And
one day everything changed... Yes, it does, in many ways, sometimes for the better and sometimes for the worse. It's Friday morning, and I am at the 2019 National Border Collie
Nationals in St Louis, setting up a booth to spread the word of Clancy's Dream, Rescue. I drift back when I unpacked our goods
at the conference. Everything was fine
until I rolled out the banner that had Clancy's photo on it, and I immediately
went back to July 30, 2016, and "that" day, when we lost our
boy. I looked around to see if anyone
could see me because of the tears that were streaming down my face. We all have had those days when everything is fine, and the next day, everything is wrong.
The day a family decides to get a new dog. It's discussed in a family meeting, and
everyone agrees to do their part in welcoming a new member into the family's love and circle, and a new dog finds a new home. As the pup grows up, he becomes the center of
attention because he loves them, and they love him. Life is different, and things couldn't be any
better. He would go hiking with them and loved the campfires at night, where he would lie by the fire, and he knew he was exceptional, and he was. The first day he
came into the home, he had "that" feeling, but he knew everything had changed.
I
got that post once, "Jackson - NM border collie, 5 years old, 62 lbs. Found as
a stray on 8/29. Jackson has been at our shelter for a LONG time. Jackson came
in very matted with burrs in his coat. Jackson has little time left before he
is euthanized. He is a brilliant dog and wants badly to be safe and
loved."
The next day, Jackson arrived safe and sound in the arms of
Clancy's Dream. He walked around, smelling trees, never running or playing.
Jackson has all but given up and shut down. That night, he refused to eat and remained content in his kennel, refusing to leave. Jackson had to be coaxed out with
a lead but sauntered back inside the house, where he lay back on his dog bed.
The spark did ignite again, and he came around. Jackson is the spitting image
of Clancy, with pricked ears, the same markings, a large head, piercing brown eyes, and even a half-collar. As I sat in the kennel with him, I wept as I stroked his
head. A few weeks later, he was adopted,
but one day everything changed.
When
I arrived at the shelter, it was busy, and people were going and coming quickly. Walking into the "dog" room, as usual, I heard the
barking before I entered and even smelled the urine, feces, and
antiseptic before I went in.
A little dog was crouched in the corner with her
eyes covered, hiding from the world and everything around her. I went into the 3 X 5 kennel and sat on the
floor with my back to the gate. I patted the floor, and she wanted to come to
me but was scared. When she did, I
cried, she licked my hand as to thank me, and I thanked her for not giving up. I ask God how this happens, but I was answered, "It didn't this time; she was saved." To many, it is just another night, but to this dog, little did she know
that the night before, sleeping on the bare, cold concrete floor was a special
night. Twas the night before she was rescued, when one day, everything
changed.
As
I traveled home from the convention after the last night, I pondered the trip
and its effect on me. Meeting
many people, telling our story, and making contacts was a great success. You never know what a day or two can
make. While driving home, I drifted back
to that day that Clancy passed and lived those few moments again. At first, feeling sorry for myself, I was
reminded that it could change the outcome of many
things to come, either for good or bad.
On the third night of
the event, I was contacted during dinner about a litter of Border Collies that had been turned over to a shelter, where they had tested positive for Parvovirus. No one wanted them because of the deadly
disease. In one day, we had them placed
in quarantine at a vet clinic, which will treat and monitor the dogs 24 hours a
day. The outcome is guarded, but
positive, and in one day, everything changed; all of the puppies were saved.
July 30, 2016, was a day I will never forget; everything changed, not only for us but also for the dogs that are saved... Ken
