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2023 Holiday Matching Fund
12 Dogs of Christmas - Kash
If you've never visited the shelter before, when you go in, there are long lines of kennels with dogs of all breeds, shapes and sizes. It's a place that not everyone has the courage to visit, especially knowing that some dogs you see there one day may not be there the next, and not because they were adopted.
It takes a special person in rescue to visit the shelters day in and day out when they get the call to help a German Shepherd in need, knowing that if they get there and have to say no, there is no other option. Today was such a day for us.
Trying to put a shell over your heart and just walk by so many that you aren't there to meet is a hard thing to do. This morning our volunteers had to do just that when they went to visit three German Shepherds. Just as they were walking by one of the kennels, though, one of the volunteers caught a glimpse of a boy laying on his bed. The minute he saw her, he looked up at her as though saying "Hi" and then just as quickly laid his head back down on his bed, like he'd been through this a thousand times before. "Someone noticed me. Nothing happened. Let me go back to sleep. Nothing ever happens for me."
Maybe it was his striking blue eyes, maybe it was the look of resign to his life that she could see in those eyes. Whatever it was, that look was the beginning of what has proven to be nothing less than a miracle and the look that made Kash our Lucky Number 7 in the 12 Dogs of Christmas Series.
She didn't know his history at that moment, but something told her he was special and she couldn't just keep walking by. She asked if she could visit with him outside of the kennel. When he met her outside, if he had been attached to Santa's sleigh, he might have just flown away. That is how happy he was. He zoomed around her and then zoomed again, and just kept zooming. The moment he met her outside, that little boy who had been laying on his bed came to life.
We thought Kash's miracle was just being in the right place at the right time, touching the right heart. That was only a small part of it. The biggest miracle of all was that he was still at this place. The volunteer found out that Kash had been one of a litter of puppies who had come to the shelter at 7 to 8 weeks old. Everyone had been adopted but him. Not only had Kash survived in the shelter, he grew up in the shelter.
He survived being in the confines of a small kennel all this time without going stir crazy. He dodged being placed on the euthanasia list as so many are when they are there for so long. He survived in a shelter environment where even the strongest sometimes succumb to puppy diseases or viruses that thrive in the shelter. Kash was indeed a survivor, a miracle, and then he was ours.
Kash was welcomed into the rescue with three other German Shepherds, one of whom became his instant friend. The two ran together and played hard. Kash is a very friendly boy, friendly with all dogs. He needs to be protected from the grumpy ones, though. He still has a puppy innocence about him and thinks all dogs love him. We think we may have our first elf of the season, a very happy elf.
Today was Kash's lucky day or maybe it was ours. Our volunteers walked away from the shelter knowing exactly what they had done, no shell over the heart. The hearts had grown just a little bit larger, just as it does when you witness a miracle. They say timing is everything, but maybe in this case timing had a little help.
For all who have donated so far to the Holiday Matching Fund, thank you from the bottom of our hearts. For those who are considering making a donation, dogs like Kash are the ones who benefit from those donations, and we couldn't continue rescuing them without your help.
There may be some who would love to give but think $10 or $20 wouldn't make a difference. We promise you, every dollar you donate will make a difference. $10 may not seem like a lot to some, to others it is definitely a lot. Did you know that if four people donated just $10, we would be able to purchase a bag of dog food?
We have until January 1st to reach our goal of $50,000 in our Matching Fund. With just a little over a week left, it feels like it will take a miracle. Alone we know we can't do it, but together we can reach that goal, another miracle, just like the miracle Kash was lucky enough to get today. Please help us if you can.
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