Rest easy, sweet Candy 🤍

In late October 2025, RSPCA Victoria asked us if we could take a little 4kg blind Pomeranian girl.

Her family had contacted the shelter to surrender her, and rather than Candy spending her days in a shelter, we said yes, we can take her.

We named her Candy.

Foster mum Carolynne went and collected her and brought her home to Carolynne and Tristan.

And that’s when we learned just how badly this little girl had been let down.

Candy had mature cataracts. Rotten teeth. Mammary tumours. She was entire. She had spent her life living outside, alone, in a dilapidated kennel.

Blind.

Alone.

Forgotten.

We had no idea how much time Candy had left. She was an older girl and, honestly, we weren’t sure whether we were going to get months or weeks.

But that didn’t matter.

She had been given a chance, and we were going to make those days count.

We organised her surgery. Her mammary tumours were removed, she was desexed and she had a major dental. She was prescribed medication for her eyes and, thankfully, she came through it all and recovered beautifully at home.

But the biggest change wasn’t medical.

It was that Candy was finally safe.

She was warm.

She had soft beds.

She had people who loved her.

She was no longer spending her nights outside in a broken-down kennel.

And then we found Mya.

Candy’s guardian angel.

The person who would give this little dog the life she had missed out on for far too many years.

And my goodness, did Mya love her.

Candy went from being a blind, neglected little dog who had been left to exist alone… to having adventures.

Car rides.

Bush walks.

Cafés.

Sunshine.

Sniffy time.

Cuddle walks.

Dog beds she could choose from — although apparently the cold, hard floor was still the preferred option!

She was carried when she needed to be carried, wrapped in blankets, taken out into the world and included in everyday life.

She was fed schnitzel and sweet potato and dog meat.

She snored by the fire.

She had baths when she needed them.

She became a little fluffy ball of sweetness.

Even as her dementia became more intense and her health became more fragile, she was loved.

Mya kept Carolynne updated:

“She is very much loved here and her sweet patient soul is part of our home’s heartbeat.”

I don’t think there could be a more perfect description of what Candy became.

And when we heard that Candy had passed away, I think all our hearts broke.

Because eight months is nowhere near long enough.

But then I think about where Candy was when we met her.

Blind.

Alone.

Living outside.

And I think about where she was when she left this world.

Loved.

Safe.

Warm.

Spoilt.

Surrounded by people who adored her.

She knew what a soft bed felt like.

She knew what sunshine felt like.

She knew the excitement of a car ride.

She knew the smell of the bush.

She knew the comfort of being carried.

She knew the taste of schnitzel.

She knew what it was like to fall asleep beside a fire.

And most importantly, she knew she mattered.

I think it’s pretty obvious that Mya was the best thing that ever happened to Candy.

And perhaps Candy was the best thing that happened to Mya too.

There is something incredibly special about giving a senior dog the life they should have had all along, even when you know you may not get years together.

You give them whatever time is left.

And you fill it with love.

Love is all they need.

And Candy certainly got that by the bucketload.

Our deepest love and gratitude to Mya, for giving Candy the most beautiful final chapter she could possibly have wished for.

And to Carolynne and Tristan, for opening their home to a little blind girl who needed somewhere safe to land, getting her through her surgeries and giving her the love and care she desperately needed.

Together, you gave Candy eight months of the life she had been waiting for.

Far too short.

But we hope, with all our hearts, that it was long enough for her to finally understand just how very loved she was.

Rest easy, sweet Candy.

You were worth saving.

You were worth loving.

And you mattered. 🤍

Run free, little girl.

Love from all of us at Sweet Paws Dog Rescue xx 🐾🤍