I wasn’t much to look at when I came into rescue. Nothing special that the rescuers could shout out about. A black and tan dog that needed a place to go. After I was rescued, they began to get s different picture of who I really was. I was a going to be mom. My back foot was mutilated and had already healed. I was heart worm positive. The best thing I had going was that I wanted to survive. I was strong , yet with my fellow man, I was gentle and loving. I would give my very life to keep my rescuers safe. I thought I had found a home, this was finally real in my world. After my pups were adopted out, it was my turn to get better. My foster dad loved me. I went thru the treatment and Wayne was so kind to me. I loved him and I was finally loved back! Things were not what they seemed. I started going for car rides with Wayne. We would go to a place where we were put in crates and people would come by, reach out and pet us. It was uncomfortable for me. I just wanted to go home. Finally Wayne got a call. Someone wanted to meet ME! I am not sure what that meant, but I did meet this other person. Wayne told Joan what a wonderful companion I would be. And what I lacked in looks, I made up for it in love. I was “officially adopted .” I was going home forever. I would love Joan with everything I had. And believe me, I had plenty to give. Three years of the best of times and then my companion got ill. I lost Joan, and I lost a part of my heart. I didn’t know what was to happen. I did not go back to the rescue. Instead, Joan’s daughter had a friend looking for a “great” dog. That was me. I was, of course, a little Leary of the situation. Was I going to fall in love with this family? Only to be looking for a new home again soon? Well, a surprise was in store. They loved me as much as I loved them. My “New Family” decided to move to Panama City. My mom wanted to be close to her “other” daughter. We were in the new home for six whole days. I was beginning to believe, maybe this is it! Mom went off to work that morning. A storm was coming in from the gulf. It was only a Category 2. High winds, everything was fine. But as the day turned into troubled waters, the Category kept rising, going all the way to a Five. I had a brother to keep me company. I began to get scared. I had no way of knowing that mom could not save us. As a nurse, she was ordered to stay at her station for incoming disaster patients. The wind was ferocious. Yes, we had only been in our new home for six days. The water started coming in through the broken windows. I knew no one was coming for me and my “brother”I was about to lose my forever home once more. It was time to go. We both went out the window, but with the wind and noise, my “brother” ran as fast as he could. He was now out of site. It was hard to move in any direction. I watched as the home I had just left, began to lose the roof and walls. This was not a safe place. High winds, rain and flying debris left me little hope of staying alive. I dropped to the ground and slowly made a move towards a small drainage ditch. I was pelted with hard objects, big and small. I thought that surely, my fate had taken a road that led no where for me. The wind was finally calm, there was less rain and the flying debris was gone. Many people lost their homes and many pets were displaced, some did not survive the hurricane. I was a survivor. I searched for food and I searched for humans. I had to know if my people were safe. I had gone back to my home but it was no longer there. As I threaded through the dirty waters, I heard a voice. A woman called to me. She sounded like an Angel! The voice of a person from so long ago. I started towards the woman, whatever my fate, I knew I would feel safety once again. She took me in her arms and hugged me, I felt she never wanted to let me go. She leashed me and tried to towel dry my wet murky coat. She then took me to a building that was still standing. She said I needed to be checked for a chip. The rescue chips all dogs and makes sure the owner knows they are to transfer the chip into their own name. Well, no one bothered to change the chip along my journey. I was actually still registered to Act Now Rescue, Animals Count Too. There was backtracking and trying to figure out where I really belonged! Finally my mom was contacted! I was going home! We have since, gotten a new place to call our own! And this time I really am in my “Forever” home. Thank you mom for loving me! Oh and yes, my “brother ” is safe!
