They Rescued Me

I can't remember a time as a child when my family didn't have a dog. Sometimes more than one. The companionship one gets from a dog is something beyond compare. In our home I was taught to love our animals, that I had a responsibility to them; they didn't choose us, we chose them. This kind of lesson is one that is priceless and everlasting. After my parents divorced my family no longer had a pet dog, mostly because my stepfather liked cats so that's what we had.

When I grew into an adult and a father I thought it would be good to get my family a dog. We got a beautiful Rottweiler puppy who we named Zeus and my children loved. I felt complete again. There was one problem with him, aside from his obscene cuteness, I worked a lot and my first spouse did not give him any attention to speak of. I decided I could not keep him because I was not being a good steward to him. So, it was with great sadness that I found him what I was hoping would be a good home. One day I came home to a cute little kitten who I named Deniro after one of the best actors ever. He was so loving and would snuggle into me when I slept, or curl up on my lap every time I sat down. I had Deniro for about 10 weeks and he got sick and passed on from us.

A few years later I separated from my first spouse and I soon met and fell in love with a beautiful woman who I ended up spending fifteen amazing years with. She and I had two incredible boys and she was a faithful and loving stepmom to my girls. My second spouse, Cynthia, was also a very compassionate and empathetic animal lover. Over the years of us being together she supported a great deal of causes which helped animals. There wasn't much we disagreed on except on which made better pets - cats or dogs. And, frankly, this was not a hill I wanted to die on. So, during a great deal of our relationships we had cats. To be clear, I like cats and have always had cats but when given a choice I prefer dogs.

The first cat we got came to us soon after we moved in together. This little gift was left by her mother in our driveway for us to find one beautiful morning. Cynthia came in with this scraggly looking cutie and we fed her, bathed her, and loved her. Our vet told us she likely wouldn't make it but if she did she'd be a lucky and well loved kitty, and nothing was more true. One of my daughters named her Princess and she quickly became a member of our family.

Princess was a true beauty who loved to snuggle and give affection. Our little baby was constantly underweight, she had feline hiv, she had non-stop leaky eyes and she was diabetic. She was definitely loved, although she may not have agreed during her daily needle time. We had to give her a diabetes shot every day which she did not like but would quickly forgive us for.

After having Princess for a while we had two more strays that found their way into our lives - these ones we never photographed before having to rehome them. The one was a beautiful long-haired tabby cat who we named The Cheshire Cat, Chester for short. Chester came to us one night, just came into our home via an open window that had no screen and he never left. He was super unkempt but after several days of brushing and snipping then a good bath he would lay around with all his majestic beauty. He would go outside and always come home. It was inarguable, he was meant to come into our lives. The second one who came into our lives was a feisty orange tabby who was constantly coming around my workplace. I worked at a printer, he was full of ink, skittish, and just so damned cute. He did not like most people who worked there but was constantly coming to me for pets and to hang out with me during my breaks. He loved sharing whatever lunch I had. I called him Mr. Orange on account that Reservoir Dogs is one of my favorite movies. One day he ate somebodies tea bag and wasn't feeling well as a result. So, I took him to my vet and then brought him home. This was our little family; my daughters, the love of my life, and our three odd-ball cats. About 3 months after Mr. Orange came into our lives we both lost our jobs, we worked at the same company. At that point, we decided to move in with Cynthia's parents so we can save some money. My mother-in-law had two elderly female cats and was not willing to let us have Chester or Mr. Orange, she did, however, have a soft-spot for Princess. So, the deal was that we could come but we could only bring Princess with us. Rehoming those two loveable fur balls was not something I wanted to do but something I had to do.

We lived with Cynthia's parents for about 18 months; in that time we found out we were having our first son. During that time my appreciation for cats grew immensely. They are so much different than dogs, they are rebels. I can honestly say that I still would have loved to have a dog, but I also would have loved to have both a cat and a dog even more. We lived in a small one bedroom apartment for a year before moving into a two bedroom apartment in the same building. Cynthia knew that I had a hard time not having a canine companion, and that losing Deniro and Mr. Orange were hard events for me. I came home from work one day and she had our son ready in his stroller and said come on, I have a surprise for you. We walked to my sisters house who, unknown to me, had two kittens she was trying desperately to find homes for. Cynthia told me she thought I could pick one. I ended up picking the tiger-striped short-haired tabby, she was the one who seemed to like me the most. I like the other one, an orange and white tabby but she seemed disinterested in me. As we were leaving my sisters then boyfriend made a comment about drowning the other one if she didn't go within the week. I didn't hesitate, she also went into the carrier. I got them home and after watching them for a minute I settled on Tiger for the tiger-striped. It was a little cliché but also fitting as she seemed to stalk everything. But the orange one I couldn't seem to find anything. After a few days I jokingly took my tarot deck and said whatever card I draw is her name. It turned out that I drew the Star, that was her name for sure.

