Butterbean, an incredibly kind Bull Terrier who was known to Rocky Ridge Refuge‘s Facebook followers for loving every animal that she met, passed away unexpectedly after complications from a tooth extraction that was performed while she was under anesthesia.
Janice Wolf, Butterbean’s mom and the founder of Rocky Ridge Refuge, an animal sanctuary in Arkansas, posted an update to Rocky Ridge Refuge’s Facebook page Friday.
“Yesterday [Butterbean] went to [the] vet for a tooth extraction. While under anesthesia, she vomited a liquid that she [managed] to aspirate into her lungs somehow and has been severely ill since. Before we knew what had happened, I had taken her home, but she never perked up and instead continued to vomit and tremble, with a high heart rate. I took her back in last night with dehydration setting in also. X-rays today show a bad pneumonia, fever up and she is miserable. She has a real battle ahead of her and I need her to come back home to me….this girl has never even spent a night away from me….”
By Saturday afternoon, it was shared with Rocky Ridge Refuge’s followers and those who loved Butterbean that, sadly, Butterbean had passed away.
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Sympathies and support have already poured in to comfort Janice on the passing of her very special dog. All it takes is one glance at the Rocky’ Ridge Refuge’s Facebook post announcing Butterbean’s unexpected death to see how deeply loved she was.
A Facebook user named Corinne remarked:
“Janice, the loss of your beautiful Butterbean is heartbreaking. She was such a special spirit, so full of love and compassion and caring.”
Another named Heather commented:
“There’s just nothing to be said[,] Janice. I know that losing a pet is hard, but Butterbean was not just a pet. She was a singular, one-of-a-kind, compassionate person in a dog skin. She was special and I know that this is a loss that may trump all other losses. We care about you though and we will never forget Butterbean or the love she spreads, just as you do.”
A woman named Victoria wrote:
“She was a very special animal and she definitely touched my heart (and many others) even though I am thousands of miles away and never even met her. The creatures at Rocky Ridge Refuge will surely never have another Butterbean, but they were so blessed to have her for the time that they did.”
Another follower named Kathleen echoed others’ sentiments by writing:
“Thank you for sharing Butterbean’s incredibly loving, joyful, accepting spirit with all of us. We all need a Butterbean in our lives to show us how to be the best we can be. She was a stunning representation of her breed and her memory lives on in all of your followers.”
Butterbean first came to be known on Rocky Ridge Refuge’s Facebook page back in July 2011 when Janice rescued her when she was just a puppy. Butterbean quickly acclimated to the rescue life and made it her personal mission to make all of the animals that came to Rocky Ridge Rescue – from four day–old kittens to puppies to goats to miniature horses to capybaras and many others – feel welcomed and loved.
Butterbean’s passing will leave a Bull Terrier-sized hole in the hearts of Janice and the animals at her refuge, but her kind and gentle spirit will continue to live on, leaving a loving legacy at Rocky Ridge Refuge.
All of us at BarkPost send our deepest sympathies to Janice and all of those who loved Butterbean.