For anyone who has known the love of a rescue dog, Harold and Baby’s stories will turn you into a puddle. (So don’t say I didn’t warn you!) Baby is a senior Yorkie who was found by animal control wandering the streets, emaciated, with no teeth and no bottom jaw. He was also mostly blind and deaf. Luckily, the right woman saw him at the shelter and took him home so he could rest in a safe, comfortable place and enjoy the time he had left. Well, that was almost a year ago!
Now Baby’s a healthy weight, and still likes to explore. He doesn’t let his lack of teeth stop him from loving his food just as much as the next guy, and his tongue is always curled out in a perpetual smile that charms anyone who meets him.
Shih Tzu Harold, on the other hand, wasn’t found wandering the streets but instead was dropped off at animal control with terrible heartworms. He’s about twelve, so with his age, illness, and the fact that he was an owner surrender (dogs are generally not held as long at animal control facilities when the owners knowingly give them up, whereas dogs found as strays are held for a period to try and give their owners time to find them), he was put on the euthanasia list.
He was very lucky to have the same woman who saved Baby see him that day as well, and thanks to his new family, he’s now completed his heartworm treatment and is doing just fine. He loves tummy rubs and running around in the sunshine. Toward the end of our session, he got a case of the puppy zoomies! Seeing him run around with so much zest for life, knowing what might have been if not for all the rescue efforts in our community, made my day.
Thank you from the bottom of my heart to all those like Baby and Harold’s mom, who work tirelessly in the rescue community to save homeless dogs and cats. You are an inspiration to us all to do our part to better the lives (two-legged and four-legged!) around us.
