by Jessica Demarest
My friends work
with a rescue organization in Richmond, Virginia called S.O.S. As many organizations
do, S.O.S. rescues animals from shelters and finds them loving homes. I was
lucky enough to work a little bit with S.O.S. While there are many stories to
be told of people adopting their pets, there is one dog that stands out for
me.
In the fall of
1997, there was a huge flea market where S.O.S. was setting up tables to sell
"flea market stuff" and show animals that needed homes. There was one dog there,
Hobbs, whose story of why he needed a home amazed me.
Hobbs was beautiful.
He had soft brown and red fur and was sweeter than sugar. This dog had a great
deal of energy and would pull (he was very strong!) whoever had his leash on
walks around the flea market. The unbelievable part was that less than a month
before he had been found in someone's backyard -- with one of his front legs
sawed off up to his torso. He had been found in that condition more than 24
hours after his leg was cut off. At the flea market, he still had a ugly scab
on his wound. It was incredible that Hobbs survived, but even more so that within
a month he was strong enough and coordinated enough to be pulling people around
on three legs.
All day, lots
of people asked questions about what had happened to Hobbs, but they didn't
show much interest in adopting him. Around three o'clock, a couple asked about
him. Hobbs was lying on his side, in the shade, soaking up as much affection
as anyone was willing to give him. The couple started petting him. Then they
took him for a walk around the flea market. After about 45 minutes, they agreed
to safe-house Hobbs until the adoption outing the following week. They were
interested in adopting him, but they were afraid their first dog, Daisy, wouldn't
like him. They were also concerned about the medical attention Hobbs might require
and wanted their vet to look him over.
By ten the next
morning, they called to say Hobbs had stolen their hearts and they wanted to
keep him no matter what their vet said.
I will never understand
how anyone could have sawed any dog's leg off. If someone else had told me the
story, I would have been disgusted, but I also would have assumed the dog was
ill-tempered or somehow provoked the person who mutilated it. Yet, I watched
Hobbs interact with at least a hundred strangers and fifteen dogs. He never
growled or snapped. Nothing. Ill-tempered he was not.
I thank that couple
for being able to see past Hobbs' disabilities and providing him with a fantastic
home. I thank my friends, Kelly and Cindy, for inviting me to help them at the
flea market where I met this dog. After someone abused Hobbs nearly to the point
of death, he was still loving and gentle (strong, but gentle). I don't think
I would be so forgiving.
