We adopted Nugget in April 2024. He was about 3 years old, a chihuahua mix. We didn’t know anything about his background. The shelter said he had been found and that he had some ticks and fleas, but everything was fine now. I asked for him to be tested for Mediterranean diseases and they told me they did and he was negative for all of them.

About a month after we had him, he started getting all kinds of weird infections. It was one thing after the other. We had him tested at our vet, and he turned out to be positive for Leishmania and Ehrlichia. The worst part being that both diseases were already very advanced, which meant the shelter had lied to us about testing him. Why, I will never understand... He could have been treated way sooner. He then developed meningitis due to the Ehrlichia and turned blind. It all happened very fast and he nearly died. But he was a little fighter and gradually became better. He regained half of his eyesight, and he became a happy little boy with a big personality and lots of love to give.

In the meanwhile, we had discovered that Nugget had a bullet stuck in his head and several old fractures that had never been treated. People had been cruel to him, and even the shelter didn’t do a proper job when they found him. We were determined to give him the best life possible and I promised him that he would be the most spoiled dog in the world, which he was.

Unfortunately, the Leishmania had weakened his immune system, making him more vulnerable to other diseases. When he suddenly started showing signs of a mouth infection, I feared that the neurological issues might come back since it started the same way the first time around. We had his blood tested, and he was positive for Ehrlichia again.

He was still dealing with Leishmania and anemia, and this time he also had anaplasma and heartworm. The vets couldn’t believe it, and neither could we. He seemed to be doing so well lately... When neurological symptoms started showing, we took Nugget to the ER.

We had to leave him at the hospital, and when I was on the way there the following day, he had passed away right before I arrived. The neurologist thinks he had a stroke or internal bleeding in his brain as a result of all these diseases, and his little body couldn’t take it anymore. The pain I felt when I saw him lying there was something I had never felt before. A piece of my heart had been ripped out of my chest and torn apart.

Nugget would still be alive today if the shelter had tested him when I asked them to. He would still be alive if the person who had him as a puppy had protected him against parasites and treated his infections. He would still be alive if people had shown love and compassion instead of cruelty. Nugget was the sweetest bundle of joy, he deserved so much more.

Even though we only had Nugget for less than a year, he changed our lives and made a lifelong impression on our family. He was glued to me 24/7, the bond we shared was incredible. Maybe he knew his time was limited and he made sure to make the most out of it.

Nugget didn’t get to live the long life he deserved, but I find comfort in knowing that the last year of his life was a happy one, where he was showered with love, got all the treats he wanted, went on many adventures and hopefully forgot all about his terrible past.

To honour Nugget’s memory, we want to do the same for other dogs like Nugget that are still out there.