Waggin' Tails Friday: A "Sunny" Story about Hope, Love and Karma.

Every Friday we would like to share a positive and uplifting story about our furry friends. We invite all of your suggestions for an animal story, as long as they are happy! We know that many times, animal stories do not have a happy ending. So, contrary to that problem, we are striving to change this by honoring the humans and animals that do good the world and put a smile on your face or a "wag in your tail!"

Hope. In the beginning Kelsey was your average, hardworking student and part-time restaurant employee. She was a true animal friend, animal lover and dog parent. Little did she know that her life would change on an average day, on an average shift, in a not-so-average way. During one of her shifts at the restaurant, her and her fellow employees heard a loud "splash!" Running out to the river and under the 80 foot bridge they saw a helpless and stunned dog swimming anxiously in the cold water. Everyone started to wave the dog in and encouraged the frightened pooch to swim toward them. Kelsey called animal control. When they finally retrieved the dog out of the river, she started licking everyone and seemed relieved.  Kelsey immediately claimed that she would adopt Sunny and bring her to her forever home. 

Love. Perhaps it was destiny, fate or just a lucky day, but what brought this pair together was not average. According to many sources, USA Today, NY Times, BNET, The Star, and HSUS millions of dogs [and cats] are improperly and inhumanly killed around the world. According to the National Council on Pet Population Study and Policy, roughly 9.6 million animals are killed annually in the United States. Many of these fates occur at the shelters due to space issues, however many animals do not make it to the shelter and are not "humanely" killed. This would have been Sunny's fate, except she was in the "right place" at the "right time" and so was Kelsey. Sunny was brought to her forever home and quickly bonded with her new canine sister and family. Kelsey quickly started to receive trouble from her landlord because Sunny was apparently a "vicious breed." As mentioned in the previous post, pits get so much negative attention and even though this dog was saved and gratefully kissed everyone that was involved with her rescue, she was still considered a "vicious breed." Even with all of the heat from her landlord, Kelsey vowed to be Sunny's forever mom and promised to do whatever it took to ensure Sunny's safety and well-being. 

Karma. This story happened earlier this summer, without much explanation or leads on who the criminal was that threw Sunny off the bridge. When Sunny was rescued her nipples were protruding and had a swollen belly, which indicated that she recently had puppies. As many backyard breeders, they force the female to mate, take her puppies and then dispose of the mother. This seemed to be the fate of Sunny, with of course a happy twist. But just recently Damon D. Bledsoe, 39, was found guilty on many (99) charges of animal cruelty and is currently in custody in Louisville, KY. 

Immediately upon reading this story I cried. This was a combination of both happiness and angry tears. This is a story of a true animal hero. A story that touched my life, where I had to reach out and thank Kelsey personally for her heroic act [and also to send kisses to Sunny]. I am grateful for people like Kelsey and other folks that do the right thing and work to protect animals above all odds, even when it's difficult. Upon Sunny's rescue, Kelsey is dedicated to teaching the community about pit bull awareness and responsible pet ownership, such as by hosting a fundraiser: "Sunny Day: Shedding Light on Animal Cruelty." There's a lot of work that needs to be done on behalf of animals, but for now, this is one story closer that brings me hope that there is good in the world. Thanks Kelsey and Sunny!

Kelsey and Sunny 2009

If you are interested in Kelsey's fundraiser "Sunny Day: Shedding Light on Animal Cruelty" contact me at HarleysMission@gmail.com for more information.