Lola

Last June, I got a call from an animal rescuer in Illinois named Patti. Patti found my name on the Dogs Deserve Better website, and she needed my help. She’d just learned that a distant family relative in Mississippi was severely neglecting and abusing his dogs.

Patti, a woman who dedicates her life to helping animals, couldn’t bear the thought of someone in her own family doing such a thing.

So, Patti called me and said, “Ashley, I’m so sorry to bother you on a Sunday, but I’m praying you can help me. There are 2 dogs who need your help now! Please, please tell me that you can help them!” 

One of the dogs, a female Husky named Lola, was living in a crate 20+ hours a day… inside a trailer with no air conditioning. The crate was 2 sizes too small for the dog, which inevitably stunted her growth, and caused her legs to splay outward.

Each day, Lola would try as hard as she could not to potty in the crate… because she knew the consequences if she did. But after 23+ hours... sometimes she just couldn’t hold it any longer... and she'd have to go.

Then, the man would beat the crap out of her for making a mess.
And when the horror of the abuse caused her to potty on herself during the beating… he’d beat her all over again. 

I'll share Liberty's story tomorrow

The other dog, a black puppy with no name, was living outside on a chain with no food, no water, and no shelter. She was also suffering from a severe case of mange, and she was completely emaciated.
 

Patti was devastated to learn about these poor babies. She didn’t know the relative personally, but she couldn’t let the dogs continue to suffer in his hands. So she begged me to help them, and she cried... when I said I would.

After the man agreed to surrender his dogs, the race was on.... to get them out, before he changed his mind.

The dogs were in Liberty, MS, about 4 hours away from me. So, I started working to find someone who could meet me halfway. Within a couple of hours, Michelle Lombas offered to drive to Liberty, to pick-up the dogs... and get them to Jackson, MS. From there, my friend Chrissy drove the dogs to Forest, MS, where I met her to bring the pups to Meridian.

When I met them, I saw 2 broken little babies… full of love... and hope. Lola the Husky was beautiful, loving, and special, and I immediately knew that she’d find a wonderful home very quickly.

The puppy was a different story. She was truly pitiful… and in her condition, I knew she wouldn’t find a home for quite some time. We named her “Liberty,” after the town from which she was saved, and also due to the fact that she was finally free from the chain and the abuse she’d known all her life. Liberty had a severe case of sarcoptic mange, which is contagious to other dogs, so she had to be separated from the others for several weeks. Even at such a young age, I could see that her spirit was already broken… as she’d been wasting away on that chain… slowly starving to death.

So, Lola and Liberty came to live with me. I called Patti to tell her the news, and she was overwhelmed with gratitude. Patti posted several sweet notes on facebook, thanking me for making this happen. Then, she started collecting money to send for their vet care.

I immediately posted Lola for adoption, and the requests starting pouring in, as I knew they would. It turns out that Lola’s abusive past would actually work in her favor... which is rarely the case.

Because that under-sized crate didn’t allow her body to fully mature, Lola’s growth had been stunted. Therefore, she had the look of a Husky... but was half the size of the average Husky. And while that breaks my heart to pieces, it actually made her more adoptable.

But even with all the adoption requests, I still hadn’t found the right family for Lola... just yet.

As each new dog comes in, I’m able to see their amazing personalities and get an idea of their individual needs. Then, I develop a picture in my head of the perfect family for that particular dog… and I wait for that wonderful adopter to contact me. My goal isn’t to simply stick every dog in a home, regardless of whether the family is right for that dog. My dream is to place every pup with the family that best meets their needs.

Since Lola had spent her years in a tiny crate with no attention—other than the daily beatings—I wanted her to have a family that could dedicate all of their time to being with her. Lola was very calm, gentle, and loving, and she was most content right by my side. So, I pictured her with an older individual, who was possibly retired, that could be Lola’s constant companion. This was my dream for her... but of course, dreams don’t always come true. 

Yet... within a few days, my dream for Lola did come true… when the perfect family contacted me.

I got a call from Sabrina Williams, who I know personally. Her father, Barney, lives across the street from Sabrina, and he was the reason for her call. Barney was having a hard time dealing with the pain of his wife’s death, which occurred the year before. Then, a few months after his wife passed, his beloved dog passed away... and he was truly devastated. Sabrina knew that her father needed another loving companion... to share his life and his love with, and when she saw Lola, her heart just knew that this was the perfect girl for her dad. My heart told me the same.

And so, Lola’s family was chosen.

Lola and I shared an incredible bond. So when it came time to let her go, I was beyond heartbroken. I was the first person in Lola’s life that had ever shown her love… and she was extremely attached to me… so I knew it wouldn’t be easy for either of us to part. But the day I took Lola to meet her new family, I could see the instant connection between Barney and Lola… and it made everything okay.

Even still... I warned the family that I would cry when I left, but I wanted them to know that I was so happy for Lola… and my tears were only because I loved her so much. They promised to keep me updated with pictures and stories, and I knew they would.

 As I went to leave, Lola tried to go with me. I wiped away the tears as I said, “No, baby. Stay here. This is your family now.” She cried and tried to scramble out the door behind me. So... they had to hold her back, in order for me to go.

With a broken heart... I walked to my car... with my head hung low and tears streaming, as Lola cried out for me from inside the house. In the driveway, I sat in my car and sobbed for about 5 minutes, hating myself for making Lola cry. Then, I put the car in drive ... and cried all the way home.

Sabrina would later send me a text, saying that Lola whimpered by the door, for at least an hour after I left.

As I cried myself to sleep that night… missing Lola and hugging my Rudy, I had no idea... that it would be my last night with Rudy too…

Lola got adopted on July 7, 2010. Rudy died on July 8^th. I was still dealing with the pain of missing Lola... when I found Rudy’s body that day. And suddenly, my world didn’t even make sense anymore. Later that night, I sent Sabrina a text to check on Lola... and to tell her the news about Rudy.

Sabrina immediately called me in tears, feeling awful that they had taken Lola from me, the day before this happened to Rudy. She said, “Oh Ashley. I can’t stop crying. You lost 2 babies in 2 days… you don’t deserve this. I’m so sorry. Is there anything I can do??”

I was a sobbing mess, as I said: “Yes. You can love Lola for me.”

Every day after, Sabrina would send me a text, to update me on Lola and Barney. I really needed the reassurance during that time, because Rudy’s death made me question everything.

It turns out that Lola would truly repair Barney’s heart, and he would do the same for her. Lola is so happy and loved, and my pain was so worth it... to give that to her. Today, Barney cooks Lola breakfast every morning, and takes her for walks every afternoon. She's truly spoiled rotten, which is exactly what she deserves.

I’ve actually been able to babysit Lola twice, when her family went out of town. One weekend, she came and stayed at my house. As they turned down my street, Sabrina said that Lola’s head perked up, and her tail began to wag uncontrollably, as she spotted my house. 

Then, Lola jumped out... and immediately gave me a big bear hug that said, "Thank you for what you did for me."

We had a great weekend being together again, with walks and playtime and lots of love. 

The second time, Lola stayed with me at Lucky Dog Retreat, where she was one of my very first clients.

Both times, the smile on Lola’s face told me that I did the right thing. And even though Sabrina and Barney have always felt extremely guilty about the turn of events last July... in my heart... I know... this was meant to be.

Because... as I’ve always told them: “Lola was never mine… she was always your’s. God just asked me to get her to you.”

*In a heartbreaking turn of events... Rest in peace, Lola, my heart. I'll see you in Heaven.

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