Everyone Deserves a Second Chance

“She was on death row. She sat in a cold shelter kennel, on the concrete floor, watching; waiting; as others were taking from their kennels and adopted. She never thought her day would come. And it wouldn't have, if it weren't for Black Dog Second Chance Rescue Organization. We absolutely love the cattle dog breed- they are often misunderstood- all they really want is to please their owners. And when their owners turn them into the scary shelter, they become confused. Molly was no exception. She was confused. And sick. She had heartworm.”

Those anonymous words tugged at my heart as I read them. I was cruising the internet to see if I could find a dog to replace the hole that Suzie left in Jim’s heart. Every time Jim looked at a dog since Suzie went to the Rainbow Bridge, I felt the heartfelt truth of the saying: Dogs are not our whole life, but they make our lives whole.

And, so it was to be. A three-year old Australian Cattle Dog named Molly Jo (“Molly” for short). She came to the Black Dog Second Chance Rescue Organization (BDSC) in Amherst, New York, via Kentucky. She was in a “high kill” shelter when the BDSC rescued her. She was taken in by two loving foster parents and received all the medical treatment, love, and attention necessary for her to regain her health and her esteem.

However, the BDSC doesn’t allow dog adoptions outside a 45 minute radius of Buffalo. This is not bureaucracy or isolationism; this is to ensure that the dog remains within a radius where, if the adoption doesn’t work out for some reason, the new owner can return the dog safe into the arms of BDSC who will try again and again to find the dog a forever home that is just right.

Nevertheless, I thought I would take a chance. Taking a chance would be true to one of my life mottos, courtesy of the hockey-great Wayne Gretzky: “We miss 100% of the shots we never take.”

Fast forward and we were approved for a home visit, to ensure that Molly and we would feel comfortable with each other, and BDSC would feel comfortable that Molly was going to a good home. Molly’s foster parents even offered to make the two and a half hour trip to Toronto for the welcome visit! How very kind and generous we felt them to be.

At 11:00 this morning, a car drove up to the front of our house. Jim was so excited he was like a kid on Christmas morning. Up the walk came two of the most special people on earth, Cathy and Paul, Molly’s foster parents. Both of them were crying as they led Molly to our door. They had fallen so in love with the little girl dog that they were heartbroken to leave her. Hugs between virtual strangers were exchanged, in the spirit of love and kinship for a little dog who deserved a second chance in this life.

As I sit writing this, Molly is slowly becoming used to us, although she spends most of her time at the door waiting for Cathy and Paul to return. It will take her a few days to get used to us and to recognize that being in our home, where there are hearts full of love, is her blessed second chance. Less than eight hours later, she is giving Jim and I tentative kisses, proving truth in the wonderment: “Who knew that dog saliva could mend a broken heart?”

We are grateful to BDSC and to Cathy and Paul, angels on earth, for giving us a chance to show Molly that the world is a loving and safe place.

And to Molly, thank you for today. Thank you for starting to heal the wounds of a broken heart.