Pictured: Polar Bear doing time all matted, dirty, very lonely and sad
This is my friend that I nicknamed "Polar Bear" while we bonded and I was his animal shelter foster mom making daily visits to see him each morning to give him walks and just get him out of the tiny cage cause he was so huge they had to use 2 kennels while he was prisoner #15 at the pound for 8 long nights but it still was a tight space for such a giant dog! I was his hope and truth be told he was also my angel passing through my life. He was picked up by animal control on Feb 18th, THUR as a stray as someone called in saying a giant dog had decided to lay at their front doorstep! So that was the date that we actually first met at the pound but I thought for sure he would have been claimed since he had a collar and said "Oops!" to me when I asked him what he was doing there! Well, when I went back on SAT he was still there looking at me with those sweet angelic sad lonely eyes so from that point on I would spend 2+ hours with him each morning from Sat Feb 20-Fri Feb 26. On Friday, Feb 26th he was available for adoption as no one had claimed him so he was released to me as I decided to adopt him for fostering then about an hour later his owners called to finally claim him and I agreed to meet them back at the pound and turn him over to them. It was the right thing to do at the time even though he had been missing for 9 days or maybe longer before his family decided to call the pound to see if he had showed up. I know I personally would never have waited that long to call the pound to see if my dog was picked up and if he was there when I went to pick him up there would have been tears flowing down my cheeks and my dog bouncing with joy to see me again which btw did not happen as I witnessed the somber reunion. The following Monday he got loose again and then again on Thursday (how do I know you ask? Well I was the one called each time asking if I had lost a big white dog cause his chip implant ID was still with my info on it!) So ... by Friday the pound picked him up again and the owners decided to surrender him knowing he would go to a better home. I fostered him this time for a night at my house so he would not have to spend anymore doggie jail time and then I was able to locate him a forever home because he actually had a backup person wanting to adopt him and so I located her and took him to her house and it was love at first site for her and Polar Bear! So this precious 3 yr old angel is now placed in his 3rd home in his lifetime, so for him it seems that the 3rd time is a charm! He now resides just down the street from me on a huge property and even has a playmate buddy of the same breed/age to keep him company and a big family of 5 kids to love and care for him for the rest of his dog days and I can visit him anytime and his new mom and I have become friends! Happy ending for all!
Sometimes in life we have special beings that walk through our path such as Polar Bear was to me and it's a good feeling when you can spend some quality time together even if just briefly as you will cherish those memories a lifetime because they meant so much to you. Don't think that for a second animals don't appreciate what you do for them, they do not forget. They have feelings too. Perhaps today you can take a moment to find out what your local shelter needs, usually someone to walk the dogs (especially the big ones cause they really need to stretch their legs and not every volunteer is comfortable with big breeds) or pet the cats. Maybe even offer to foster and help them find a home. A fenced in backyard is a better place to do time then a tiny jail cell when you are so big! Dogs, cats, horses are social creatures...they need your attention, to be loved and given hope. Can you make a difference to an animal today? Can you reach out to them in their time of need? They depend on us humans to help them, let's not let them down. Be a friend to a grateful soul and you just might end up seeing the sad dog face pictured above turn into a happy dog face with a loving family like the picture below! Do you see the difference you can make?
Pictured: Polar Bear cleaned up and in his forever home with the youngest of 5 kids who he acts like a Nana dog with! Notice the big happy thankful loving smile!
Yes, it's the same dog! I took both photos as proof that dogs do feel and show emotions!
