By Aimee Rohrer-Kraemer
We adopted Zeus in January of 2020. We had recently lost our first furry love, Salvatore, to lymphoma in December 2019. We were heartbroken and not ready for a puppy. However, we missed having an animal at home.
I began to browse the SPCA website and learned of Zeus – an 11-year-old blind German Shepherd who had been dropped off at the shelter by his family because they were moving. He was terrified and decompensating. I needed him.
Zeus was a beautiful, intimidating looking German Shepherd, yet he was a gentle giant and a “scaredy cat.” He initially would not move off the front mat – he was afraid to move in an unfamiliar environment without being able to see.
I learned that Zeus was more comfortable on carpet so I set up a maze of carpets in the house so he could get from one room to another. I spent hours a day coaxing him to explore the house.
We bonded quickly and he rarely left my side for the rest of his time with us. He lived his last year on earth comfortable and seemingly content. We miss him but are comforted that we gave him a good last year.
One of the ways that our family works to perform tikkun olam, “repair of the world,” is by supporting animal rescues. We are committed to rescuing any pets that we have and donating to our local shelters.
Zeusy enriched all our lives in the short time he was with us. He and one of my three daughters, Ava, were best buds, and she wears a locket with his photo in it as a way of honoring his memory and to continue to show their closeness.
Having Zeus in our life for a year was a very special experience. As hard as it was to say goodbye to him, it proved to us that we were able to fall in love with another dog, and that we were ready for a puppy. Soon after Zeus passed away, we adopted a puppy, Banana, and then another, Sonny. We love them both dearly, even as we miss Salvatore and Zeus, and will always have them in our hearts.
