Things come in 3s - The passing of 3 pets (and a special rescue dog story)

On Tuesday, February 17, we received word that three pets passed. Things also seem to happen in threes, and this day
brought very sad news about precious cats and a dog. You may notice in your own life that when people or pets pass, you usually hear about three of them within a short period of time. Why that happens is a mystery known only to spirit.
  On Feb. 17, however, I found out that two friends lost their cats, and one of the dog rescue folks we worked with lost a senior dog she recently adopted. It was a heartbreaking night and a reminder how special cats and dogs are in our lives.
 
KARIN'S CAT 
   Our friend Karin told me that her cat got out and hadn't come back after a month. I told her that  I feared her cat had passed in the woods and she also thought the same.Karin happened to pick Feb. 17 to send me the message about her cat, and two other messages followed soon after.

MERLIN THE BLACK CAT
    Our friends Cristina and Will said goodbye to the beautiful black cat Merlin. Merlin was born in November 1997 and passed on February 17, 2015. Cristina said "He was my sweet little guy. We've been together a long time."

PAPPY THE SENIOR DACHSHUND

Pappy the Senior Dachshund

   In January, our friend Donna G, coordinator for Coast to Coast Dachshund Rescue received an email from Kim L. of a Texas Dachshund rescue. Donna shared the email with us about a dog in Texas in need of a foster home. Despite being in Maryland and far away, rescues transport dogs anywhere in the U.S to find them good foster or forever homes - which is why we were contacted by Kim.
   Kim said he is a senior, red, smooth 15 pound dachshund that was turned into the Montgomery County Animal Shelter in Conroe, Texas. The shelter simply called him "ID# A 248535."  
   Kim named this little guy "Pappy." It turned out that Pappy was also mostly blind (he could see light and shadows as it turned out). But clearly he was a senior dog, and some heartless, cruel person dumped him near the end of his life.
   After checking with Donna and with us, Kim decided to foster little Pappy herself. She wanted to give this little guy the best part of his life. She did.
  On February 17, I received the following email from Kim:   Pappy the old male doxie we talked about had to be put down yesterday. He could no longer get up and was going to the bathroom on himself.  I just wanted to let you know.
  I read that email and cried. I never got to meet Pappy, but through the rescue I got to know him. In just a month of being abandoned on the street in his old age, he passed. We're so grateful to Kim for taking him in and caring for him in the last month of his life when he needed love more than ever.