In 1991, when I was 23 years old and fresh out of college, I left my shift at the hospital for the afternoon and went to the local Humane Society to drop off some old towels and blankets. I did this often, because I have always had a heart for animals (especially dogs). I had just recently moved into a small apartment and although this phase of my life was fresh and new, I realized my life still had an empty spot, too.
On this hot August afternoon I told myself not to go inside the shelter, because I felt I just wasn’t in the right place in my life to own a pet. For an unknown reason that day, I felt compelled to take a peek at the puppies that were visible from the fence. After that, I felt even more obliged to go inside, and as I passed through the office to go out to the kennels, I saw a worker bottle-feeding a tiny puppy. The little pup was just 3 weeks old, and the only survivor from its litter. The mother dog had been abused and neglected, and this led to dehydrated and starved babies. As I peered at the diminutive ball of scraggly fur in the worker’s lap, I was told that the Humane Society was considering putting the weak puppy “out of its misery”. Odds were not good that the baby would even survive at all, even if they could find the manpower to bottle-feed and nurse the puppy through the next few precarious weeks. The last chance for the puppy would be to find a foster home that would be willing to donate the endless hours of care the baby needed. I took the weakling right then and there, intending to bring her home and nurse her until she was old enough for me to fill out the paperwork and adopt the baby, providing her a permanent, lifetime home.
Bailey, my shepherd/lab mix puppy, had the odds against her from the very beginning. Once I had the baby home, I soon discovered that the puppy was not only malnourished, she was unbelievably infested with worms, highly anemic, and had dangerously low blood calcium levels. For the first week Bailey was home, I didn’t sleep. I cared for the puppy 24-hours a day, treating her holistically, focusing on Bailey’s needs, providing her with natural and healthy foods, healing exercise, being sure she received crucial rest, and providing safe and effective homeopathic treatments when possible. Bailey was so malnourished that on her very first walk on a leash, at 5 weeks of age, the puppy suddenly began to limp. I found out that Bailey’s toe had broken on the walk, due to such low calcium levels. But very slowly, over the next few weeks, Bailey’s health began to improve. I even made crazy raw liver and wheatgrass shakes to improve the puppy’s iron levels. Amazingly, Bailey loved them!
My Bailey-baby, growing and getting healthier every day:
There is no doubt that Bailey was a fighter, and I think I was the human being who was granted the gift of giving this dog the ammunition she needed to win. The once near-death puppy began to grow and heal, and with my intense and consistent care, Bailey was housebroken and crate trained by 8 weeks old! Furthermore, a now healthy Bailey rapidly learned to be squeeker trained, knew all the basic commands, mastered several advanced commands, and passed the Canine Good Citizen Test, all before she was one year old! When Bailey did turn 1, in August of 1992, she officially became a therapy dog.
But the remarkable story of this beautiful shepherd mix does not stop there! Bailey’s life became one filled with amazing adventures. Bailey became my shadow, accompanying me everywhere. She even sailed to the Bahamas and up and down the Eastern Seaboard with me.
Bailey, beautiful and all grown up:
Bailey also had many remarkable events happen to her in her lifetime. When Bailey and I moved from Florida to northern Virginia, one afternoon Bailey successfully rescued a little boy from drowning in a lake. Another time, when Bailey and I were hiking in the Shenandoah’s, we unknowingly came too close to some bear cubs. When the momma bear began to charge, Bailey instinctively stood in front of me, ready to shield me from any harm. That was not the only occasion where Bailey protected me. Once the brave shepherd shielded me from another human being when someone broke into our home. Bailey was unhurt, but the intruder was sent to the hospital. Another time, on a walk together in our neighborhood, a loose dog lunged to attack me. Instinctively, Bailey protected me by grabbing the offending dog by the throat and growling as she held the animal down to the ground until the dog’s owners came to retrieve it. The entire time Bailey exhibited grace and speed, yet she never hurt the attacking dog, she simply stopped it from harming me in any way.
Bailey hiking with me in the Shenandoah Mountains:
Bailey’s heroic acts were so memorable, and one time she even made the local news! This happened when I lived on a busy highway in Virginia. One morning, there was a clutch of baby geese trying to cross a 4-lane highway. I got out of my car, stopped traffic and whistled for Bailey to come to me, and then gave the shepherd the “herd” command. The goslings made it safely to the other side of the highway, pictures were taken, and Bailey became a local celebrity. And her instinct to herd did not stop with baby geese. Once I took Bailey to Asetegue Island, and she even herded the wild ponies!
The bond created between me and Bailey began on that hot August afternoon in 1991. For over 12 years, Bailey had protected, loved, cherished and devotedly gave of herself to me. Then, just a month after her 12th birthday, Bailey was diagnosed with a rapidly growing brain tumor. It was if the world had fallen out from underneath me, and there was no way I could imagine my life without my Bailey. I turned to an herbologist, who helped Bailey live a happy, pain free, vibrant and full life for almost one full year after the initial diagnosis. On August 28, 2004, three weeks after Bailey’s 13th birthday and almost 13 years to the day from when I first brought home the emaciated and weak puppy, Bailey suffered a stroke. Unbelievably, I realized Bailey’s time here on this earth had to end. My heart broke over and over again as I had to put my soul-mate to sleep.
The love that I felt, and still feel, for my Bailey is not something that can be described in words. The bond between the two of us was indescribably strong and solid. That little shepherd/lab mix puppy deserved such a full and happy life, and so much more. I only hope I was able to give Bailey everything she was worthy of.
“Bailey was an angel on earth and now she's an angel in heaven.”
~ I will continue to share true stories with you in the hopes that they may inspire you to take some sort of action -
1) whether to move you to make a small donation to your local shelter,
2) to possibly donate a few hours of your time volunteering at a Humane Society or Rescue near you,
3) to become a foster-home for needy puppies or for animals awaiting adoption,
4) or to even become a "furever" home for a needy soul, like Kelli did for Bailey. ~ Thank you!!
1) whether to move you to make a small donation to your local shelter,
2) to possibly donate a few hours of your time volunteering at a Humane Society or Rescue near you,
3) to become a foster-home for needy puppies or for animals awaiting adoption,
4) or to even become a "furever" home for a needy soul, like Kelli did for Bailey. ~ Thank you!!
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