While I by no means mean this to compare with the magnitude of Santorum's daughter, I have a parallel experience with my dog, Ranger. I was volunteering at an animal shelter here in Louisiana in the wake of Katrina. The whole animal rescue system was overloaded, and when Ranger was brought in, he was malnourished, heartworm and tapeworm infested, and had obviously been abused for some time prior to the storm, although we estimated he was only about 18 months old. The director of the shelter and our consulting vet had him lined up to be euthanized, believing that he was a "lost cause" and would never survive being treated for heartworms in his frail condition...and the kennel space was badly needed for other "more viable" abandoned dogs. I volunteered to foster him if the shelter would go ahead and initiate the medical protocols he needed.
He slowly but steadily improved, and five years later, is curled up at my feet as I type this. Even on my worst days, he's there to remind me what a gift and miracle life is, and how easily it can be taken away...
