In Memory of Mango: The Larger than Life Teddy Bear

          It’s hard to talk about Mango without someone saying, “He’s Huge!” but it’s true. He was larger than life, in actual size and personality!!

           I had just started volunteering for SSMR in April and unexpectedly started foster parenting soon after. Barkley came to us petrified of everything and everyone, except other dogs. He stayed with us 6 weeks and was adopted by a wonderful lady, who has loads of love to give him. I thought I would take a break for a while but that was not to be. The email went out that Mango needed a foster home ASAP, and I felt compelled to take him in. I drove up to Northern VA on June 30^th and picked up the newest member of our family. His pictures didn’t quite do him justice, he was HUGE! I knew he was a little on the heavy side, but I had no idea he was 250 lbs. His original owner loved him very much, but could not keep him at the apartment he was living due to the landlord…so Mango went to live with his owners friends. They were the ones who made him so huge. They fed him fast food frequently and I’m convinced that played a major role in his health.

          Our first order of business was to get him on a diet…PRONTO! I knew he probably wouldn’t exactly be thrilled, but I knew it would be in his best interest. After I put him on the food the vet recommended he steadily started to lose weight. He was a stunning dog, and he knew it because I, along with the girls at the vets office, told him so, and we did it often. Every foster dog has their own story, and their own issues and Mango wasn’t immune. He had not lived with another dog for a while so it took a few days to get used to living with his sisters. It wasn’t long after that, when Duchess (my mastiff) learned to push back ;-) Those two were like a pair of 5 year old kids. They were hilarious! If Mango took Duchess’ rawhide (a highly coveted toy in our house) she would take one of his stuffed animals upstairs and lay on it. He then would come up stairs and lay on her bed, and his at the same time, and that just annoyed her to no end! They would lay on the floor and paw at each other too…I’m convinced that secretly, they actually liked each other!

          Mango was a ladies man/mama’s boy if there ever was one. He couldn’t care less about what my husband said, but if I asked him to something, he would get up and do it. In the mornings my husband was usually out the door before I got out of the shower and he would ask Mango to get up so he could go outside and Mango would look at him like, “you want me to what??” and lay his head back down. I then would have to get out of the shower and talk sweet to him and he would go downstairs to go potty. He loved attention from me. He especially loved his leg and paw massages that I gave him. He also got his food bowl held for him by yours truly, because we couldn’t find a bowl stand tall enough for him and I was petrified of bloat, so he was extra rotten.

          I knew when we got him, we would have him longer than we had Barks because of his age, but I didn’t account for the fact that we would have him for 5 months. In that time though, I got so incredibly attached to him. He depended on me for a healthy diet, a warm place to sleep, love, affection, and I made it my mission to do the very best by him that I could.

          I knew eventually that the time would come though that his forever family would come along, and they did, right before Thanksgiving. A wonderful couple from Georgia saw his picture and wanted to add him to their family. I talked to Amanda and Scott and they were so excited to meet him, so the day after Thanksgiving, I met them in Durham, NC to give my sweet boy away. I was sad, but he took to them right away, and I knew this was the right family for him. They took him home and he was doing so well…until the 3^rd day they had him. He suddenly got very sick and on the 4^th day he was with them, he passed away. Judging by his symptoms, I truly believe his heart just couldn’t do it anymore. I was unbelievably devastated. Not only because my sweet baby boy was gone, but for his new family as well. They had already become so attached to him, and just as soon as he had come into their lives, he was gone. I cried for hours. I was so worried that he thought I abandoned him, and that he was scared. But my husband reminded me that the last 5 months of his life, were probably some of the happiest he has ever had. He was losing weight (20 lbs in 5 months!!) he had a yard to play in and 2 families and 3 doggie sisters who loved him more than he’ll know, and that provides me some comfort. He’s in heaven now and I know he’s back to a healthy weight and running around (between naps of course!) with Mr. Quakers. I miss him terribly, but I know I’ll see him again one day.