Little dog in hospice dies in arms of local foster care volunteer

The dedication some people feel toward animals is remarkable, but Wednesday’s act of unconditional love at Waco’s animal shelter goes unmatched.

A woman who has dedicated much of her life to caring for neglected animals agreed to foster a dog this week that was in hospice but the dog, named Granny, actually died in her arms while she was picking her up at the local humane society.

The woman, who works at KWTX, was contacted Wednesday by the Humane Society of Central Texas about caring for a 15-year-old female Chihuahua that was in hospice and not expected to live much longer.

The woman took off work early Wednesday and went to the shelter on Circle Road to pick the dog up.

“We went to her cage and got her and then went to the office to do some paperwork,” the woman said.

As she was sitting in the office holding the little dog, she felt the dog’s labored breathing and then felt the breathing stop, she said.

“I said “I don’t think she’s with us anymore,’” the woman said.

And sure enough, the little animal sensed the love and security the woman provided, even for that short period of time, and slipped away quietly.

The woman said she took another elderly dog, a 13-year-old, and would foster that animal for as long as it lives.

The Humane Society of Central Texas relies on foster care volunteers to care for sick or injured animals that require special care.

Those who want to volunteer must first attend an orientation session.