I Rescued a Human Today

There has been an excess of bad news this week, so I’m grateful to the friend who told me about this piece: I Rescued A Human Today, by Janine Allen*. It lifted my spirits and renewed my hope for the world.

I rescued a human today.

Her eyes met mine as she walked down the corridor peering apprehensively into the kennels. I felt her need instantly and knew I had to help her.

I wagged my tail, not too exuberantly, so she wouldn’t be afraid. As she stopped at my kennel I blocked her view from a little accident I had in the back of my cage. I didn’t want her to know that I hadn’t been walked today. Sometimes the overworked shelter keepers get too busy and I didn’t want her to think poorly of them.

As she read my kennel card I hoped that she wouldn’t feel sad about my past. I only have the future to look forward to and want to make a difference in someone’s life.

She got down on her knees and made little kissy sounds at me. I shoved my shoulder and side of my head up against the bars to comfort her. Gentle fingertips caressed my neck; she was desperate for companionship. A tear fell down her cheek and I raised my paw to assure her that all would be well.

Soon my kennel door opened and her smile was so bright that I instantly jumped into her arms. I would promise to keep her safe. I would promise to always be by her side. I would promise to do everything I could to see that radiant smile and sparkle in her eyes.

I was so fortunate that she came down my corridor. So many more are out there who haven’t walked the corridors. So many more to be saved. At least I could save one.

I rescued a human today.

*Written by Janine Allen CPDT, Rescue Me Dog’s professional dog trainer. Janine’s passion is working with people and their dogs. She provides demonstrations for those who have adopted shelter dogs, lends email support to adopted dog owners that need information beyond our Training Support Pages, and aids shelter staff and volunteers in understanding dog behavior to increase their adoptability. Copyright 2008 Rescue Me Dog.
 
Thanks to Lance, teeni, Andrew, Robert, Diane, Evelyn, Cathy, Evan, bikehikebabe, rummuser, B Wilde and Tim for commenting on last week’s post.
 

11 comments ↓

#1 teeni on 12.08.08 at 1:13 am

That was awesome. Thanks for sharing it here. :)

#2 Jean on 12.08.08 at 1:43 am

teeni,
) I’m glad you liked it too.

#3 Diane on 12.08.08 at 12:12 pm

Hi Jean,

That was so beautiful and so true. Thank You!
What wonderful and lifting post!

#4 rummuser on 12.08.08 at 2:21 pm

Jean, that is a beautiful story.

rummusers last blog post..BlogCrash – Community Forum

#5 SpaceAgeSage on 12.08.08 at 10:40 pm

My cats save my sanity, attitude, and patience quite often. Nice story!

SpaceAgeSages last blog post..Myth, Supersition, or The Real Thing?

#6 Scott on 12.09.08 at 8:26 am

Thanks for the smile. I needed that.

Scotts last blog post..Not Worth A Dime But It’s Worth More Than You’ve Got

#7 Jean on 12.09.08 at 11:31 pm

Diane, rummuser, Lori and Scott,
:) Thanks so much for coming by. There’s a reason so many people have pets, isn’t there? Just looking at pictures of animals, especially dogs, lifts my spirits. And the piece captures why so many people always get their pets from the local shelter…and why volunteers are happy to work with the animals.

#8 SpaceAgeSage on 12.10.08 at 5:00 pm

You can see my cats — and other stuff — here:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/28181943@N04
(scroll down)

SpaceAgeSages last blog post..Relationship (or leadership) is not about control

#9 Jean on 12.10.08 at 10:21 pm

SpaceAgeSage,
Great pictures! Thanks for the link.

#10 Maya on 12.11.08 at 5:48 pm

What an awesome story Jean. Thank you for sharing it.
Time and again, I think that my dogs and my cat have really rescued me – their unspoken loyalty and warmth goes a long way!

Mayas last blog post..A Simple Happiness Equation: A Picture

#11 Jean on 12.13.08 at 2:02 am

Maya,
:) I agree, pets are invaluable. Thanks for coming by.

Leave a Comment

CommentLuv Enabled