Our family was finally complete again. Having feline companions made our son and Cynthia super happy, and I loved having them around. They brought life to our house.

It still missed having a dog in my life but I just didn't have time and Cynthia still wasn't a "dog person". That issue would be solved for me a few years later, in 2008. That year I reconnected with my oldest child who is the result of my 14-year-old hormonal irresponsibility. A few months later, she found herself needing to move out of her moms house and I openly welcomed her into my home. In fact, I couldn't have wanted anything more at the time. Along with her came her little Jack Russell Terrier name Jack. It was like a dream come true for me; I no longer had to miss my daughter and I had a new canine companion. Jack came with my daughter but quickly became my friend. So much so that by the time my daughter moved out she asked if I would like to keep Jack with me. Now, I had even more happiness in my life. Not only did I have new fur baby but also Cynthia and I had brought our second son into the world. Jack wasn't so much a rescue. But he did rescue me. I found myself being more active again and generally happier. Once again, I was responsible for an animal that needed me to take him for walks, etc. That lesson of stewardship came back to me very quickly. Also, in that time I was having some serious relationship issues and having Jack in my life was good medicine for my mental health.

At the end of 2013 I was taking Tiger to the vet for a check up. I didn't have her in a carrier. In fact, I had rarely taken them in the car in a carrier. And, I had my window open. Tiger jumped out my window at a stop light and was hit by a car. That was one of the saddest moments of my life. A few months later, in February of 2014 my relationship with Cynthia had come to an end. Then in April I had to say good-bye to Jack. He had been having mobility issues for about a year to that point and it reached the point where he could no longer move. In May and July I said good-bye to Princess then Star. Within a few months I was literally saying good-bye to my spouse and every animal I loved for so long. I was emotionally, mentally and spiritually devastated.

During that year my sons were asking if we could get another dog. I agreed we would get one but we had to give it time. Finally in 2015 my two sons and I decided it was time to get another dog. We sat together and talked about what kind of dog we would like in terms of personality, size, etc. and we settled on a looking for a husky. I knew I didn't want to buy one but I was very interested in adopting. I began applying to various adoption agencies but for some reason kept being rejected. Finally, after two months of rejections I was talking to a woman who I was on a board of directors with about my woes of adopting a new dog and she shared with me that she had an American Bulldog who she couldn't give enough attention to and was bratty and lonely as a result. She came to us as Gemma and we kept her name. It was a super fitting name for our family because we are huge Sons of Anarchy fans.

Gemma is a camera shy dog so I don't have many pictures to share, except the one at the top. She wasn't a stray, but she did need rescuing simply because she wasn't being cared for in the way she needed. I respect that her previous parent knew she wasn't being a good steward to Gemma. Many people are extremely frightened of her breed. What people don't understand is that there truly is no such thing as a "bad breed" but merely irresponsible human stewards. My oldest operated a childcare out of my home for four years, then moved next door and my home is still a huge part of the childcare centre. Gemma is a cherished part of the children's visits here. She is a natural caregiver to the children and has never been a cause for concern.

Again though, this isn't just a time where a dog needed rescue. It is more than that. Gemma also saved me and filled a place in my oldest sons life too. I was barely moving anymore, I wasn't exercising, and I was definitely feeling the loss of our fury family members. Having Gemma in my life fills that need for having a canine companion. She requires me to be a good steward. She didn't ask to be in this family, but she sure does appreciate the love she gets. I cannot express enough the added value of rescuing an animal over purchasing. Rescues come to us when we need them most, it is not only us humans who rescue them, but they us. Those of us who choose to rescue tend to have a deeper understanding that these loveable fury babies are part of our family, we don't own them. Like our children they are not our property but a responsibility. Gemma has some heavy health issues that likely will reduce her life expectancy. When she leaves this world she will do so knowing she was loved so immensely. What she won't know is how much more I needed her over her needing me. Like all those who came before her she will always hold a very special place in my life and will be honored forever.

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