Fospice on the farm
One of the main branches of Filomena Farms’s focus - and possibly the effort held closest to heart - is “fospice” care. Fospice is a coined term the animal rescue community uses to describe the special act of fostering an animal near the end of its life. Fospice is an emotional “step up” from fostering. It takes an extraordinary soul to devote oneself to loving a creature in the winter of life, allowing a strong bond to form all the while knowing the heartbreak that inevitably lies ahead. Helping an animal know love, comfort, and safety in their final days is a unique mercy only the strongest can afford. Saying goodbye to a foster is undeniably difficult, but the pain is eased by the joy of knowing they’re leaving you for their happily ever after, for a wonderful life ahead, for that true forever family they’ve always known would find them.
Fospice ends differently; the bittersweet goodbyes involved with fostering are replaced by the heartrending pangs of death’s permanent loss. Some are ill, some are simply old and frail. Some had wonderful lives before coming to this point in their journey, whereas others may be experiencing true restfulness for the very first time. Sometimes we know their background, but sometimes we don’t. All we can do is set our chins and provide as much tenderness, peace, and tranquility as we can bear while they fade away from this world. And when they’re gone, we break. But we piece ourselves back together each time knowing that we eased their spirits and that we are strong enough to do it again - for another in need. Fospice is a selfless sacrifice. We only survive it by celebrating life.
The following stories belong to Filomena Farms fospice animals, some whom are still with us and some whom have already passed. Please help us honor their journeys by reading their stories and donating - if you’re able - to help Filomena Farms provide peaceful endings for more fospice animals in need.
Fospice ends differently; the bittersweet goodbyes involved with fostering are replaced by the heartrending pangs of death’s permanent loss. Some are ill, some are simply old and frail. Some had wonderful lives before coming to this point in their journey, whereas others may be experiencing true restfulness for the very first time. Sometimes we know their background, but sometimes we don’t. All we can do is set our chins and provide as much tenderness, peace, and tranquility as we can bear while they fade away from this world. And when they’re gone, we break. But we piece ourselves back together each time knowing that we eased their spirits and that we are strong enough to do it again - for another in need. Fospice is a selfless sacrifice. We only survive it by celebrating life.
The following stories belong to Filomena Farms fospice animals, some whom are still with us and some whom have already passed. Please help us honor their journeys by reading their stories and donating - if you’re able - to help Filomena Farms provide peaceful endings for more fospice animals in need.
MOLLY
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Molly was brought to SAGE as an emergency and abandoned by her owner. She was used as a backyard breeding machine; by the time she arrived at SAGE, she'd been stuck in labor for 16 hours already. Dystocia is when babies get stuck in the birth canal - Molly needed emergency surgery to save her life. Although none of her puppies survived, Molly is now spayed and escaped the ugliness of backyard breeding with her life.
As if this wasn't bad enough, SAGE discovered that Molly has a condition called subaortic stenosis. This is a congenital heart defect that has no cure. It can be managed / mitigated with medications, but Molly is at high risk for sudden death. She will need to continue seeing a cardiologist every six months for the rest of her life. That is A LOT of tragic background for a 5 year old dog. We want to thank our friends at EBARR - East Bay Animal Rescue & Refuge (check out their page) and at SAGE for bringing Molly safely through her abandonment and medical crisis. We're working on restoring her emaciated frame to a healthy weight. It's a difficult thing to have in the back of your mind at all times, that this wonderfully loveable creature could simply leave this world without a moment's notice due to her heart condition, but it's not worth dwelling on. That's no way to live and it's not fair to Molly to let her grim prognosis hang over her like a raincloud. All we can do is give her the best life every single day, no matter how many days she has with us. That's our plan - follow us on Facebook for more adorable Molly pictures and updates! We are honored to host this girl on the Farm. If you'd like to make a donation to our fospice program in Molly's honor, please click here. |
XENA
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Xena's story turned out to be so much more than fospice...
