09/08/2026
An update I never imagined I’d be writing so soon… ❤️🐾
I know I've been slack with updates but life has been busy and Baloo has been LIVING it ! I thought I'd have time..
Many of you followed Baloo’s story from the terrified dog who survived ten months alone in the bush, outsmarting every trap, every plan and pretty much every human trying to save him, to the beautiful boy who finally came home.
I thought that was the hard part.
I thought once I got him home, we had won.
A month ago, Baloo was showing absolutely no signs that anything was wrong. Then he caught a virus, and while investigating that illness we discovered my beautiful boy has cancer.
The virus has taken an enormous toll on his body and everything has changed frighteningly fast. My beautiful compassionate vet initially tried to treat kennel cough by written communication, knowing how unwilling he would be to go into the surgery. But when it became clear there was more to it, I was so proud of him ...and of her and her magical way with animals, he followed he straight in when she came to the car, stood still for bloody from his neck and paw .( Even though 3 of us holding him down couldn't cut his toenails,!). and went back the next time without resistance. Firstly blood samples were sent to WA for suspected IMHA, but our hearts sank when they returned negative. Knowing something was fighting his system.
Viewing the x-ray was alot 😭 . His chest full of growths.
He is 10 next month, his life has been a hard one from abuse to multiple homes to being alone for 10 months, which he would not have survived going by how skinny he was when we first saw him after a month.
There aren't any options other than to keep him comfortable as long as that is viable.
Dr Cat explained, when I asked what the end result will be and how I'll know. ..he won't be able to stop coughing, but she douted very much his body would allow him to get to that stage. . She couldn't give a time but there was a mention of 6 months at some stage which I grabbed with both hands and went YEP we can do that!
I could process six months.
I wasn't prepared for it to suddenly feel like six days and we are nearly there.
And I am absolutely devastated.
I'm exhausted, confused and analysing every single thing he does. Is he sleeping because he's comfortable or because he's deteriorating? Is he quiet because he's tired or because he's telling me something? He gets up and my heart lifts. He looks flat and my stomach drops. But he will not let me out of his sight so I'm just making sure he has a bed in every room.
There have already been several moments where I've had a massive scare and thought, this is it. We're at the end.
Then he'll wag his tail.
He'll bark at someone at the door.
He'll want a donut.
Orlaunch himself onto my bed because apparently stairs are for pu***es, literally. 🐱
And suddenly I'm questioning everything again.
I'm trying desperately to read him rather than my own fear. To work out what Baloo wants and how Baloo feels, because this can't be about how desperately I want to keep him.
That's the part about loving animals this much that absolutely breaks you.
I fought for ten months to save this dog. I walked those hills every single day. I watched cameras night after night. We tried traps, darters, sedation, thermal drones and plan after plan. There were nights I thought we'd lost him and mornings I got up and started all over again.
I refused to give up on him.
And now I'm facing the possibility that loving him may eventually mean doing the one thing that feels completely opposite to everything I fought so hard for.
Being passionate about animal lives means fighting like hell for them when they want to fight, but it also means being passionate enough to let them go when they tell you they're tired.
I know that but I suck at it!
Knowing it doesn't make it any less fu***ng heartbreaking.
But it's not time yet.
Baloo is still eating and drinking. He's still wagging but very very slowly. He's still barking when someone comes to the door. He's still seeking me out, climbing onto my bed and doing those little things that tell me my beautiful boy is still very much in there.
So I'm watching him.
Every breath. Every meal. Every movement. Every expression.
Probably driving myself completely insane in the process.
It's emotionally exhausting. I'm terrified of making the decision too soon, and more terrified of waiting one moment too long.
I don't know whether we have days, weeks or somehow longer.
And that uncertainty is brutal.
He is so terribly sad, but he doesn't know what the vet said. He doesn't know what cancer means. So I have to be a bubbly as I can manage.
Today he is here.
Today he is loved beyond measure.
And today he can have the bloody donut. ♥️
He's watching the door hoping for visitors!
He had come from being a dog so afraid he'd bark at a man with a deep voice from as far away as he can get while still being able to see I'm safe., to running to see if it's someone new at the door who'll scratch his butt.
Especially over the past 6 months when our house has been full of people! We may not have had long, and we may not have long to go BUT I am sooooo bloody grateful that we have had the past 3 years to show him that we aren't all out to hurt him.
Most of all I am grateful to see him finally relax rather than jump at every sound, not run from anything resembling a hose or a belt and to just learn to love everyone .
