Eleventh Hour Rescue

  

                   Eleventh Hour Rescue

~Written for the 3rd grade students of Tramway Elementary

There I was... on Halloween night, sitting in a crowded animal shelter in the eastern part of the state.  I had no name.  I had no family.  Even worse, from what I was hearing, I was running out of time.

A shelter volunteer took pity on me and many of my cellmates and placed our pictures and a plea for help on an internet site.  She hoped to find families for us before our time was up.  It seemed like a long shot, but I had nothing to lose by trying.

 Just by chance, my future mother was miles away on that very night searching the internet for an American Dingo to join her family.  She happened across my picture and read of my urgent need for a home.  Mama tells me she was “smitten” when she saw me!

My mother quickly emailed the volunteer who got her in touch with another volunteer that offered to rescue me from the shelter for her; however, the day she was to get me, a local Humane society picked me up and took me away!  Mama was heartbroken.  She was glad that I was safe, but sad I wasn’t going home with her.  So sad, in fact, that she began sending out emails trying to locate me again.  With the help of several people she was able to track me down.

Within a few days, I was on my way to meet her, my new daddy and brother, granny and grandpa, aunts, uncles, and cousins!  I saw my new home.  I saw my new yard! I saw birds, grass, trees, sky, and water.  I felt the indescribable joy of freedom.  I could run anywhere that I wanted to, but found that I liked it best when I was beside my new family and being smothered with kisses and hugs.  I even got my own name finally…..Ruby!

My days began to be filled with happiness and love and long walks in the park.  Thinking back, it was hard to believe that just a week before, I was a nameless, homeless dingo with only hours left on this earth.

If you think that it looks like I’m smiling in my pictures, you would be correct. I smile because someone took the time to help me find a family and I smile because that family took the time to find me.

Mama’s Notes:  The American Dingo is also known as the Carolina Dog and the Yaller Dog.  These Southeastern United States pariah dogs have been studied in great depth for the past forty years.  Their history extends back thousands of years and connects them to primitive canine relatives throughout the world.  They may have even arrived in America via the Bering Land Bridge.  Despite their “wild” dingo look, their intelligence and loyalty make them excellent family pets.