Over 12 years ago, Gepda Rescue US took in a pregnant Rottweiler and adopted out her puppies - Xena was one of them. Mamma Rottweiler was also adopted out to a wonderful couple in Marin, Rita and Gordon, who have spent their lives volunteering in animal rescue. 12 years later, Xena's former owners chose to surrender her to the San Jose Animal Care Center and the folks at GEPDA stepped in to rescue her. While One Planet Rescue and Filomena Farms facilitated Xena's convalescence, GEPDA reached out to Mamma's adoptive owners and a fairy tale began to unfold...you see, Xena's Mamma is still enjoying her best life with her family in Marin all these years later. Once Rita and Gordon heard about Xena, they knew exactly what to do. Xena packed up her bags and moved to Marin! She and Mamma are reunited and now get to live out the rest of their years together with their wonderful family. We are so grateful for everyone who helped connect the dots for Xena and, of course, for Rita and Gordon who turned coincidental circumstances into a full circle story of compassionate purpose. It's been just over a month since Xena's adoption and she's fitting right in. Her mom reports that Xena loves car rides, relishes her 2 daily walks with Socks and Mamma, and is spryer than ever. She looks svelte in her pretty blue harness and loves watching the world go by. We just couldn't be more thrilled for Xena's new beginning! |
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rolando
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Rolando is possibly our most medically involved fospice resident yet. His story is somber, his journey is a long and winding road, but his soul is as sweet as they come. At roughly 5 years old, this handsome pittie boy found his way into the San Jose shelter with an enormous ruptured mass that landed him on the urgent rescue list. Enter our heroic friend Farah at One Planet Rescue! Thanks to Farah and also the networking assistance of Brave Dogs Advocacy, Rolando snagged a spot at Filomena Farms. His medical appointments began very quickly, as his wound needed immediate attention. Kirkwood Animal Hospital handled his supportive care beautifully and directed us to SAGE Oncology for next steps.
Unfortunately, we learned that Rolando’s mass was indeed a malignant squamous cell carcinoma (cancer) that required extensive surgery to remove completely. The details are pretty gruesome, but if you’re interested please check out the full story on One Planet Rescue’s Facebook page. |
The surgeons at SAGE removed Rolando’s penis (the mass location) and completely recreated his anatomy so that he still has healthy urinary function. Rolando’s recovery was difficult and we had no guarantee that his surgery would be able to fully eradicate the cancer. After a couple months convalescing on the Farm, Rolando initially improved and his energy picked up a bit, but it soon became obvious that Rolando is not in the clear. He has several new growths on his belly, which makes us wary that his cancer is still active. He’s having other difficulties, which may or may not be related to the cancer, such as facial paralysis and hind end weakening. We will keep him comfortable (no more surgeries or drastic measures to put him through) for as long as we can. As long as he is happy, eating, and comfortable, he can rest his head here on the Farm. Keep Farm Momma in your thoughts; Rolando is very dear to her and she so hoped to be able to give Rolando the chance to live the life he deserves. We’ve made a special video of Rolando’s journey so everyone can see how brave he’s been during such tremendous challenges.
If you’re inspired by Rolando and would like to make a donation in his honor, please click here. As always, the donations we receive are put into our grant fund and awarded to deserving small rescue groups who need help continuing their work. Thank you to everyone who roots for Rolando each day! We will continue to update this blog entry as his journey continues...
If you’re inspired by Rolando and would like to make a donation in his honor, please click here. As always, the donations we receive are put into our grant fund and awarded to deserving small rescue groups who need help continuing their work. Thank you to everyone who roots for Rolando each day! We will continue to update this blog entry as his journey continues...
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November 17, 2020 Update: We have tremendously difficult news to share: we said goodbye to our sweet Rolando this morning. He seemed uncomfortable all night, so Farm Momma took him to the ER in the wee hours. Our boy had a splenic mass rupture and was in a lot of pain. The kindest thing to do, albeit the hardest thing, was to let him go. We are grateful that he had enough time left to enjoy the sunshine, respite, solace, and freedom the Farm has to offer. Please watch his remembrance video...we hope it brings you joy to see Roli's journey from his first good meal and first safe night's sleep, to his time in the sun with his farm friends. Thank you to everyone for your thoughts. Fospice is so difficult, but so very much worthwhile.
