The story...

There is always one story that changes a person’s life. These stories can be biblical or one that holds a life lesson. The story that changed my life...well it is about our blessed little dog. She was rescued from a puppy mill in Pennsylvania on September 11, 2001. The warrants were served and as the rest of us struggled with having our freedom threatened, 62 dogs found their freedom. With all the flights grounded these 62 dogs were transported by a convoy of cars to Hearts United for Animals in Auburn, Nebraska. This no-kill animal shelter rescues so many dogs from puppy mills every year! Thank God for them. So our baby’s story: She spent 5 years in a small metal crate that was rusted out in the bottom. The only time she was feed was when she was pregnant - otherwise she had to eat whatever was in her cage. There was one other cage above her, but she above 2 other cages. They were stacked 4 high and 4 wide. Her small little paws fell through the holes in the bottom of her cage leaving scars around her ankles. (She still is very touchy about her paws.) She was matted, dirty, malnourished, had lost 6 teeth, she didn't have a name, and was scared. She didn't understand that the people who came to get her wanted to free her; she never knew what love was. She belived that all people were like the people who had her and made her have 8 litters in her short 5 years of life. Because of what happened that day to our country all the dogs were given patriotic names.

Our baby does have a happy ending: late in December of 2001 a family of 4 with two older dogs made their way to HUA to adopt a dog. They had no preconceptions of what they would adopt - they just wanted to look. This family walked into the shelter looking for a dog that would fit into their family. She was in a large pen and began dancing - as if to say look at me. She caught the eye of the odlest boy, and Carol Wheeler (the owner of HUA) let her out of her pen to say hi. The parents walked around looking at all the dogs listening to all of their heartbreaking stories. Yet this little girl followed them as if she knew they would choose her in the end. She won the heart of the oldest who begged to get her. The parents had their eye on another dog, but agreed that they would take both into the room where the oldest dogs were. For they would be the final test. This little baby girl ran up to the other dogs as if they were her long lost friends. They sniffed and licked and played. The parents listened to her terrifying story and marvelled at her courage to open herself up to these strangers. The choice had been made - not by the family, but by a little girl who just wanted a family to love her. They took her home and spoiled her rotten!
I thank God for that day. She is now our little princess. I thank God for our little Unity.
If you would like to help other dogs like our baby visit Hearts United for Animals at
www.hua.org