THE DOG THAT LEFT PAWPRINTS ON HER HEART

My daughter called me to tell me of a visitor that had arrived at her door at dusk. She wasn't sure why she even looked out to notice him but the look in this four-legged guy's soulful eyes told her he was searching for help. Was this dog just lost, my daughter wondered, venturing too far from the place he called home or had he been deliberately abandoned?

She was cautious when she opened the door to approach him because she didn't want to frighten him but was also unsure of how he would behave toward a stranger. Maybe he didn't look at her as a stranger since he seemed to have sought her out. Maybe he somehow, instinctively knew that he found a friend or, maybe, just plain divine intervention stepped in. He was skeptical but let her scratch his ears so she knew he had no intention of harming her. By doing so, he must have known that she meant no harm to him, either. When she put a bowl of water out for this parched traveler, he appeared grateful and drank as if no one had ever offered any kindness to him before.

The late evening air had become chilly and she thought he should spend the night in a more comfortable place than her patio. He must have thought so also because he guardedly tried to come into her house. Seeing him in full light made her eyes fill with tears. He wore a collar but it was so tight it was imbedded into his filthy fur and gave no clue as to his identity or if he even had a home. The only clue was the remains of a broken hook, apparently broken when he pulled loose from having been chained to something. My daughter's conscience told her she should try to find his rightful owners but her heart told her his pitiful condition showed he had been badly neglected and didn't deserve to be sent back to wherever he broke free from.

If he was to spend even one night in her home, though, the first thing on the agenda was to feed him. That proved easy. The second thing was to give him a bath. That was not so easy, but he politely tolerated her efforts knowing, I think, that it was a condition of him being able to have a warm, safe place to sleep and more food.

In less than twenty-four hours my daughter had fallen in love with this loving, grateful mutt who, by now, even answered to the name she thought appropriate for him. Whatever his name was before, he would now be known as 'Jake'. The following morning brought her back to her real world when she was forced to admit that this could never be a long-term relationship. Her work required that she travel most of the time and taking him to work with her was not an option.

"Maybe I could pretend he is a seeing-eye service dog", she said.

"For a flight attendant??", I asked.

Admittedly, it was not her best solution. In the weakened moments the night before, she envisioned him living with her permanently and asking friends and family to care for him while she was gone. In the reality of daylight, she knew that was probably not one of her better ideas so she began calling animal shelters and veterinarians to inquire of reported lost dogs. Fortunately, he did not match any descriptions they had. Just as she knew Jake found her for a reason, she knew she had to keep working for him on his behalf. One of the no-kill shelters told her of a program called Safe Harbor Prison Dogs where dogs are placed with foster families and these special dogs are then inducted into a program to work with prison inmates until they can be adopted. Their program, however, was currently full (with a waiting list) and they were not accepting any new applicants. Maybe, if they saw him, they would change their mind, she thought. She drove him to the shelter to introduce him to them knowing if they could just meet him, they too, would fall in love with him and would make an exception to include him in their program.

I'm happy to tell you this story has a happy ending and Jake is now gainfully employed - with Safe Harbor prison Dogs. (She knew if they would just meet him....)

(And, as my daughter's mother, I wasn't the least surprised when she told me she cried all the way home.)