Missy, the story of love and a
new beginning:
Donna and Gail (President of Big Heart Rescue) are Canadian Coordinator's with Noah's Wish and were deployed to Slidell, Louisiana during Hurricane Gustav and Ike. Just after Hurricane Gustav hit Slidell, Louisiana a call came into Animal Control that a dog in horrific condition was running the streets and needed help desperately.
After many failed attempts, this little white dog was caught by a woman who saw her running and Animal Control picked up a dog who we thought would die in our arms.
The wounds on her back, the infections in her skin, her toe nails, her deafness, her mats, her hip, her splayed feet, her weakness all indicated that she was in very poor shape yet it was her eyes, eyes that were void of life or hope that captured our hearts and we went to work on ensuring that a special light would return to those blank eyes and her body would be treated with the best medical care available.
Our
darling Missy was taken to the vet for evaluation, x-rays and tests. Sadly
it was determined that she was heart worm positive (heavy) and had a
numerous injuries, a compromised immune system, a degenerating hip socket,
infected feet, toe nails that needed to be lasered to be removed so she
could walk, an enlarged heart and a soul that was filled with pain.
We
promised her she would have a chance to enjoy what every companion should, a
life of love, food, a home and a warm fire place to sleep away our Canadian
winters.
Thus began Missy's journey of wellness and healing. She was started on all the needed medication, she was shaved, bathed, walked, held and told how very much she mattered, how important it was for her to know that her life was important to those whose hearts she had touched and we explained the excitement she would feel about her new adventures of life in Canada. There she would have room to roam safely, how the days would be spent exploring the world around her and playing with other companions who had once felt just as alone and as afraid as she was feeling.
Then
one special day, Missy picked Donna to be her new Mom. As we went to walk
the little girl who now was beginning to physically recover, she was brave
enough to make eye contact with Donna and it was clear that she had decided
that she would try to love again, to trust another human and enjoy the touch
of gentleness. Our little muffin Missy made the decision to live again and
we cried that day for we knew that love does have amazing healing powers and
a glimmer of light began to shine through the eyes of one who had once given
up.
At
the end of September our little muffin Missy was flown to BC to begin her
new life with her true family, her forever family, a family that opened
their hearts and their homes to a 10 year old special needs girl who had
lessons to teach and love to share.
For weeks she played in the sunshine, explored the gardens, became friends with her cats and her dog buddy Keiko, a senior gal from Chilliwack Animal Control that had come to live out her life in the same paradise that Missy now enjoyed.
She
was under the watchful eye of an amazing vet who adored her as we did, who
recognized a survivor with strength beyond imagination and who also knew how
very ill our little muffin was.
Sadly with all of her aliments, with the years of neglect and lack of medical care Missy was in congestive heart failure. Her heart was so enlarged that there was only one choice and that was to allow her to spend her last remaining days knowing how she had touched our lives deeper than can be expressed, to watch her continue to seek out new and interesting smells and for her to tell the crows not to fly over her yard because indeed, she did now own her own yard and she would decide who could trespass and who could not.
Muffin
Missy spent her last physical day on earth with her Mom by her side,
sleeping in the sunshine, wearing her bright blue coat to keep the cold at
bay, searching for special treats in the garden and was delighted at the
chance to eat smelly wet cat food which brought about the biggest smile and
a dance of joy.
She was released from her body knowing love, feeling love and understanding love. And though her joy was measured in weeks, she lived in the moment and the horror's of the yesterday's were gone from her mind.
Missy remembered the love that was shown to her, the warmth of her new family and the kindness of those who were once strangers but became her family.
Run free dear muffin Missy, be healthy and well as you play with those who have gone before you.
The light came back, your soul flew with happiness and you taught us that to trust again, allows us to begin again.
With love,
From all of those who were blessed by your presence
