The Mosby Foundation

The Dog Who Wouldn’t Die
Detroit, MI

When Matt Oliveras was 16, a Rottweiler puppy just appeared on his doorstep. He was thrilled; his mother, Brenda, was not. As an in-home daycare provider, she had a strict rule of no pets. But Matt pleaded to keep the dog. Reluctantly, Brenda checked with all the mothers of the children in her charge. No one objected and Mia, as she was named, quickly became adored by all the children, not to mention by Brenda and Matt.

That was 11 years ago. Matt and Mia became inseparable even through marriage, two kids and divorce. Mia was his constant companion, and Matt’s kids now adored her just as his mother’s daycare children did a decade ago. She was the family protector, preventing Matt’s youngest, 18 months at the time, from leaving the yard by tugging on his t-shirt. Mia also prevented a stray dog that wandered into their yard from biting Brenda. The family simply loved her.

Now divorced, he and Mia had been living with his mother and stepfather. But his mother was faced with foreclosure. She and her husband were preparing to move to Mississippi where they had family who could help. That meant he and Mia were now looking for another home that would accommodate his two sons and a dog.

Unfortunately, apartment complexes simply would not allow pets. That put Matt in the unthinkable position of giving up his dog. His first thought was his Aunt Gina. She already had Rotties, but one of them had cancer, and it was all she could do to provide adequate treatment for him. She simply could not take on the burden of a heartsick dog too.

But on a Saturday afternoon, all that changed. Mia was suddenly unable to stand. Her hindquarters appeared paralyzed and she whimpered in pain. Matt’s regular vet did not have Saturday office hours, so he rushed her to a neighboring vet.

After a cursory examination, the veterinarian declared that Mia had spinal damage and the only alternative was euthanasia. Matt was shocked. His dog had been perfectly healthy 24 hours ago and now she had to be put down? It didn’t make any sense.

Matt voiced his hesitation, but the vet was clear: a responsible owner would put Mia down. Matt stared into the suffering eyes of the dog he loved so much, and he couldn’t deny the pain he saw. With great reluctance, Matt gave the go ahead.

Matt paid the vet $177 to euthanize his dog. Within minutes, Mia was gone and the vet declared her legally dead. Carefully, Matt wrapped Mia in a blanket and carried her to his car, tears in his eyes. Overcome with the sudden loss of his dog, he simply could not bring himself to bury her that evening. He left Mia’s limp body in the garage for the night, hoping that by tomorrow, he could find the courage to lay his best friend to rest.

But the next morning, Matt got the second shock of his life in two days. Mia was standing before him, whimpering, her tail wagging weakly. Matt simply could not make sense of what he saw. “It was scary and crazy,” he said. Quickly, he helped Mia into the house and made her as comfortable as possible.

Then he called the vet, who apologized and offered to re-euthanize Mia. By this time, Matt was so traumatized he couldn’t think straight. He called his mother, who was now in Mississippi. She counseled her son to wait until his own vet was available before doing anything. But she also encouraged Matt to call the local newspapers with Mia’s story. Brenda was hoping that it would generate donations to help Matt with her care.

In the meantime, Matt and his sons stayed by her side, hand feeding her as she licked their faces in gratitude. Matt just kept thinking, “What if I had buried her alive?” Mia’s dark brown eyes were soft with love as she lapped at the water he held in front of her. The thought that he could have harmed her in such a way made him sick to his stomach.

When Matt got Mia to his own vet, there was a different diagnosis, in fact, several: a disc problem, arthritis, and slight hip dysplasia. With attentive veterinary treatment, Mia began to respond.

Matt also followed his mother’s advice and took his story public. The news story took off both online and off. And that’s when The Mosby Foundation got involved. Volunteer Sharon Dyer spotted the story and knew we had to help. We immediately put a fundraising campaign in place. Loyal Mosby supporters stepped up to the plate and offered financial assistance. Donations from as far away as London came in to help the dog that had been the recipient of irresponsible veterinary care.

But Mia’s “resurrection” also brought a response no one could anticipate. There was a segment of the population that called her a “demon dog,” and demanded she be killed immediately. We were stunned that anybody could see Mia as anything but a victim.

In the meantime, Matt’s Aunt Gina was finally in a position to take Mia. Her own dog had passed away, and she immediately offered Mia a home. IN ORDER TO PROTECT MIA AND GINA FROM POSSIBLE THREATS OF DANGER, the location of Mia’s new home was not released.

The good news was now Matt and his boys could see Mia regularly, and she would have other dogs to play with. It was a tough adjustment for her at first. She clearly missed Matt and waited for him by the gate for several days. But she finally settled into her new routine, enjoying visits from Matt and the boys.

Walking with only a slight limp, Mia enjoyed another eight months of life. Sadly, she developed cancer in one of her back legs. The pain became so bad that Matt knew it was time to let her go. But even to the very end, she was protective of her family. Mia tried to protect Matt from the veterinarian who made the house call to end her life.

Matt reassured her that he was safe and it was okay. He whispered that it was time for her to let go of her job here, to let go of her pain. Matt reassured her they would keep her love safe forever as she ran and played with all the others who crossed the Rainbow Bridge.

Mia let go and died peacefully with her loving family around her.