I thought for my Blog The Change post this year I’d do something a little different and showcase a couple of people I know who are making a difference for abandoned dogs and how they’re doing it.
Making a difference for the Street Dogs of Dallas – Spotlight on “T”
First up is my friend “T.” T lives in Dallas, Texas, in fact my BTC post for last April highlighted the plight of the Street Dogs of Dallas. Sadly the situation in Dallas hasn’t changed much. There are still dogs being dropped off in the Cul de sac and they’re still struggling to find food, and shelter and dealing with the other elements such as mange, injuries incurred from fighting amongst themselves, not to mention the limited shelter available is often times claimed by homeless people.
T and the amazing men that work with him, pool their money and every month buy whatever they can for dog food. Some of the lucky dogs become shop dogs. Pups like these two.
The really lucky ones get adopted by one of the guys. Of these two, one was adopted and sadly one was hit by a car and died.
A couple of months ago my friend tagged me on Facebook in a picture of this guy.
We commented back and forth about this guy and my friend shared that he didn’t think this guy would make it. He had mange pretty bad, had some open sores and it looked like he had part of one of his back feet chewed off. I was horrified and asked if he could get the dog to the Vet and send me the bill. T told me he didn’t think the dog would make it, he was in really rough shape.
So with tears pouring down my face, I asked him to take the dog to the Vet and have him euthanized and send me the bill. We might not have been able to save him, but at the very least we could make sure he didn’t die a slow and painful death.
And then I made him promise he’d stay with him until the end, just to make sure he wasn’t alone. T said he could do that for me, and that he would take him to his own vet and if the vet thought he could be saved, he would do it. He also said, he’d handle the cost of the Vet.
It was not an easy thing for me to request, and I was so heartbroken that I waited a couple of weeks and finally pulled on my big girl panties and asked how he’d made out with the dog.
This is the response I got, “His name is Homer and we put in a doggie door.”
The amazing company that T works for, took care of the vetting and now Homer is one of the lucky dogs who made it off the street.
No, T can’t save all the dogs, but together with his co-workers they try to make the lives of these dogs a little bit better.
No Dumping! – Spotlight on “D”
My second friend is “D.” Last spring my friend D and her husband left Connecticut and bought a house in North Carolina.
D is huge dog lover and has three of her own. Her husband has put his foot firmly down and told her no more. So what happens when she finds out that people are dropping their unwanted dogs and puppies at the local landfill?
This amazing woman is working with the town and her vet. They are trapping, spaying and neutering and re-homing these abandoned babies. They are also in the process of relocating the unmanned dump to the manned recycling area so they can stop people from just dumping their dogs.
She says, “I knew God had a plan for me here.”
So why am I sharing these two stories with you today? Because I want you to know that there are many, many ways to make a difference in animals lives and it’s not always in a traditional manner. And to remind you to leave your mind and your heart open to the possibilities of what the universe has in store for you.
Some heartbreaking and some wonderful stories there.
We are always amazed by all these poor animals being dropped off or running loose and homeless as we don’t see it around here. In Germany in the summer people left dogs chained up at rest stops on the Autobahn and drove off, just unbelievable how anyone could do that to a living being. You are right about keeping an open mind. Just follow your instincts and doors will open with new opportunities you may never have thought of. Everything happens for a reason.
You are right – you may not be able to save ALL of the dogs but you can help just one, and that’s enough for that one dog. Great friends you’ve got there.
This was a very touching post that had tears streaming. I am so glad Homer made it and thank You for difference you made and by offering to help out and offering up your time and support.
Heartbreaking. There are some amazing selfless people who do so much and we are so amazed at your kindness to Homer. Bravo to you. If each of us do something even small we can move mountains. Have a wonderful Wednesday.
Best wishes Molly
Beautiful…its wonderful to find your purpose…i am still searching:-(
What wonderful stories. Every little something can make a big difference for an animal in need.
One of my all time favorite Blog the Change posts ever. You’re so right, Jodi. It we’re paying attention, we sometimes find surprising directions life takes us and we can help others in ways we’d never thought about or planned. Fantastic stories and hugs to you for your part in them.
Wow!!! Those were such beautiful stories!!!! I hope Homer is doing well!!!
((Husky hugz))
“Love is being owned by a husky”
Beautiful, i love your message, that the opportunities to make a difference are all around us, we just need to be willing to open our hearts and take the next step.
What an amazingly difficult thing for you to ask…and a wonderful outcome. So happy for Homer. And, thank you to you and all your friends who help these innocent dogs.
Peggy
Be the Change for Animals
Peggy’s Pet Place
I have to believe there are more people who quietly help homeless dogs than there are people who make them homeless. I love stories about people who do what they can without a budget or a lot of publicity and i get very angry when I read about large organizations who exploit pathetic pets to raise millions of dollars. Great post, Jodi.
Love, love, love the stories of T and D! People like that restore my faith in humanity (especially when it’s near zero hearing of where and how people abandon animals).
It’s easy to get bogged down in the gravity of the situation (animal welfare), but stories like this prove that every person and every effort is worth it and makes a real difference.
Oh what great stories! My heart was breaking than BAM! his name is Homer! Yay!! What wonderful people, angels walking around helping the helpless. Thank them on behalf all of the pet lovers. : )
Good post. There are so many ways to make a difference
Lily
Another great organization along the same lines is Barrio Dogs in Houston. (http://barriodogs.org). They mostly teach people in poor neighborhoods about animal welfare and run spay/neuter clinics, but they also pull the very worst cases off the streets.
It was a hard thing for me to realize that dogs in the shelters are really not the worst cases out there.
Oh, what great stories. Hooray for those people you know! I’m so glad Homer got a happy home.
How’s that saying go … something about “You might not be able to save all the dogs in the world, but you are the world to the one you save.” Something like that??
I think sometimes the “we can’t save them all” attitude can keep some people from doing anything – they feel overwhelmed and defeated before they even start, but every bit helps.
We can make a difference. I’m so so happy Homer has a home!!! Excuse me, while I go get a tissue. ❤
I love this post Jodi! So glad Homer is being taken care of and yes, I agree. We CAN make a difference!!!!
It brings tears to my mom’s eyes to read this post. Licks from Laika.
So glad Homer now has a home!!! YAY! So many out there need homes. I don’t know how anyone can be so cruel to animals.
Love both stories! I wanted to come up with something for today; but have had little household “emergencies” come up that had to be dealt with first. Seems all my plans for my New Year’s resolutions are being pushed back yet another week. But all is well, so not complaining.
wonderful stories and good thoughts to ponder! Thanks
These stories, even the happy ones, break my heart. They point out all the flaws in our society, sigh!
Those are such great stories, Jodi, thank you so much for sharing them. It is so sad those circumstances happen, but so heartwarming that people like you and your friends are doing what you can to help.
Brilliant stories and great inspiration, thank you so much for sharing.
Those are really wonderful stories. It is nice to read some happy endings.
I hate that people dump their dogs to who knows what fate. We have the issue big time in Detroit and if the numbers I have heard are correct, it is far greater a problem than Dallas. But with the proliferation of “no kill shelters” they are pretty selective on which dogs and how many they take. Sometimes people cannot afford to euthanize, let alone feed the dogs. So should shelters also be offering low cost euthanasia? Truly I don’t know the answer to that question. Maybe I don’t want to.