Thursday, January 09, 2014

The Story Of Glory


"Saving one dog will not change the world, but surely for that one dog, the world will change forever."

This is 3 year old Glory. She was adopted 10 months ago from the local SPCA, who was about three hours short of putting her to sleep forever. You see she had been dropped off a few days earlier and her 72 hours was almost up. That is what the Humane Society and the SPCA do. They give a dog or a cat 72 hours to find a home before they kill them unnecessarily. This is why I support the NO KILL advocacy group who work so hard to save those lives.

Glory was so scared and so sad. She had no idea where her family was and she cried constantly because she missed them and was so worried about them. She was so hungry but afraid to eat. Her coat was so dirty from laying on that cold and dirty concrete floor. She would soon be led to the rear of the shelter and put into the gas chamber or given a lethal injection. She had done nothing wrong. She just ran out of time. And then a miracle happened.

You see, one of my new friends who had just moved here to Maryland from North Carolina, went out shopping one day and made a wrong turn. She soon discovered that she was completely lost on a country road and the only place she could find to ask for directions was an animal shelter. So she pulled in the parking lot and went in to ask for directions to find her way back home again. Becky told the person behind the counter she was lost and he was kind enough to write down the directions to get her back on on the right road leading her home again. She started to leave but she heard barking and crying and curiosity got the best of her. She said she had this overwhelming conviction to take a peek at the "cute little puppies." You see Becky has never owned a dog before and she had no clue what these shelters were all about. She expected to see a pet shop environment with cute little puppies up for adoption. She asked if she could go see the puppies and the person at the counter shrugged his shoulders and said, "sure go take a look."

And that is when Becky's heart broke into a hundred pieces. She saw dogs that were so frightened and so starved for attention. Big dogs, little dogs, old and young. Shy dogs, sad dogs and dogs that were so shaken and scared. She walked quickly towards the exit door fighting back the tears and then she saw Glory. She was all the way in the back of that cold concrete cage, lying with her head down and not giving anyone any eye contact. Her food bowl was full and untouched and her water bowl was empty. She had no blanket or toys or anything to comfort her.

Becky stopped suddenly and said she was instantly drawn to that cage. She said she realized that she and Glory had a lot in common, for she too was very sad and and lonely in a new town with very few friends. She was also very unsure of the future and she missed her family so much. She knew right then and there that she needed to take this beautiful dog out of this God forsaken place and love her for the rest of her life. They would be good for each other. They would be best friends forever. She needed to let Glory know this right away.

She went back and asked the person behind the counter if she could visit with Glory to talk to her and to reassure her that she was going to be safe now and that she already had fallen in love with her. They let her in and gave her a chair to sit on and Glory eventually looked up and wagged her tail. That night they developed an instant bond like no other.

They made her wait for three more days and it was agonizing for Becky to leave Glory there alone wondering where her new friend went. But finally that day came and they have been inseparable ever since. Becky introduces Glory always with the same words, "This is my best friend Glory. She saved my life."

I hear these stories all the time and I really believe that these are God's miracles. I truly believe one of God's greatest gifts to mankind is a dog who loves you unconditionally and is a friend for life.
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