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Hoping for a miracle,
Monkey waits in his cage in the St. Bernard Parish shelter |
The Little Dog
that Could
by Amber Chenoweth
We can
do no great things, only small things with great love. ~Mother Teresa
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Because we needed to see
for ourselves the current condition of New Orleans, a group of us who
had helped Pasado's Safe Haven successfully rescue over 1200 animals in
the aftermath of Katrina, returned for the 2nd anniversary of
the day that the hurricane had raged through and erased lives in so many
more ways than just by fatalities alone. We had to know there was
rebuilding. We wanted to know that happiness was growing there again
and that there was some hope for a city we had seen suffer so much.
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Pasado Rescuer, Amity,
cradles Monkey's head in her hands |
We did see some
rebuilding, but not nearly what we had expected. We did also see life
returning to at least part of the 90,000 square miles that had been
devastated by the hurricanes. And we also saw more sadness than we had
expected to see this time.
The amount of animals
still wondering the streets 2 years after the fact was so surprising.
Had everyone forgotten New Orleans already? The shelters are
overwhelmed with animals from people that had to move on and could not
take their animals and from the animals breeding in the streets.
Despite the tremendous
hurdles that the city still faces today, and through its triumphs and
tragedies there is still almost magical spirit that hangs in the air.
It’s a feeling you get that sometimes, and for some unknown reason, an
occasional miracle will happen. Some of the rescuers fondly refer to
this as the NOLA Mojo. (NOLA -New Orleans, Louisiana)
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Maybe that’s how we met
him and just maybe that’s how everything worked out for this one special
little dog… So sickly from malnourishment and neglect, he was clinging
to the bars of his cage with his paw. His eyes pleaded with us –
“please pet me and just talk to me for a bit… I’m so terribly lonely.”
He was in one of the overwhelmed shelters and his outlook was not
good. He had been accused of running around a neighborhood and biting
everyone. (They informed us later at the shelter that people often say
this just to make sure that Animal Control will come out and remove a
dog even if it means a death sentence for that animal.) Being a pit
bull, he would not even have a chance.
After being assessed by
several different experienced dog handlers we knew that we were not
dealing an aggressive dog by any means. |
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"My kids are around pit
bulls every day. In the '70s they blamed Dobermans, in the '80s they
blamed German shepherds, in the '90s they blamed the Rottweiler. Now
they blame the pit bull." -
Cesar Millan |
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Monkey arrives in
Seattle and melts in Pasado Rescuer Yvonne's arms |
We all knew that we had
found the little dog that could…
We all saw that this dog
could be good dog for someone and bring them a lifetime of happiness.
He could get well and
learn to run and play again.
He could be the first Pit
Bull to be flown out of the St. Bernard Parish since the hurricane and
bring some hope to an overwhelmed shelter.
He could a have a
better life and live for the ones that we could not save.
He could love and be
loved.
He could be all of these things if
given the chance to.
So we made sure he got
that chance. Because
we could.
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"It's your unlimited
power to care and to love that can make the biggest difference in the
quality of your life." - Anthony Robbins
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There were
many times we thought that we would not be able to save this one.
Several weeks after we returned and after many, many phone calls, email
and extensive planning, the little dog that could set foot on our
beautiful Northwest soil, ready to start his new adventure and search
for his forever home! Earning the new name Monkey, we found that he is
very quirky, extremely clever and just loves to be loved. He has a
white patch on his chest which maps out his favorite spot to be pet &
scratched. He closes his eyes tightly in ecstasy.
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This
little dog that was all alone on the streets for months has still
managed to keep a heart full of love and soul. Everyone that meets
him sees this in his eyes. |
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Monkey is available for
adoption. He is currently going through heartworm treatment which is
not contagious but he must be kept calm and have minimal exercise while
under treatment. He has also learned the sign language sign for sit.
He loves to learn new things and is eager to know what his rules and
boundaries are. |
Mr. Monkey in his
snazzy fleece jacket! |
This is the story of one
dog that had the odds stacked against him in New Orleans. But this one
little dog has already touched so many lives. There are so many
animals in so many places that need help. To see it as the big picture
is overwhelming and can definitely be deflating. That's when you
have to break these things down into smaller pieces...This one was just
one sad story that we COULD and did turn into a happy one. It would have been so much
easier on our emotions and time to walk away from his cage and try to
forget him. But a combination of love, teamwork and a little NOLA mojo
has given Monkey a second chance at a happy life and hopefully added a
little hope back into New Orleans and the world as well. |
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To contact us for more info
about Monkey, click here.
To DONATE so we can continue to
help more animals like Monkey, please click
here. |
