The Best Gift Was Free
The feeling I’d made a difference was priceless.
Bruce Coulter wants to know the best gift I’ve ever given.
No-kill shelters often have ‘specials’ close to the holidays, and the shelter where I volunteered was no different. During a special, it’s all hands on deck with lines out the door. I was a host, greeting people and directing them to the dogs or cats.
It was two o’clock when an elderly gentleman came through the doors, looking somewhat confused at all the commotion. I approached him and asked if he’d come to adopt a dog.
“Well, I’m just gonna take a look,” he said. “I’m not sure what I’ll end up doing. My Martha’s been gone, well, mebbe a little over a year, and I might like me some company.”
“That’s a great idea,” I said. “Let me show you where the dogs are. Did you want a big dog, small one, maybe something in between?
“I don’t have much of a plan, not big-big, though.”
“Well, why don’t you head down this hallway? You’ll find the smaller dogs in the purple room. We’ve got more on the right in the yellow room, but they tend to be larger. Enjoy!”
A half-hour later I saw him walking toward the door, looking disappointed, no dog in tow, nor had I seen him spend any time with an adoption counselor. “Hey, sir! What happened? Today wasn’t the day?”
With a bit of sadness in his eyes, he replied, “I saw one, but he didn’t like me much. He snarled and growled when I tried talkin’ to him. He was a real cutie and I thought he just might be the one, but I’m thinkin’ he didn’t feel the same.”
“Whoa, wait! Did you know there’s this thing called crate aggression? Some dogs act like they’re ready to rip your head off when they’re in a kennel, but as soon as they’re out they turn into cuddlebugs!
Let’s get him out of that kennel, and get you together in a meet n’ greet room. I think you’ll find he’s a different boy. And, don’t worry about getting in a room with him, a trained adoption counselor will handle your introduction. I bet it’ll be great.”
I was busy all afternoon and didn’t have time to peek in the room to see what was going on with the two of them, but after about an hour and a half he came toward me carrying Minnie, (yes, he was a she) a small-ish mix wearing her brand new pink collar.
He stopped, took my hand, and with tears in his eyes, thanked me for how it made him feel when I took the time to care about him … this sad, old man, in the middle of the rush. Now I was crying! I’d changed two lives that day.
The best gift I’ve ever given is being present for someone.
There’s an old saying, or maybe not so old, that asks, “Who rescued who?” My answer? It’s a two-way street.
Changing the lives of rescue dogs is unlike any other feeling. Here’s a story about Evie, a dog with a story.
Not writing for the Challenged? Climb aboard! Here are this month’s prompts:
