10/28/2026
They mattered to us.
Deeply. And they deserved to matter long before they found us.
Tego was a grumpy little Chihuahua living on the streets of Puerto Rico with painful arthritis and dental disease. With rescue space on the island so limited, taking in a dog who might never be adopted meant committing a spot for the rest of his life. We took on his case because he deserved that chance.
Sonny was a big tabby tomcat with FIV who was about to be returned to Miami by another shelter. We stepped in and brought him into our care.
For a year, they had love, medication, full bellies, and a warm, safe place to rest. We knew neither might ever be adopted. And that was okay. Their lives mattered more to us than the money in our bank account.
Tego could be quick to nip before he learned to trust, and finding someone willing to give him that time proved difficult.
Sonny found companionship with Monet, a female tortie, but an adoptive home never came.
Still, they belonged.
Yesterday, we had to say goodbye to both of them.
Tego’s arthritis had become unbearable despite oral and injectable pain medication. Sonny developed a neurological condition and stopped eating. As much as we wanted more time, we couldn’t ask them to keep going when their bodies could not.
We wouldn’t change the year we gave them. We only wish more people could see what we saw: two lives worth taking a chance on. Two animals who didn’t need to be young, healthy, or easy to deserve love.
Run free, Tego and Sonny, free from pain, free from the limitations of your bodies, and knowing you were loved.
Dogs and cats like you will always have a place at Paws4Survival.
