The Rescue Mission

The Rescue Mission

Going to bed: a thousand kisses. Waking up: another thousand kisses.

Bo, our latest rescue, was very grateful for his new life.

When our rescue cat, Buddy, passed away suddenly a few years ago, my husband and I were devastated. Buddy had come to us from terrible circumstances, and he had meant the world to both of us.

I told my husband how much I needed to rescue another animal.

“I can’t. I don’t think I can handle the pain anymore,” James said.

I understood. Losing Buddy had been heartbreaking. But I also knew that if I could find the right rescue, his heart might change.

So I started looking.

We tried to rescue a few dogs in Canada. One was a little Yorkie with only one eye. She had been subjected to the cruelty of a puppy mill and had been rescued from somewhere in the United States. She had been used for breeding, and there was a possibility that she had cancer.

We didn’t know what had happened to her eye, and honestly, we didn’t care. We just wanted to give this little dog a safe and loving home.

We applied to adopt her.

The rescue organization told us they needed to investigate our home, contact our references and veterinarian, and that the process would take about two weeks.

I had already sent them an extensive website I had created with stories and photographs of the rescue dogs we had cared for over the years. I had volunteered with a dog rescue organization for years and provided personal and veterinary references.

Still, they needed to “investigate” us.

Needless to say, it didn’t work out with that little dog.

Then James said something that changed everything.

“Why don’t we look at rescuing a dog directly from the U.S.?”

I was thrilled.

When James spoke to our veterinarian, we discovered that it was actually much easier than we had expected.

So I started looking.

Within a few days, I saw him.

A four-month-old Yorkshire Terrier who had been abandoned.

Bo.

I have had very strong dreams throughout my life, and I had recently had a very strong dream and vision of a Yorkie.

Something about Bo felt right.

We called the rescue organization, sent them photographs of our home and provided the phone numbers of people they could contact. We were approved the same day.

The Ten-Hour Trip

We travelled to our first stop in Niagara Falls the next day so we could cross into the United States and bring Bo home.

I was so excited that I couldn’t sleep.

There is something incredibly powerful about knowing that an animal is waiting for you—waiting for a home, waiting to be loved, waiting for someone to give them a second chance.

The next morning, we headed into New York State. It would take about two and a half hours to reach Bo.

When we arrived at the border, a very stern-looking man was waiting for us. He asked about the nature of our trip.

James handed him a piece of paper with Bo’s picture on it.

“We’re just crossing the border for a few hours to rescue a puppy,” he explained.

The man’s demeanour immediately changed.

“Oh, he’s adorable!” he said with a huge smile.

He let us through.

James and I laughed about how quickly the border agent changed when he heard about our rescue “mission.”

The Pickup

When we arrived, I walked into the little shed-like building that had been built by the rescue organization.

There he was.

Little Bo.

He was beautiful.

He was also very shy and shaking with fear. I fell in love with him immediately.

James took his time with Bo. He knew that this little dog needed some space because he was frightened. James has always been very good with animals. He is incredibly perceptive and seems to understand what they need without being told.

The woman who had rescued Bo said goodbye to him with tears in her eyes.

Then we were on our way.

I sat in the back seat with Bo in his little carrier. He must have been wondering what on earth was happening to him.

I stroked him gently and told him that he had just won the lottery.

A few hours later, we arrived back at the Canadian border.

Bo came out of his carrier and kissed James.

He was beginning to trust him.

It was the cutest thing ever.

We paid our taxes, got back into the car, and headed home—tired, happy and completely in love with our new little boy.

When we arrived, our other rescue, Loo, met Bo.

The two of them eventually became the best of friends.

We have rescued several animals over the years, and we will continue to help animals whenever we can. Every one of them deserves a second chance at life.

But somewhere along the way, I’ve realized something else.

Sometimes saving an animal can help save you.

The love, trust and unconditional companionship of animals have helped me through some very difficult times. In many ways, rescuing animals has also helped me recover from parts of my own childhood.

There is something healing about being able to give another living being what they may not have received before: safety, patience, kindness and love.

And perhaps that is why rescue works both ways.

We think we are saving them.

Sometimes, they save a little piece of us, too.

Peace.

P.S. Bo eventually grew into his ears.