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zadie
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Our special girl, Zadie, came to the Farm back in October 2019. Thanks to awareness raised by the tireless dedication of Brave Dogs Advocacy, our wonderful friends at One Planet Rescue caught sight of Zadie and knew she needed the Farm life. As if looking a whole matted mess and clocking in at 14 years old wasn’t enough of a setback, Zadie also had kidney failure, blindness, severe dental disease, emaciation, and a significant heart murmur stacked against her. The proverbial odds were *not* in her favor. That ticket to Filomena Farms could not be more of a Dogsend! Zadie got a haircut, a warm bed, a reliable meal ticket, and precious time in the sunshine all in her first day at the Farm. Can you imagine what that must have felt like for her? What a day, what a change! Farm Momma got Zadie one of those Halo things for blind dogs - it is like headgear with a thin plastic circle that sticks out so she doesn’t bump her head on everything - and it helps her explore the house without injury.
Zadie is able to live life to the fullest in her winter years thanks to Brave Dogs, One Planet, and Filomena Farms. Time will tell how many more seasons she gets to enjoy, but however many they are she will watch from the warm comfort of the Farm with a heart full of peace. August 20, 2021 Update: We made the difficult decision to let Zadie go. This little gal squeaked an extra 2+ years out of life once she arrived at the Farm! Over and over again, we're finding that our fospice friends catch a second (or third? fourth?) wind once they settle in with us and end up enjoying life for much longer than we initially anticipated. This was the case with sweet Zadie; she amazed us all with her tenacity and zest for life! But all of her maladies recently caught up to her; as her appetite dwindled and the light in her eyes dimmed, we knew it was her time. We're so grateful to One Planet Rescue and Brave Dogs Advocacy for championing her rescue and facilitating her happy retirement on the Farm. Rest easy, beautiful Zadie! We will miss you. |
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Edina
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Another non-fospice story for you: meet Edina! This creamy dreamy little girl (surprised? so were we!) climbed into the engine of the SAME CAR under which we found Bean just months earlier.
All Edina needed was a little TLC. We got her cleaned up, resolved her upper respiratory congestion, and loaded her belly up with good food. After just a couple weeks, Edina grew into a healthy kitten and moved on to an adoptive home. She even has a fun-loving kitty brother to play with, so she’ll never feel alone again! Thank you to The Dancing Cat for their selfless support. |
bean
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After learning from Possum that sometimes what appears to be a dire situation can actually be a happy tail in disguise, we decided to give little broken Bean a fighting chance. We found Bean hiding under a car just outside our fence at the Farm. His legs weren’t working properly and he had zero chance of survival in this condition. Lucky for Bean, Filomena Farms gave him shelter and The Dancing Cat funded his vet care. Turns out BOTH of Bean’s back legs were broken! This tough little cutie must have been in so much pain, yet he refused to give up.
He got his name because he’s a polydactyl: he’s got extra toes so he also has extra toe “beans”! Maybe that meant he was lucky from the start. In any case, Bean’s luck certainly came through - he is now adopted and enjoys hiking on leash with his family! Check him out on Instagram at @bean.frijolito. |
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hana
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It’s been a very busy summer on the farm! Not only are we up to all our fundraising shenanigans, but we are chock full of fospice critters one after the other. Hana arrived in May as a very special VIP delivery all the way from Iran via One Planet Rescue. What a journey! This pint-sized cutie immediately found solace in Farm Momma’s arms, no doubt exhausted from her travels and tribulations. What was originally presumed to be a life-threatening cancerous tumor turned out to be a mammary mass. One Planet Rescue funded Hana’s surgery and had the mass removed. Surprise: third non-fospice case in a row!
