The journey was supposed to be short. Get some meal, fill up your tank, and keep going. Honestly, I didn’t even want to stop in that small, dusty town halfway through the twelve-hour drive to help my sister relocate.
There was only one gas station nearby, and it was a little, broken-down house with a crooked sign and one working pump. The gas tank was almost empty.
When I was filling up, I could hear a faint yipping sound coming from nearby. I thought there was a dog in the car. But as I looked around, there was nothing there. There was nothing in the weeds or empty fields save for an old, broken-down ATV.
At that point, I could see the bed of a beat-up pickup truck across the lot. I went over and glanced inside.
They were there. There are a lot of small dogs. Some dogs were dirty and shivering, some were hugging, and some were crawling around and screaming for help. There wasn’t a mother there. No one at all.
I just stood there at first, trying to figure out what to do. Can someone come back and get them? Did they forget about them?
When the gas station worker saw me look inside the truck bed, he came outside and yelled something that scared me to death:
“You aren’t the first person in this area to find a load like that.”
The words hung in the air like smoke. My stomach turned when I looked at him. “What do you mean?”
He leaned on the structure and shrugged. His name badge said, “Animals are always being thrown out here.” Don’t worry; no one will see it. This house sits unoccupied for half the year no matter what.
My heart sank. How could someone just leave these little creatures alone? They were probably little more than six or seven weeks old. Their eyes darted about swiftly, as if they were likewise looking for answers, and their small bodies were covered in matted fur.
I looked at Carl again. “Do you know who left them?”
He said “No” very clearly. “I would probably go to jail for how I reacted if I knew who left them.”
I couldn’t believe how honest he was, but he admitted that he wasn’t pleased. But being there didn’t help. As the sun went down, the sky turned pink and orange. The temperature was also dropping quickly. The puppies wouldn’t make it through the night if I didn’t do anything right now.
“Can I have them?” I asked.
Carl’s eyebrows went up. “Are you sure?” That takes a lot of labor.
“I can’t just leave them here,” I said. “They will die.”
He nodded slowly before going into the store. He came back and gave me a plastic bag with some beef jerky, water bottles, and an old blanket in it. “This is it.” First, take this. Good luck, too.
Good luck! Yes, that’s right. I needed a miracle.
I put the blanket on the passenger seat and then slowly lifted each puppy into the back of my truck, one at a time. There were eight puppies in all: two golden-brown ones, five black-and-white ones, and one little guy with gray fur patches who wouldn’t listen. When I picked them up, their small paws shook against my hands, and they all whimpered softly.
While I worked, I thought about how absurd it all was. I had never taken care of dogs before, let alone eight noisy puppies. I was also far from home and hours away from where I wanted to be. But every time I thought about leaving them behind, I felt horrible. Someone had to take care of these little lives, and it looks like that person was me today.
When they were all peaceful, which was as calm as eight puppies can be, I went in the driver’s seat and looked at the dashboard. What’s next? I couldn’t just go to my sister’s house because she would kill me if I showed up with a truck full of dogs without warning.
I got out my phone and started browsing for nearby animal shelters instead. The closest one was in the small town of Willow Creek, which was forty minutes away. Okay. That’s what I thought.
The manager at the shelter smiled at me when I got there, as if they knew what I was going through. I was weary and covered with puppy feces. She said, “We’d love to help, but we’re full,” after hearing what I had to say. We don’t have time because we’ve been saving so many people recently.
My heart sank again. “Do you have any thoughts?”
She thought for a moment before answering. “There’s a woman named Ruth down the road. She runs a network of foster homes for animals that need a place to stay. She might be able to keep an eye on the kids or at least assist you identify the right individual.
I thanked the manager and proceeded to Ruth’s address because she appeared like the greatest choice for me. My GPS took me to a little farmhouse in the middle of farmland and rolling hills. A border collie with silver hair sat on the porch stairs while hens walked around in the yard.
Ruth smiled and opened the door while wearing overalls. She had rough hands from years of work, and her hair was in a loose bun. Her face got even softer when I told her why I was there.
She pointed to the kitchen and told me to go there. “We need to see those babies.”
I told Ruth everything over coffee and baked oatmeal cookies, from how I found the puppies at the gas station to how full the shelter was. She was very fascinated. Sometimes she would reach out and pet the puppy that had crept up on her lap and was nodding in accord.
“You’re lucky to have found these poor things,” she said at last. But it takes a special kind of strength to look after someone. Are you ready to give it a shot?
I blinked. “Me? Give them a hand?
“Why not?” she responded in response. You have already brought them this far. It will also only last till we find a place to live for a long time.
for a short time. I stopped at the word. Could I look after eight puppies, even for a short time? But how could I say no after everything they had been through?
“Okay,” I said in a low voice. “But I’ve never owned a dog before.”
Ruth grinned. “Don’t worry. I’ll tell you all you need to know.
The next two weeks were busy, tough, and very rewarding. Ruth told me how to wash the puppies, feed them, and keep them from chewing on the furniture’s legs. It took a long for them to change from being thin, scared strays to happy, loving bundles of joy.
Ruth helped me locate a loving family for each of them, one at a time. I was sad to see them depart, but I was thrilled to know they were safe and happy. Everyone found a loving household, but the little gray puppy with mismatched eyes did not. He just wouldn’t stop. Even if a lot of people were interested, something always felt off. It looked like he wasn’t ready to leave yet.
Ruth finally told me to keep him for myself. She winked and said, “The universe gives people what they need sometimes.”
I had to take a minute to think about what she said. Me? Do you have a dog? Is that true? But when I thought about it more, it made more and more sense. He had already made himself at home at the foot of my bed and was following me around, having won my heart. His presence also made me think of all the good things that had happened to bring us together.
So I decided to make him my son. He changed his name to Lucky because finding him changed my life forever, not because he was lucky to be alive.
A few months later, I saw Lucky in my backyard chasing butterflies with his tail going crazy. I pondered about how my life would be different if I hadn’t stopped at the gas station that day. I had to adjust my plans for the day, but I got a lot more in return, including a fresh point of view, a sense of purpose, and a furry friend who always reminded me of how powerful kindness is.
You can be amazed at how much life changes. Things that get in the way might sometimes lead you to people and places you didn’t know you needed. In general, it’s about being open to the things that happen that change who you are instead than holding on to your goals.
If you liked this post, please tell your friends and family about it. Let’s be kind and remember that even small acts of kindness can make a big difference. ❤️