 (Apr 4, 2004)

Sweet Orion will only remember the love he had with his new home. He was destined for this greatness, of living as part of a family. His heart will stay with them and watch over them. He will never forget who loved him and how important he was and still is. This seperation is only temporary. It is us who now suffer this seperation, those who pass on know that we will come to them this time. (tick-tock...)


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