Hana is now living and loving life as a Coastal California farm girl where she can spend each day breathing in the scent of her wonderful new circumstances free of lumps and loneliness. |
rocco
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Meet Rocco! This handsome, block-headed lug of love isn’t a fospice story, but we figure you’ll want to hear about him anyway. Rocco spent who knows how long wandering the streets of LA all by his lonesome self, exposed to the many dangers a homeless dog faces in a big city. Sure enough, Rocco’s luck ran out and he was struck by a car. He landed in the shelter with a severely fractured leg and no one to help him. Enter One Planet Rescue: Rocco soon had surgery to repair his injury and found himself safely lodged at Filomena Farms.
While awaiting the perfect adopter, Rocco settled right into Farm life and enjoyed himself to the fullest. His favorite activities? Romping with the resident Rotties, cooling off in the dog pool, and sneaking snuggle time on Farm Momma’s fresh bed sheets. We’re sure he’s making new traditions like this in his new home with his forever family. Yay, Rocco! |
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Possum
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As a result of our frequent fospice efforts, we at Filomena Farms are accustomed to seeing the broken and aged left in dire need. Sometimes these desperate cases are hopelessly abandoned or surrendered by their previous owners, all because they’re “worn out” and have lost the shine of puppyhood. Giving up on an elderly friend is a crime of heartlessness and, unfortunately, one that we see all too often. Possum came to us as a victim of this exact set of circumstances: terrified, overweight, hypothyroid, and limping, her people gave up on her and left her to meet fate alone. It took time and patience, but Possum began to warm up on the Farm and learned to love life again. Possum showed us after two months, a dental and spay, medications to manage her thyroid condition, a TPLO surgery to repair her leg injury, twenty pounds of weight loss, and lots of socialization that she wasn’t done living life just yet.
Our girl found a forever home on July 10th. What we’d originally thought a fospice case turned into a Happy Possum Tail! Thank you to One Planet Rescue for believing in the seemingly hopeless... |
star
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On April 6th, we brought a rickety old gal named Star to the Farm courtesy of One Planet Rescue. She had pretty severe stomach issues, but we got her to take a bland home-cooked diet. After a few days of fresh rainy day air and head massages which she loved so much, things took a downward turn. Star stopped eating and drinking entirely, yet still struggled with very angry bowels. We were so hoping Star would get more time to live the good life with us, but Filomena Farms said goodbye to her only ten days after her arrival. With her poor old body failing more and more each day, we just couldn't see letting her linger. The vet suspected probable stomach/GI cancer and Star was very uncomfortable.
This is one of those cases where we can only hope and trust that by giving Star just a few days on the Farm in comfort and peace, we eased her end of life transition in a meaningful way. We know Star is dancing with the sun and moon - rest well, sweet girl! |
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Brownie
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The new year brought a new fospice resident to Filomena Farms: Brownie - a 13 year old vision impaired Shih Tzu. Our friend Farah of One Planet Rescue brought Brownie to our attention. This teddy-bear faced senior found himself stranded at a shelter in Los Angeles when his owners could no longer afford his medical care. Ear infections, dental disease, dry eye induced vision loss, and heart disease landed Brownie on the shelter’s euthanasia list after residing there since August 2018. Yet another senior in need of TLC and a safe place to land - naturally, that place ended up being Filomena Farms. Brownie was our first fospice case of 2019. At first, he found his way around the farm just fine despite his poor vision and he was never shy about snuggling up for comfort or scarfing down a treat. After about a month in the farm, he began having seizures. It's likely this was a condition he'd had for a while but that was unknown to us or the shelter. His seizures grew more frequent and longer lasting, eventually causing mobility impairment. Brownie could no longer sniff around the farm on sunny days and we decided the frequent seizures had overcome his quality of life. We said goodbye to Brownie on March 31st. 2019 will be known as Brownie’s Golden Year - the year he got the chance to live out the rest of his life in compassionate comfort.
