By Joanna D. Samson, FOTAS VP
Day 1
I can’t remember how I got there; I only remember I was scared out of my wits. I was on the side of a road. It was noisy. Cars and trucks flew right past me . . . so close! My mind went blank. I couldn’t move. I couldn’t stop shaking.
A car pulled over, and a lady got out and ran over to me. I tried to make myself little because, well, I don’t know, I was confused. She held out her hand, and I inched over to her, hoping she was a nice lady. She scooped me up, clutched me to her chest, and sprinted back to her car.
Inside the car was quieter, but still, I was worried. I didn’t want her to put me back on the road, so I sat quietly so she would know I was a good girl.
When the car stopped, I started to shake again, afraid of the road. But she took me inside a place called a shelter and handed me to another lady, who took me in her arms and said, “Poor baby! Look at that! She’s lost an eye.”
I did? An eye? I didn’t think so. I lost a ball once in the yard . . . but an eye? Nope, didn’t ring a bell.
The next thing I know, I’m on a steel table and a lady wearing a white coat poked and prodded and looked into my ears and then flashed a light on my face. After a few seconds, she clicked off the light, scratched behind my ear and said, “Well, puppy, you never had an eye to begin with, did you?”
Exactly! What a relief! The only thing I ever lost was a ball, and truth be told, it was that blasted cat’s fault. It was all too much. I needed a nap.
Day, uh . . . well, some other day
After the whole eye thing was resolved, another lady named Foster picked me up and took me to a nice house with a big yard and two other dogs, who were a little miffed at first, but in no time we were all great buds and chased each other all over the yard just for fun. I had my own soft bed and great food twice a day (never enough food, but I didn’t complain.)
Another day
After a bunch of glorious days, Foster put me in the car one morning without my pals. She seemed sad, so I laid my head on her lap to make her feel better. We drove back to the shelter, where there was another big car with other dogs in crates. Uh oh. Now I was worried.
But Foster hugged me and told me what a good girl I was and how I was going to the best place ever. Could there be any place better than at Foster’s with my pals? I didn’t think so, but I knew Foster would never let anything happen to me. I licked that salt water off her face, hopped into the crate, and settled in for a nap. I was ready for the best place ever. I was ready for a home.
Every year, hundreds of puppies are abandoned in Aiken County. FOTAS and the Shelter provide medical care and place many of them into foster homes until they can find homes locally through the shelter or with a transfer partner.
Their lives are in our hands.
In the photo above, thanks to FOTAS, the one-eyed foundling is growing up in her forever home in New Jersey.
