What the Heart Wants

"Until one has loved an animal, a part of one's soul remains unawakened." ~Anatole France

Puppies are delightful, their kisses a magical experience guaranteed to make you smile. Kittens are adorable, their agility and curiosity so much fun to watch. In fact, I'm hard pressed to come up with a baby animal I don't like. Never have I had such a soul-deep reaction to one, however, until this past Friday when I came across a picture of a shelter dog on social media, who was saved from being euthanized by a lovely woman that was fostering him. From the moment I saw his photo, my heart whispered, "That's MY dog." It was the strangest feeling, this bone-deep bond with an animal I'd never laid eyes on before, but it was so strong I just couldn't get it off my mind.

I chalked it up to my ridiculously romantic imagination and tried to stop thinking about him, but when my husband got home I told him about it. "Did you call the number," he asked once I was done spilling my nutty tale. "No. I'm just being silly," I sighed. "Call the number," he prompted, handing me the phone. I left a voice mail and a short time later the dog's foster mom called back. We talked like old friends and later that evening she sent me a text saying that I was the "one" and could come and get him the next day if I wished. I was over the moon with excitement! We got up early Saturday morning to make the long drive, my stomach filled with butterflies the entire way. What if he didn't like me? What if it really was just my over-active imagination? The moment we pulled up to the shelter and I got out, Rocky came up to me and I knew my worries were for naught. I leaned down to pet him, scratching is pretty ears and soaking up the sight of him. This was it! My instincts had been spot on...this WAS my dog.

Saturday afternoon, Rocky got himself a permanent home...in my heart, in my life, and in my house. We piled his cute self into the backseat of my car, filled up with gas and headed home. I may or may not have fed him french fries from my lunch (blink, blink). And the final hour of our long drive, he abandoned his spot in the backseat, sprawling himself over my lap for the rest of the ride home. Having him in my arms felt JUST right!

There's an abundance of life in this world that's discarded for one reason or another which makes me question the "humanity" to be had in the human race, but not this time. Thanks to Rocky's foster mom, his life was spared a hair's breath away from being put down. Thanks to my friend, his picture was shared on social media to spread the word in hopes of finding a place that would become his "forever home". The love of many helped my dog to find me. I would encourage anyone who's looking for a pet to begin their quest at your local animal shelter. And I want to say a special thanks to all of those kind, wonderful souls who support their local shelters! You are angels for animals, in my opinion!