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Shadi
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Filomena Farms welcomed Shadi as a fospice dog on June 15, 2018. This old gal lived a hard life on the streets in Iran with one deformed paw and another paw completely missing above the carpus. She traveled to the United States where she fell in with a family who didn’t provide her necessary care. Weary of her nomadic life in the shadows, Shadi found fortune by catching the attention of One Planet Rescue. Our friend, Farah, made the necessary connections and Shadi soon found solace, finally able to rest her heavy head on a cushion in the sunshine at Filomena Farms. This gal had a fighting spirit - the fortitude to carry on, face whatever life threw her way, steady her chin and hobble forward. As humans, we know there are many days we struggle to muster that level of perseverance and determination. Shadi inspired us and reminded us that life’s difficulties don’t own us and can’t stop us from living our best lives. Shadi’s disability didn’t dampen her spirit - she relished life lying in the sunshine of the conservatory at Filomena Farms. Anyone who met her will surely affirm that she seemed to just soak in every radiant ounce of the good life, one sunbeam at a time. Sometimes those new to the Farm would walk by and barely notice her tucked into the corner amongst the plants on her cozy pillow - she seemed to just naturally meld into the restful pace of Farm life. Shadi left us on January 5, 2019 when her body could no longer support her well being. Shadi’s courage, gentleness, and peaceful grace outlives her body - we remember her with love and honor. Shadi reminds us that life’s beauty sometimes lies in the simplest moments: feeling the purity of rain, the radiance of sunshine, the release of quietude. Rest in eternal sunshine, Shadi!
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Valentina
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We have Nine Lives Foundation and Georgia Postlewait to thank for our fospice girl, Valentina. Found on the street covered in feces and dirt, Valentina’s light shone through the mess of her life’s circumstances straight through to our hearts. Shy, blind, deaf, dirty, and all alone, Valentina seemingly had no reason to hold out hope for anything positive in this life. Yet somehow, someway, she projected a broad aura of happiness. This caught our friends’ attention at Nine Lives and soon after, our own. Valentina spent the rest of her physical strength taking in all of life’s glory at Filomena Farms: the sunshine, the companionship of others, the coziness of a warm place to sleep, the restorative quality of a reliable good meal. Valentina lived the good life for five months before departing this earth. Her legs no longer supported her body and we couldn’t watch her spirit suffer. We saw her journey end with the same happy light that drew her to us...her love will never leave the Farm.
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Reina
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Reina - her name means Queen in so many variations and languages. She sort of embodied the concept of elevating suffering seniors from life on the streets to life in the lap of tranquility: a simple dog bed elevated to a throne, a modest meal augmented to a feast. There is something to be said and surely felt about providing these basic provisions to those who have gone without for so long...Reina needed someone in her corner for the end days. Abandoned at the San Jose shelter blind, deaf, diabetic, and emaciated, Reina found herself listed as a “fospice” type rescue case with a growing tumor in addition to her myriad of maladies. She’d never known veterinary care; judgment and opinions aside, Filomena Farms's friend, Wrich Printz, stepped in to help this girl’s cause. After raising over $3,000 for vet attention, Reina got the maintenance treatment she needed and continued to show her undying spirit and love for life. She exuded compassion and joy until her last day. Reina lived a glorious 10 months in our care before letting us know she was ready to move on to the next world...many have followed since her stay and Filomena Farms will continue to honor her spirit by hosting those in need of a final resting place. A heartfelt “thank you” to Wrich for championing this old gal when she so desperately needed someone in her corner.
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Molly
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Molly, although not the very first, represents the first OFFICIAL Filomena Farms fospice resident. Our local San Jose animal shelter advocated Miss Molly as a sweet-hearted cat-friendly girl while in their care, plagued with a “kitty cold” and kept separated from other feline friends. Molly found a home at the Farm in August of 2013. She blended in beautifully with the other animals, finding her rhythm and adapting to the routine after a slow introduction. Sound and smell adjustment are crucial for cat integration - Molly took it all in stride. After being a model citizen on the Farm for almost a year, we realized Molly had eye issues. She’d developed corneal cysts that continued to ulcerate and cause her discomfort despite specialist treatment. We made the painful decision to help ease Molly out of her pain on June 17, 2014 when we realized that her eyes would never be trauma-free. We see her “shadow” sometimes along the fence line at the Farm, wanting to be included in the goings on and hoping to catch some chin rubs in exchange for grateful purrs. We miss you, Molly girl!
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