A believer

 

Around two weeks ago, I saw a skinny mamma dog on my way back home. Without a second thought, I checked the area and it turned out she had seven puppies. More details about the magical and inspiring first connection are available here:

If Only Fellow Humans Could Realize How Many Life Lessons They Could Take From Animals

I started cooking and feeding all of them along with other adult dogs when possible. At the same time, looking for adoptive families. Last Sunday, I thought I found the first one. The girl is a sweetheart. Interestingly and sadly enough, the dad is a jerk.

Having witnessed numerous dysfunctional family systems including mine, I am familiar with the abuser / unaware empath dynamic.

They followed the localization that I shared to reach their destination. I wasn’t nearby, and the girl assured me it shouldn’t be a big deal. It turned out it was, and I had to come back to the neighborhood and help catch the two puppies they decided to take.

When they were ready to go, the mother who was on the phone suggested taking a third one. My main contact seemed concerned and asked her sister and dad whether they were truly ready to take care of not one, or two but three puppies.

“I will not. The only dogs I’ll take care of are your sister and you!”

That’s how the dad’s answer came in a sarcastic tone — what I like to call toxic humor and what many experts agree on labeling passive-aggressiveness.

Appealingly, using dogs as a downgrading tool was an undeniable red flag. I felt like throwing out but told myself that the girl was the caregiver.

On Monday, I went to feed the pack and noticed one of the babies wasn’t okay. He was shaking and falling when trying to come in my direction.

I took him to the vet who told me he had some issues with his digestive system. I bought his medication and put him in front of my residency in a box to watch him closely. Unfortunately, he was too anxious and didn’t stop crying.

Consequently, I had to bring him back to where his mom and siblings are. Then I took two of them to a second family. The guy seemed a genuinely good person. He said he lived alone in a big house, that he already had two dogs and wanted to take care of more of them.

I felt he was a bit limited and biased but told myself that it wouldn’t be a problem as long as he’d love the kids properly. We agreed to meet in front of a mall. While I was following Maps, I received a vocal from his fiancée using the guy’s phone.

She stipulated that her fiancé couldn’t leave the house since he was working. I had to stop my car and the itinerary I was following. She gave me the wrong localization. I still don’t understand how it was even possible technically speaking.

I spent almost two hours to reach my destination while Maps showed thirty minutes in the beginning. For some reason, the fiancée kept communicating with me while my agreement was made with the guy. She was disagreeable, sometimes even rude enough to hang up the phone.

The babies vomited everything they ate the whole way. People are so disgusting they give them raw trashy meat when I’m not around. Those monsters even throw their human babies’ dirty diapers that the puppies could confuse for a toy, which I was frustrated to discover once.

When I eventually found the guy, he told me the kids would be okay and blocked me on all possible channels. The exceedingly insecure and pathologically jealous fiancée not only permitted herself to use his phone. She also forced the guy to block me.

As if the incident wasn’t enough, when I was in the middle of a traffic jam, the first family called to tell me they had to take the babies back. One of them was diagnosed with hepatitis C and they couldn’t keep him as it was contagious according to the vet.

I could barely believe what I heard. How cruel is this? Even if it was contagious, how possibly can we bring an innocent puppy back to the same place where he got sick? How couldn’t we consider the option of keeping him at the clinic vet? That’s what people do with their biological babies, right? Too many overwhelming questions remain unanswered!

As soon as I reached the area, I brought him to my vet who said he got ill from a tick. Yes, it impacted his liver but, no, it wasn’t viral; thus, speaking about contagion was BS. I was furious and crying all my tears.

Being aware of my financial struggles, the humane vet agreed on keeping both of the sick kids for a few days for free until I can find a solution. On Thursday morning, I woke up to a message from the guy who blocked me to tell me the kids died.

The bomb news was too much to digest. I felt my heart was about to stop. Most importantly, too guilty for entrusting such an irresponsible person with the babies’ precious lives. The hardest part was that I had no way to reach out and check in on them.

I would have urgently taken them to the vet should I know they were too sick. The horrible “caregiver” didn’t even decently bury them. He gave them to the trash person and asked him to do it on his behalf.

My sorrow was too deep, and I decided I had to use it for the five remaining puppies. I went back to the vet who said the brothers could leave on Friday, and the final diagnosis was the same for both of them.

I found a final loving home in my parents’ town for one puppy and took care of bringing him safely to his new parents and a foster family for the second one for two weeks: the period he needs for his recovery.

Also, a caring guy came from another city to take a couple. Last but not least, when I was buying medicines for the foster parent, I was holding the kid in my arm because he was a bit anxious, and didn’t want to leave him alone in the car.

One of the pharmacy staff members showed tons of genuine excitement and affection toward the baby. I liked her and thought she could be a good fit. I shared with her a photo of the last puppy. She sadly confessed that her dad wouldn’t let her bring another furry, given that she already has four cats.

She promised to look for a family, though. Two hours later, she came back to inform me that her cousin agreed to take him. When I was back from my parents’ town, we met in front of the pharmacy when she was about to leave.

When she saw the kid, she hugged him tightly, and they instantly bonded. My heart could feel the pure connection and wished a miracle could happen. An hour later, she called to say her dad accepted to adopt the puppy. I couldn’t be happier and more grateful to the Universe.

Two angels had to be called for better missions too early so that their brothers and sisters could leave the cruel streets. I don’t even know how I could manage to put my grief on hold until I can secure a solution for the remaining kids. I only knew I had to.

Today, I felt the urge to tell the story and start my healing. I needed to honor the babies who played a major role in saving the rest of the group. Please meet the heroes!

Last thoughts

If you are reading this story and feel inspired to do some stray animals volunteering, please be aware of the price to pay:

Get ready to feel heartbroken over and over again and to grieve more times than you’d care to admit.

But you know what? Things that matter are hard!

The more you care, the stronger you can be. ― Jim Rohn

Live so that when your children think of fairness, caring, and integrity, they think of you. ― H. Jackson Brown Jr.

This morning, I heard one of the most heartwarming short dialogues:

“I don’t believe it; what are you?”

“A believer.”

So am I! A believer in a pure love divinity! A believer in humans’ goodness! A believer in a higher purpose!

Some time ago, I shared my dream-non-profit different projects. The first on my list was an animals shelter.

It is still about the stray kids, but I prefer the idea of a sanctuary by far.

I wouldn’t forgive myself for losing another innocent soul either because of a wrong family choice or to euthanasia due to lack of space, treatable illness, physical defect, age, behavioral or socialization issues, which most shelters practice.

If you run a sanctuary or know anyone who does and is interested in a partnership of any kind, please don’t hesitate to reach out!