Be Like Abby

Abby, the dog in flight, is one of the many rescued pets here on the farm. Abby was just about to get dumped off at an over crowded public shelter down in FL which is a certain death sentence. I claimed her from her unwanted owners I think just in time. They were moving that day and were piling unwanted furniture and garbage out on the street and had plans of disposing Abby very much in the same way. I had many times walked by this house with my own dogs to spotted Abby outside in the yard on a 95 degree day or locked in the garage, alone and seemly abandoned. On the day of her rescue, unsuspecting of her approaching fate of course, yet well aware she was completely unwanted by her owner, Abby called out to us as I walked by with my three dogs and a visiting friend. We heard her desperate cries and pleadings for attention as I had heard many times before. Often we would see her at the fence with a toy in her mouth, the many that scattered lawn, a meager attempt to keep her amused in exchange for the absence of her care I presumed. This day was different, her cries were more desperate and my own dogs reacted. Most amazingly, despite her neglect by the only humans that she had ever known, her exuberance for life and ability to reach us, is what ultimately saved her life. Because I find it hard to do nothing in most cases, and because my 10 year old fat beagle hound named Chukker, who barely makes a peep, whimpered and stopped, I finally found the gumption to knocked on the door. When I realized what they had in store for Abby, I quickly asked, without hesitation, if I could have her. Even with a house full of kids, not one seemed to care and they sadly couldn't have said YES fast enough and push her out the door. In that moment, Abby became ours. With boundless energy, she walked down that front path probably for the first time but absolutely for the last. So full of celebration, she nearly jumped out of her skin. As if to try and greet all of us at once, dog and human kind, she flipped on her leash, leapt and turned, ran in circles, kissed every dog and foamed at the mouth with sheer exhilaration. Her spirit has never changed. I think Abby has the ability to see only the good! Imagine a life if we could all do the same.

We have now had Abby going on four years. Here she is pictured above with Pedro our silly and slightly grumpy Mini Donkey, just one of her best friends here on the farm. I just love a happy ending or rather, beginnings.