Rajah was a beautiful, healthy, happy-go-lucky Australian shepherd dog and, for his action-packed, five-year life, he was nothing less than woman's best friend to the lovely Laura and her teenage kids.
There is simply nothing to compare with the unconditional canine adoration of a family pooch propelling through the doorway to welcome one's daily return to the home. And after a long day's work in Southern Marin County, Laura looked forward to her regular evening reunions with the trusty Rajah.
Until this weekend, when Rajah was uncontrollably sick and a deeply troubled Laura looked to her local vet to find a swift and effective remedy for what had been the most stoic and steadfast of family dogs.
Sadly, though, there was no rapid turnaround for Rajah. He passed away after an educated diagnosis of severe liver dysfunction, most likely due to the ingestion of a fatally poisonous mushroom commonly found at this time of the year in the backyards of Marin and Sonoma County homes.
Laura was devastated to learn of Rajah's accidental ingestion. How many times have we kicked off the heads of noxious looking fungii and forgotten to remind the littler kids to wash their hands following any element of outdoor play? It's a perilous world out there, though we can't protect our pets quite as easily as we try to keep our kids from harm.
Let Rajah's tragic, fateful departure be a lesson for us to take a closer look at the dangers close to home and always be on alert for deadly mushrooms.
There is simply nothing to compare with the unconditional canine adoration of a family pooch propelling through the doorway to welcome one's daily return to the home. And after a long day's work in Southern Marin County, Laura looked forward to her regular evening reunions with the trusty Rajah.
Until this weekend, when Rajah was uncontrollably sick and a deeply troubled Laura looked to her local vet to find a swift and effective remedy for what had been the most stoic and steadfast of family dogs.
Sadly, though, there was no rapid turnaround for Rajah. He passed away after an educated diagnosis of severe liver dysfunction, most likely due to the ingestion of a fatally poisonous mushroom commonly found at this time of the year in the backyards of Marin and Sonoma County homes.
Laura was devastated to learn of Rajah's accidental ingestion. How many times have we kicked off the heads of noxious looking fungii and forgotten to remind the littler kids to wash their hands following any element of outdoor play? It's a perilous world out there, though we can't protect our pets quite as easily as we try to keep our kids from harm.
Let Rajah's tragic, fateful departure be a lesson for us to take a closer look at the dangers close to home and always be on alert for deadly mushrooms.
Comments