3 Life Lessons I Learned from a Rescue

The good, the bad, and the hilarity of it all.

Over the winter holidays, I decided to spend some time with my parents. This time turned into well over a month, but we’re living through a pandemic and quality time like this was invaluable.

During my stay, I tagged along with my mom and sister to a holiday rescue drive for local animals hosted by the Humane Society. We arrived late because we went to the wrong address first.

When we made our appearance, there were only three dogs left. A packaged deal of two small ankle-biters and one lone pup off to the side, watching the action with anxious anticipation.

Of course, we made our way over to the pup in waiting. It turned out he was classified as anti-social with other animals but loved mammals who walked on two legs.

This clever boy’s name was Louie, and he worked out that he’d have to make nice with my mom to go home on this day. Despite the workers reiterating time and again that Louie had old joints, didn’t play well with others, and had to remain on a leash at all times outside the home, none of this phased my mom.

You see, Louie had his chin on my mom’s knee during his sorted run down, and my mom’s diligent hand on top of his head signal we were going down a one-way path to adoption despite a few past discrepancies in Louie’s rearview.

She hung on to the key phrases, ‘couch potato,’ ‘great with kids’, and ‘lover of hotdogs,’ as she agreed to take Louie home and love him forever and ever.

According to my mom, he was young at five years of age, and his prior two adopted homes weren’t the right fit for Louie.

So, off we went new dog on a leash, to become Louie’s next great adventure.

Here are the three life lessons I’ve learned thus far from Louie:

1. Pick your battles

The first night with Louie was relatively uneventful. We got him settled in and gave him the grand tour of his new abode. From what I could tell, he was please with his new accommodations since he didn’t run from the house screaming the first day.

Things took a turn early the next morning. I woke up around five in the morning to the sound of my mom shouting my name and barking sounding in the distance.

I ran into the backyard to discover Louie in the middle of a good old fashion scrap with the neighborhood cat. The cat was in our fenced-in yard, no idea why, but Louie saw red and went full-on attack mode.

I’ve never witnessed a dog versus catfight, but it stopped me in my tracks momentarily. The neighborhood cat had paw combinations I’d never seen before. The cat struck Louie, lighting fast with complex combos, which stunned our poor dog.

However, Louie didn’t give up. He kept trying to attack despite being tagged every single time.

Once I shook off my daze, I jumped into action and managed to get between the two fighters and guide Louie back into the house.

The aftermath wasn’t as bad as I thought, but tending to the scratches on Louie’s body revealed he underestimated his opponent. Both ears had lacerations, his front legs had nicks, the top of his head had a cut, and his nose had claw marks on both sides.

It was clear he’d mistaken a street cat for a house cat and paid the price. As I cleaned him up and he winced now and again, I wondered if he regretted his actions.

The aftermath made it evident to me not every fight is worth the energy. You’ve got to pick and choose your battles and not underestimate your opponent.

This insight feels relevant today because every time you get on social media or turn on your television, people seem ready to pick fights or jump all over someone they disagree with without a second thought.

There’s heightened aggression in the air making people attack first and ignore basic conflict resolution tactics. We live in a charge first world with little effort for understanding. From what I can see, it hasn’t gotten as far as a society.

Imagine if we all took a breath before responding. Maybe we’d see not every news headline deserves our blood pressure spiking and our fingers flying across the keypad. Every dust-up doesn’t require our opinion.

Sometimes the best thing we can do for ourselves and others is to mind our own business.

2. Run while you can

I think I’ve established Louie isn’t an inactive dog despite what his file said. Sure, he likes to nap on the sofa, randomly go into my sister’s room and stretch out on her bed, but this doesn’t mean Louie doesn’t have a bundle of pent up energy ready to burst at any moment.

During the first month with Louie, I found myself on the receiving end of all the energy he stores away. I had to chase him through the neighborhood three times like I was a bounty hunter after a skip.

If only I were so graceful. Instead, I found myself on the verge of an asthma attack each time, but the unbridled joy radiating from Louie as he ran away from me was palpable.

The second time I found myself running after Louie, I realized being chased was probably his favorite game in the world. He always allowed me to catch up to him, eventually, and didn’t use many evasive tricks to escape me.

He’d wait for me to reach him, a bit of pity in his eyes for my lack of wind, then allow me to take him back home.

While it’s true Louie suffers from stiff joints and often stretches when he gets up from the floor, couch, or bed, he also enjoys a run. He wants to get out there and feel the wind in his face.

I can’t say I blame him in hindsight. The older I get, the stiffer my joints become. Knee pain keeps me from running, but I manage to jump rope, satisfying my cardio needs when I can. These short bursts of exercise are satisfying and allow me to release pent up energy while keeping in shape.

Louie reminds me how important it is to move while I’m still able. There will come a day when I’m unable to move a fast as I’d like or to perform all the tasks I’ve taken for granted throughout my youth. It’s my responsibility to take care of my body now so that I’ll enjoy a healthy lifestyle in my later years.

The Mayo Clinic published the article, Exercise: 7 benefits of regular physical activity. In it, the writer explores the importance of adult exercise and the advantages also.

If you care about controlling your weight, fighting disease, improving your mood, or maintaining a healthy sex life, prioritizing regular workouts is necessary.

Run while you can. Hike while your knees allow it. Jump in the ocean and body surf. Take the time to play with your kids. The time to do so is now. Tomorrow isn’t guaranteed. However, you can make sure your body is up to the challenge of being ready to perform.

3. Never let people define you

As I mentioned at the start of all this, Louie came to us with a diversified past. He’d lived in two homes previously and was on his third stint in doggie purgatory.

Along with telling us Louie was a couch potato, they also said he wasn’t a vocal dog, loved a good cuddle, didn’t move fast because of his joint problems, and was crazy about hot dogs.

I’m not saying everything they told us was false, but it sure wasn’t accurate. There are no hard feelings, given they didn’t spend night and day with Louie, how could they know all the intricacies of his personality?

Every day Louie shows us who he is. His personality fascinates me because getting to know him has felt a lot like making a new friend. He’s friendly to every human, but he takes a while to open up.

When we first got him, he wouldn’t play with any of us. He’d go and grab a toy from his toy box, and he’d play with his chew toy by himself. If we touched it, he’d leave it alone. I threw a tennis ball in the beginning, and he watched it sail away with disinterest.

Around week four, I started chasing Louie around the house, making him play tag with me. I also introduced him to hide and seek as well. At the start, I’m sure I got on his nerves. He’d often sigh while meandering after me, but he begrudgingly continued because I kept chopped hotdogs in my pocket.

By the end of that week, though, he began initiating play sessions with me. He’d bring a toy over and drop it at my feet, then crouch down, wagging his tail.

At this moment, I knew Louie felt at home; he was comfortable, he was family.

The opinions of others are none of your business. Most people are at a distance from you. What do they truly know when it comes to who you are?

People and dogs will show you who they are. Give them time.

Louie is a handful, but he never said he wasn’t. He’s also been a welcome addition to the family, adding moments of adventure, humor, and plenty of much-needed love.

He started the holiday season off without a home and will now live out his life with a family who’s got his back. All he needed was someone to take a chance on him and exercise patience while discovering what he had to offer.

There are millions of pets across the United States in need of homes and companionship. Given the worldwide health pandemic of 2020, this number has risen. If you’re unable to adopt, consider donating to the Humane Society or the ASPCA.