I first learned about Chance on Thursday, June 30 as I sat at my desk perusing my Facebook news feed from the day. A shelter in Riverside county was making a desperate plea for the adoption and rescue of some of it's pups, and had even lowered their adoption fee to $15, knowing they were just going to be put down. It was about to be 4th of July weekend, and as all of us dog crazies know all too well, this means nothing good for dogs currently being housed in shelters across the country. This is often a weekend of mass euthanasia due to the number of fear runaways and strays picked up due to the human need for huge and noisy fireworks displays. Chance had been in the shelter for a month and the volunteers weren't sure how much longer the shelter employees would let him live. To think that his only crime was being tossed out in the desert and being picked up by animal control, and that the punishment for this was death. I am painfully aware of the overwhelming number of strays and owner surrenders brought to shelters everywhere every single day, but I still cannot come to terms with these perfectly friendly and healthy dogs being put to death for no fault of their own.
Friday afternoon, July 1, I called out to my friends in hopes that they would help me with some of the cost I would incur to rescue Chance. A few responded, and I never could have imagined their generosity (thank you a million times over). Saturday morning, July 2, I set off on the almost two hour drive to save this boy's butt. I got distracted by a brindle pitt while I was there, but luckily she was being adopted and I could get back to Chancie Pants.
About an hour later, I was back in the car. I had met up with an amazing volunteer who offered to pick Chance up from the vet, let him stay the night at her house, and then drive him all the way down to San Diego to meet me. When I first left for Corona I thought, "I'll grab this pup and find him a new home. I'll just foster him." Well, silly me. I didn't anticipate instantly being in love with this 45 lb love bug that had just come into my life. My first instinct was to keep him forever because I love him and because he loves me (at least I hope he does!), and because I SAVED him. All by myself. Just little me who not too many people seem to believe in or think has the capacity to actually save lives. But more on this later.. Chance was brought to me on Wednesday, July 6. This was the day I learned that Saturday was his last day. If I had not filled out that paperwork, he would have been in a garbage bag in a landfill likely by the next morning.
Soon after Chance settled into my home, I found out how sick he was. Kennel cough, giardia, worms. He had it all. Off to the vet we went. Fecal samples, antibiotics, shots, tests. He was quarantined and not allowed to play. This was far worse than the vet visits, because playing was all he wanted. I could see him becoming more and more frustrated with every new dog he met and couldn't wrestle with. It was heartbreaking. I also learned that Chance is not, in fact, 2 years old like the shelter had originally thought. He is likely only 1 year old. You can imagine now what his energy level must be like! Yep, you guessed it, he is on ALL the time!
Now that Chance is healthy, he goes to Fiesta Island nearly every day. 1.5 hours minumum... sometimes 2. He never slows down! He swims in the ocean just to swim, which I'm sure he had never done before. He plays with new friends, runs, sniffs, carries sticks that he finds in the brush. He knows true joy and freedom. I'm so proud of him.
It took me about three weeks to realize that he can do better than this. Yes, I love him. But I am out of work. I have a small apartment. The move I was originally supposed to make fell through.... three times. I am the only human in my California family. This is when more angels came to me. The same rescue group I fostered for previously agreed to help me find Chance an amazing forever home. He is now listed on their website, and is invited to attend all of their adoption events! Yes, he is safe and always will be, and yes, he will stay with me until he finds an even better life. But he CAN and WILL do better than me. It's a humbling thought, but I will continue to remind myself that I am here right now to serve as a part of these doggies' journeys... but not yet a final destination.
Again, you don't know the generosity of people or how kind some of them truly still can be until you really need them. Being involved in dog rescue has both helped and hindered my view of humanity. The stories of abuse are so horrendous and so unfortunately common... but the stories of rescue and strangers going out of their way for creatures of all shapes and sizes that they have not and may never meet are so inspirational.
As Chance dozes off on my couch on a beautiful Thursday afternoon, I cannot stop smiling knowing that he will always be safe and he will never know a concrete kennel again. Because of me.
If you are interested in adopting Chance, please contact me at missjennifertaylor@gmail.com.
If you would like to contribute to Chance's medical bills, please visit my CHIPIN to donate: http://chancetherescuedog.chipin.com/chance-the-rescue-dog.
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