She had only three paws. No matter. In her mind, in her heart, in her soul she was a full four-legged dog, ever vibrant, always engaged, showing those who are disabled and frightened that they, like she, could do anything they wanted to do and be who they wanted to be.
She was probably born around Jan. 1, 2013, bred by so-called “backyard breeders” who look to sell puppies to make a buck, but have no plan for a puppy born sick. Broke themselves, they chose not to treat her. She had a wound on her left elbow that shattered and infected her surrounding bones. When the staff of the Dan Cosgrove Animal Shelter found her, they quickly learned she had been left untreated for about five weeks. Her front leg could not be saved and the shelter raised funds to amputate her leg.
Her life suddenly ended on April 19 after three years in which Angel persevered and helped people throughout Branford, in the process showing how a determined soul can overcome adversity.
After her amputation, Laura Burban, the shelter’s director, decided to become a foster Mom, believing she would only do so until she was healed. But she soon discovered that her new puppy, now 4 months old, was in kidney failure. The veterinarian thought she might live from six months to a year because her kidneys were so small.
“So I adopted her and started to pray for the best,” Burban recalled. First she sought a kidney transplant but the experts told her that 99 percent of all kidney transplant dog recipients die within a year because their bodies typically do not accept a new kidney. “The vet advised me against this process. At this point I decided to try my best to make her happy and keep her active.“
Burban named her husky-poodle mix Angel because she was just that. She quickly became the soul-mate to Cupid, who like Angel was abandoned and left to die in a box across from the Branford Motel on Christmas Eve 2009.
Bill O’Brien Photo
As Angel began to grow and cope with kidney failure that caused her to urinate every 2/3 of an hour, she also found an inner drive and with the help of her Mom, a remarkable job in life. She became a champion for those in need, a great advocate for those with disabilities. “It dawned on me that this could be her job. And she loved it,” Burban said. Here she is at last year’s holiday event when families and animals met Santa.
Angel Makes Her Debut
At 8 weeks old she began her journey, literally. With Burban at the end of her leash, she visited dozens of schools along the shoreline. Along the way she made friends among the elderly who lived at Evergreen Woods, Branford Hills, and Hospice in Short Beach, where she gave joy and kisses to those who were about to take their final breaths.
She met many children with special needs, children who were deaf or autistic or disabled or different in some way. The children watched her as she would steal bones faster than Cupid. If she fell down, she would get up. They saw that her disability never had an impact on her. She gave them hope. She was happy doing whatever she was doing.
The takeaway was immediate: Don’t let your disability interfere with what you want to be or who you want to become. Look at Angel, she does it. One day a mom came up to Burban and told her about her daughter’s disability. Then her daughter met Angel. She watched her get around on three paws. They saw her jump and leap and never thought twice about having only one front leg. “She said my daughter told her, if she can do it, so can I, so can I.”
At the time she fell ill, Angel was booked for a number of events. She was headed for schools this spring to meet new kids. She had just appeared on a BCTV program to help announce the shelter’s animal camp this summer.
An Elvis Smile
Gov. Dannel P. Malloy, Laura Burban, Angel and former first selectman Unk DaRos
Burban said Angel taught politicians to lighten up, to live for the moment of puppy kisses and love. “She taught seniors to keep fighting the good fight and she taught all of us at the animal shelter to find a smile during the day because you always had that halfway Elvis smile and that floppy Dr. Seuss hair to make us giggle in the hardest of times.”
She gave homeless cats, bunnies, and birds a safe haven in Burban’s office and gave her sister, Cupid, a love she never knew before.
Just recently she went on TV to talk, so to speak, about Animal Camp. “She made so many smile and brought so much joy,” especially when folks were in a stressful situation, Burban said.
She also visited the town’s senior center and the Branford Counseling Center and greeted Girl Scouts and Boy Scouts. She went to day care and after-school care centers, and any number of churches. She marched in town parades.
Angel helped with the shelter’s fundraising and its education campaign, specifically a campaign to end bullying. She learned about acceptance speeches, and she received awards for her work.
Burban ended up being the beneficiary of her awards. She always smiled when her Mom accepted the award on her behalf.
“She had a different way about her… maybe an easy way or just an acceptance that most wouldn’t find elsewhere. She loved whole heartedly and just gave all that she had up until the last day.”
That last day came so fast that Burban is still in shock, not ready to stop loving this girl of hers. While she had not thought about it often, Burban knew that for this Angel, life might be shorter than the average life of a dog, a life far too short to begin with.
But she never thought Angel would die before she reached age 4. But on April 19, Angel’s kidneys went into a free-fall failure. No one was ready, least of all Angel, who was preparing for her spring sprint to various schools.
She died quickly with Burban at her side.
“The impact she had over the past three years was tremendous. I just wish we had had more time,” said Burban, who with her family, staff, and volunteer army are all in deep mourning for this feisty white haired girl, who loved to smile and who became a powerful teacher.
Burban said she learned, too. She learned patience. And acceptance and a way to be she had not envisioned, “living for the day and moment and constantly teaching others about caring for those who are different.”
What would she say to Angel, if she could?
“If I could I would thank her for the things I learned from her. I would thank her for teaching me about being patient. I would thank her for teaching me about being proper at times when I didn’t want to be. I would thank her for teaching me about being fun when I wanted to cry and I would thank her for most of all about teaching me to never give up even when the chips were stacked against you. ”
Somehow, we think Angel is sending her Mom her Elvis smile.
Editor’s note: Burban announced late today that the shelter is starting an Angel Fund for those animals who arrive at the animal shelter with chronic issues that require long term care. You may send a donation marked for the “Angel Fund” to the shelter at 749 East Main St., Branford, CT 06405.
or go to the shelter’s website.
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