This Week God Brought Us... "Sweetie"

This week God brought us…”Sweetie”, a support dog who belongs with “Howard," a resident at one of our shelters. Sweetie got loose and ran into the street, where she was hit by a car. This resulted in having to amputate a leg. The silver lining is that during the care from the veterinarian, it was discovered that Sweetie also suffered from an infection that sometimes occurs in female dogs that haven’t been spayed. This infection can be fatal, but because it was caught at this moment, it was treatable and Sweetie is expected to make a full recovery and to adjust to life with three legs instead of four. Donor support at the shelter meant we could help cover those veterinary costs. Sweetie and Howard are not at all unusual among those who come to us for services. For many people – rich or poor – their domestic animals are their emotional supports, their friends, their unconditional love (expressed mutually). Many of our clients have troubled or strained relationships with other people, whether their families of origin, their partners/spouses and children, their friendships. Experiences of mental illness, histories of trauma and abuse, daily struggles for survival all make it challenging to cultivate healthy relationships with humans. The dog or cat (we’ve also seen ducks and iguanas, among others) may be the one reliable other who accepts someone uncritically and unconditionally. At the end of the day, don’t we all want that? We’re grateful for the support that allowed us to take care of Howard and Sweetie. Theirs is a story of connection. God surely blesses it.