This is a story about second chances. This is a story about the brave canine soul. This also just happens to be a story about both the well-meaning kindness of the human heart, and the occasional foolhardiness it can cause. As a weekend volunteer at Animal Rescue of Fresno (ARF), I am privy to all the good, bad, and ugly things that can happen on a dog day afternoon.
The first time I saw Trillian, she was cowering in the quarantine section of the county shelter. She had been picked up running loose in the street, without collar let alone tags, emaciated, flea-ridden and scared of everyone and everything.
The moment Ryan and Bridgette brought their puppy, Bruzer, home their lives changed. Of course the newly married couple now had the responsibility of an energetic puppy, but this change was much larger than potty training and chewed up shoes. The Puppy would change their lives beyond imagination.
Have you have ever walked through the rows of kennels at a kill shelter? If so, you’ve probably seen the pleading eyes and heard the desperate barks. Are these animals similar to prisoners in a high security jail, guilty of some kind of illegal action that wronged society? I have heard people say, “Adopting from a kill shelter is just asking for trouble. Dogs in a kill shelter are a menace to society and would wreak havoc on your home and family. They are in the shelter because they are just bad dogs.”
