Aaron was a rare example of how compassion does exist in the toughest of circumstances. His caregiver lived in rural Tennessee and was having a hard time keeping him safe and happy. He was her pet, who she loved and wanted the very best for. They were in a difficult situation and she reached out looking for help.
After joining our sanctuary family, Aaron thrived–which made what happened next especially heartbreaking. With over 20 years of experience between all of us, we’d never once seen it. He had an allergic reaction to a wasp sting, and he was dead in minutes. His airway closed immediately. Our team futilely attempted to resuscitate him in the field…and we failed. A necropsy showed a completely closed larynx, and the vets all shook their heads in sadness with us. There was no way to have saved him without being able to emergently intubate him the moment it happened.
We were proud to be Aaron’s family for the very short time we were fortunate enough to know him. Not a day goes by that we don’t think of Aaron’s enormous smile and gentle personality–he was magical. We were absolutely crushed over the loss of his sweet, gentle soul. He was robbed of a fairy tale life because of a random act of nature, and the grief over his loss was terrible. He was loved and valued by us all.
