Belly Rubs and a Forever Home

How Simple Kindness Can Lead to “Paw”-sitive Results

Most of you know I advocate for animals and their welfare. I’m the crazy lady who pulls her vehicle over to rescue abandoned, abused, homeless animals. I pick them up, get them vet-treated, and re-home them through an interview process.

And just recently, we rescued our 103rd dog. Meet Mack!

When I found Mack, he was running down the highway without a collar, and his ribs and hipbones were visible even from a distance. For 45 minutes, I tried to lure him with turkey. But he was so fearful, I wasn’t able to get too close to him.

I followed him for a mile to a dilapidated trailer, where I met his owner. The man stepped outside and said, “If you want him, take him. I don’t want him anymore.” He then proceeded to aggressively grab Mack by his neck and drag him to my car. Mack was terrified and shaking all over.

It was obvious that this dog had been abused and was afraid of human hands. When we had the chance to look him over, we could see that he was covered in fleas and ticks and in very poor condition.

But do you know what’s great about this story? Within just 30 minutes of being away from his old life, Mack let me lay my gentle hands on him and soothe his soul. He wouldn’t look me in the eyes, but he accepted the touch of human hands and liked being petted. He knew he’d been saved.

The very best part of this story? Mack found his forever home and now enjoys lounging on comfy beds with his new family’s kids and receiving lots of belly rubs. He is learning that he is worthy of love—he is learning to trust again.

There’s no particular reason for this story. I just wanted to share a personal success from this week—and let everyone know there are more successes waiting out there for us all when we follow our heart’s call.

My “thing” is saving animals. But it’s important for everyone to have their own thing. We all need to find meaning and purpose in our lives and know we are of service. And at the end of the day, sometimes that service results in belly rubs and a second chance at a happy ending. Who can argue with results like that?

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