Saving Sophie: Our Rescue Story

"Sophie" 

Have you ever had a moment where you reflect on events that just took place, and it suddenly hits you that everything lined up the way it did for a purpose? Yeah, I just experienced one of those moments myself! It started with me putting a simple task on my 'to-do list', last week. The task was to wash my dog Ginger. Each and every day that task got pushed back another day, due to time and the fact it rained a lot. Now let me jump over to a completely different event. Out of the blue last week, I decided to approach my husband with the idea of selling his car. He has a work vehicle, and his Rodeo has not been used on a regular basis for almost a year. My goal was to sell it and use the proceeds to reduce debt. He agreed it was a wise decision, and we decided to let friends and family know about it, waiting to advertise it to general the public. Within 24 hours it was sold to a friend of mine. Now with all of that said, let me fast forward a couple of days....

It was Sunday, July 15, 2012. We came home from church and I decided to run a couple quick errands, then jumped on the riding lawn mower to get the yard cleaned up. Since I was sweaty and dirty, I decided it was a good time to finally wash the dog. Upon bringing Ginger out onto the back deck, she bolted to the fence, barking nonstop. I immediately scanned the area to see what all of the ruckus was for. There, on the other side of the wooden picket fence, was a medium size dog. She was slowly walking along the fence, gazing into the yard. I found it odd that Ginger's presence was not scaring her off, as Ginger is known to make grown men take off for the hills! I went into my "rescue mode"-- Does the dog have a collar, is it injured, what is its temperament? As I approached her, I discovered that she did not have a collar, was not injured, and appeared to be rather sweet, yet skiddish. I knelt down beside her, on the other side of the fence and she hesitantly moved closer to my hand. I noticed she was infested with ticks, as one clung to her face as I pet her. Signs of malnutrition were evident, as her ribs and backbone protruded from underneath her fur. With Ginger still barking in the background, I yelled out for my son to put her in the house. I then quickly ran in to get a bowl of water and a leash. To my amazement, the dog was still there when I returned. I carefully wrapped the leash around her neck and escorted her through the fence, into our backyard. Once there, my husband called out, "Jenn, what are you doing?" He knew the dogs presence meant only one thing...I was determined, which normally results in a full blown rescue mission. After removing over 20 ticks, a flea bath, some food, and water, we decided to pull out our large crate and talk about our next course of action.

We asked the surrounding neighbors if they could identify her. We then searched databases and called local agencies, for any signs of a "Missing Dog", that fit her description. No luck. As the day turned into evening, we stood there, hovering over her crate, throwing out scenarios, options, and her ultimately her fate. The decision had been made, that we would keep her over night, and get her to the vet by morning. We set a cost we were willing to spend, in order to bring her back to health, as we suspected she had heartworm (Ginger also had it, when we found her as a stray back in 2006). In the mean time we were getting tired of calling her, "Hey dog", so we named her Sophie (thanks to my sister who thought I said "Sophie", when I actually said "her ears are filthy", when talking about the dog over the phone.) The next morning we were at the vet to scan for a microchip. Again, nothing. If that was the case, we knew we would be moving forward. Several tests later it was discovered that she did indeed have a weak case of heart worm. I sat nervously, as we suspected this would be the case, which can be very costly. I slowly reached out for the paper that held the final estimate. As my eyes gazed upon the final number, delight filled my heart. The cost was close to, yet still under, the price we had set. Basically, had the cost been too horrific, we would of been faced with the decision of surrendering her to animal control, which would of euthanize her because of the heartworm detection. We were finally on our way home, with a hefty bill, a bag full of medications, and an appointment to return in a week, for the heartworm treatment. For those who don't already know, to treat a dog for heartworm is an aggresive treatment done by "poisoning" the dog, enough to kill off the worms surrounding her heart, yet not enough to kill her. If left untreated, the worms constrict the dog's heart, ultimately leading to death. If you have a dog, make sure you have them on a monthly heartworm preventative, such as Heartguard or Interceptor. You can only get this through your vet. It will not only saving you lots of money in the long run, but save your dog's life as well!

Now two days later, her ticks and fleas have been treated, she is no longer eating her food as if it is her last meal, and she wags her tail when we enter the room. With each interaction, her trust in us becomes stronger. We still have a long road to travel, recovering from her upcoming treatment, socializing the two dogs, and teaching Sophie the rules of the house. Some may ask, "Is it really worth it?" One look into her eyes confirms we did the right thing, as they express, "Thank you, I am grateful."

So, back to the beginning of my story.....the delay in washing my dog and the random sell of our car. Sophie would not be were she is currently at, if those two things never happen. For one, I wouldn't of been outside to see her in the first place. Plus, had the car not sold, we would not of been able to afford the medical costs to treat her. I believe everything happens for a reason, and sometimes God places events at unexplainable times, because in the end it completes His master plan for our lives. Although we felt compelled to help Sophie, we were sure to seek God's direction first. We feel that the cost coming in below projected, was a good sign to move forward. We now trust that He will take care of the unknown. I encourage you to listen to that "gut feeling", as often that is God speaking to you. I also encourage you to pray about any decisions that you are unclear about. Then, be willing to listen, obey, and respect the answer He gives you. Trust me, I have had a lot of strays cross my path over the years, and only a handful have been impressed on my heart to the point of rescuing them. At times I wonder if the animals have a map posted some where, directing them to my house! I'd save them all if I could :)

Feel free to check out my other dog rescue story, Ginger's Lucky Day!