Psychic Paws

You don’t. especially if you’ve never owned a pet. Or, more specifically, a mom or dad of a fur-kid. You don’t until one day, as in my case, you’re walking with your mom from the post office back home, and a Min Pin cautiously follows you both on the opposite side of the road, ribs showing and eyes frightened, and you talk to him quietly, encouragingly, until he is almost at your doorstep.

You feed him dog food, because your parents happen to have two dogs of their own. You give him water. You wait. He won’t come near you. He’s scared, but not too scared to feel comfortable enough to stick around for three hours or so. That’s the story of my first rescue, Samson.

I named him Samson after three days of him not showing up and then suddenly coming around again, and my driving around asking neighbors if they knew who his owner was. No one claimed him. So, I named him and kept him as my own. Fourteen years later, on a sad February day, he passed away.

I didn’t deserve him, but I was blessed to have him in my life. He taught me many lessons. The first was to listen. The second, body language. The third, humility. The fourth, rescue. He rescued me; he taught me about love and patience. The two most endearing qualities that make us human. I had no idea I had to be rescued at that time.

Folks, if you are lucky enough to rescue an animal while boots on the ground, please do. Whether you are putting them in your car to take them to a sanctuary or shelter, or you’re just taking them to help them yourself, please do, and know that your efforts are sacred. Whatever can be done to get them help, is so important. Some people can call others or other animal rescue organizations, and that is in and of itself a way to help. But I’ll never forget the day Samson came to us, and I realized this dog was starving, homeless, and in need of a new home and a new parent. I also knew I couldn’t give up on the fact that someone else could be his parent, so I searched, and searched. And then I was chosen – the lucky one.

Many blessings, Sandi