PETSTACK: Who Rescued Who
Plus, a book to save lives, shelters as canaries in the coalmine, a retreat for shelter workers and rescuers
Welcome to PetStack, a monthly curation of stories and photos provided by readers. PetStack was once a stand-alone newsletter until I folded it into the webpages of Like People, Like Pets. It nestles nicely with the weekly themes of the human-animal bond, relationship building, and parenting pets and people through the toughest years.
If I had a nickel for every person who regaled me with stories of how their pet rescued them, I could buy every shelter dog a pup cup. It’s no wonder as there are twice as many U.S. homes with pets than kids. Our relationship with dogs, cats, rabbits, birds, horses…can feel so much easier, whole, and without strings common in human relationships. Easy doesn’t mean without work. That all-in effort we lavish on a pet to help them feel safe and loved returns to us in the forms of trust and connection, proving we are capable of giving and worthy of receiving.
When I posed “who rescued who” to a few Substack writer friends, I wasn’t surprised by the response, just by the stories. In one, we learn of a toothless Substack diva who has her own hashtag and loyal followers. In another, “heart dog” is elevated beyond soulmate.
I never knew Andrew Smith wrote about non-dog related curiosities in his Substack newsletter, Goatfury Writes. I only knew of him as the dad of Dink Dink, the toothless Substack diva. Andrew posts a photo a day of his gal under the hashtag #dailydinkles. He endeared himself to me when I learned he and his partner are long-time senior dog fosters. When I asked if he would be interested in contributing a short story to PetStack, he replied, “I figure the more folks who hear rescue and foster stories, the better.”
“Sometime in 2021, a little monster named Rhubarb came up for adoption. There weren’t any vet records prior to her rescue, so “Rhubarb” was actually just a placeholder name given to her. Still, we thought the name was pretty cute, so Alley and I initially considered keeping the name. This would be our third forever dog together, after Hallie and Molly, her older sisters who are now buried in the back yard.
Because of our experience in fostering and rescuing senior dogs, we understood that she had sustained some kind of injury, where her spine now limited her movement. The end result meant that this dog had to swing her legs from side to side in order to walk, for her legs remained a little too straight to just run normally. This absolutely endeared Alley and me to this little critter.
We were on our way back home from our first trip after the pandemic flipped our sense of time upside down and inside out, so Alley would need to return a week or later to officially snag this little princess—the rescue org was going to adopt her out to someone else! We very nearly kept the name Rhubarb (it was really cute!), but being the proper nerds we are, another name came to mind. It was on the basis of how she walked, and it hearkened back to the 1980s. It was the Dink-Dink song from Spaceballs, where the Dink-Dinks (Mel Brooks’s Ewok parody) do a little song while they are walking along the desert in a particular manner. Dink Dink remains central to our lives today, and I publish a picture over her just about every day over on my Notes.”
(For more stories and photos, take a free ride through Andrew’s Dinklemania: The Book.)
There’s something about Gidget McFidget that draws me into every image of her posted by Dawn Levitt in her Substack Notes and newsletter, From My Heart to Yours. It could be the way Gidget stares past the camera into the soul of the viewer. It could also be the ease at which she snuggles against Dawn. Perhaps it’s knowing this dog helps keep her mom’s heart beating.
Rescued by a Rescue Dog, by Dawn Levitt
“When I arrived at the shelter on a sweltering day in mid-August to evaluate a little dog who had been labeled as a bite risk by animal control and scheduled for euthanasia if a rescue did not claim her, I found a tiny bundle of black fur who met my outstretched hand with a flurry of kisses. I had no choice but to take her home with me. The first night at our house, Gidget screamed for an hour when I tried to get her to sleep in a dog kennel, until I finally relented and brought her to bed. Every bedtime thereafter, she insisted on snuggling against my side where she slept peacefully through the night.
Despite Gidget’s model behavior at home, she turned into an entirely different creature when I took her to adoption events. She immediately went on the offense – snapping, snarling, and screaming at anything on four legs. If she could not be safely adopted, she would be returned to the shelter where she would be euthanized. My heart sank at the thought, so I chose to keep her as my personal dog.
Six years later, Gidget became the one to rescue me. Years prior to adopting her, I received a heart transplant followed by a stellar recovery, but my health declined rapidly in the past year. Cardiologists informed me that I would need another transplant, but the hospital where I received my first gift of life was unable to give me another heart.
I found a transplant center in Nashville willing to accept my case, but I would have to move. The thought of moving across the country terrified me until I discovered a pet-friendly apartment complex near the hospital. If I relocated to Nashville, I wouldn’t be alone. Gidget McFidget would be my constant companion.
After the move, I wanted to hide in the apartment and sulk, but Gidget refused to let me wallow in self-pity. Every day, she demanded I put on my shoes to walk her. At dinner, she pawed my leg as if she wanted me to eat something she could mooch. Instead of exercising and eating for my own sake, I did it for her because I couldn’t allow her to be neglected. She kept me going until the call came with the offer of a brand-new heart.”
GIFT GIVING THAT CAN SAVE A LIFE
Please help me help homeless cats and dogs. For every Mom Loves the Dogs More book purchased with this link, I will donate $5.00 to Second Chance Animal Rescue. Every dog in the memoir was fostered through Second Chance. In addition to supporting the animals they rescue they provide grants to community partners to support vaccinations and spay and neuter surgeries.
ANIMAL SHELTERS AS BAROMETERS OF COMMUNITY HEALTH
Nearly 72% of US households have pets. That’s nearly twice as many households with pets than children. When crises at home spill into community, there is an easy way to measure the fallout. Look to the local animal shelter and their ability to ease suffering. I’ve long held this belief but it was outlined effectively in a post by Ed Boks, former shelter director for many of our nation’s largest shelters from coast to coast. The True Measure of Any Society: Your Local Animal Shelter
SUPPORT FOR SHELTER WORKERS AND RESCUERS
On January 17, Who Will Let The Dogs Out will gather with shelter workers, rescuers, animal control officers, and community members to lead a Stronger Together event. This free retreat is designed to connect people who share a similar mission to help homeless dogs and cats. When people gather for collective solution making, isolation diminishes. Hope returns. The January 17 event in Clermont, Florida is our fourth Stronger Together event. Over 150 people have attended the previous retreats. We expect this location in central Florida to draw a big crowd. Register early to ensure a seat. Visit our Stronger Together Facebook page to learn more or register here. Please share!
I bet you know someone who loves pets and people, too. Please pass this along!