Brittany was working at a New Jersey animal hospital as a vet tech when animal control brought in a pit bull covered in blood and puncture wounds in that was found abandoned in a home. A victim of dog fighting, he cowered in the crate as he waited to discover his fate. The county had only allotted $300 to medically respond to each animal control case. Any cases that required more than that to treat would result in euthanizing.
Brittany was on the response team, helping hold and calm him while vets assessed him. They’d warned her that he was aggressive. As she held him, the verdict came in. Medical attention was way out of the county budget. Extensive surgery was required. Drains would need to be placed to address his gashes and punctures. Plus, he couldn’t be trusted with humans. He needed to be put down.
Just then, in his moment of tremendous vulnerability and pain, with no reason to trust or love, he began to give her kisses and wag his tail.
She knew this could not be his end. Brittany and Ryan decided to restore his dignity. They chose love and possibility and new beginnings. They decided to foster him. They gave him hope. They gave him a name. Pacino came home from his surgery with ten drains in his body. He rode out the healing from his past life. He only needed someone to believe in him. Brittany and Ryan did just that.
Shortly after bringing him home, his lifetime of fear persisted. He cowered. He hid. Yet, slowly, he would come into his own. Brittany remembers the first sign of Pacino’s self emerging and hope shining. She showed him a ball and for the first time he lit up. A classic pittie smile beamed. She thought how special it is for him to have a crack at a real puppy life. Brittany realized, “Wow. I can really give this dog the life…I can really make a difference.”
Folks, this is actually what happily ever after looks like – one soul showing up for another, a chance to hope and trust, an opportunity for deep, unwavering love. This is the kind of love you feel in your bones. It binds to your DNA. It comes to define you, embody you, change you. That’s everything good this world is made of; not the absence of turmoil, but the persistence of love and hope.
