Maddie, Heaven-Sent

The other night, I received an email from one of my friends, Vanessa Ryan. She needed my help.

Vanessa was driving down an old, Alabama highway... when she saw one of the most heartbreaking, neglected dogs she’d ever seen.

In days prior, many others had driven down that same highway… and seen the same dog…

Yet... no one stopped. Instead... the others turned their heads, shielded their children’s eyes, and ignored the obvious suffering in front of them. Not one person cared enough to help… until Vanessa came along.

She immediately stopped her car, opened the door, and got out to do something about it. When Vanessa reached out her hand, the dog was so afraid… and in so much physical agony… that this dog cowered, on the scorching pavement... and began to cry. Her tiny whimpers said, “Please help me. I’ve been waiting for months... for someone to help me.”

The whimpering of this wounded soul broke Vanessa’s heart, so she picked-up the sick little girl, put her in the car, and drove home.

Her email said, “Ash, I need your help. I know you’re already overloaded, and I promise I’m not asking you to take this dog. I’m just hoping... maybe you can help me find someone who can.”

Then, I scrolled down and viewed the attached photo.

Sometimes, a photo... can make my heart stop beating for a second. While I’m rarely shocked anymore, I can still feel the pain of the tortured souls in my own body… and I'm incapable of looking away. For this particular dog, the obvious neglect was heartbreaking. The photo conveyed one of the worst cases of demodectic mange (demodex) I’ve ever seen.

But it also conveyed one other thing… hope. This dog has been given no reason to “hope” anymore. So, it’s amazing, despite the abuse and neglect she has suffered, that she has any shred of hope left.

Demodex thrives on time and neglect... and this girl has clearly been suffering for most of her short life. Demodectic mange is a non-contagious form of mange caused by the Demodex canis mite. These mites occur naturally in the hair follicles of most dogs, and usually, the mites don’t cause any problems. However, the mites can rapidly reproduce... when a dog is under immense stress, has an impaired immune system, or is suffering from malnutrition.

In those cases, the dogs suffer from severe skin inflammation, which leads to intense scratching, discomfort, pain, hair loss, and secondary infection. Hair loss usually begins around the face, limbs, and paws... but when left untreated.. can extend to the entire body. Dogs with demodex live in sheer agony.

Yet, people rarely stop to help them... fearing that they may “catch” the dog’s mange. However, demodectic mange is not contagious to humans... so there’s no excuse to turn your head when you see an animal in this condition. Demodex may cause them to look like monsters, but trust me: their hearts are more wounded than their bodies... and they need you.

I responded to Vanessa’s email, and simply said, “Can you get her to Meridian?”

So, on Monday, Maddie made the trip to me. When I met her, Maddie was utterly terrified --and in obvious pain. She trembled when I introduced myself, and she whimpered... as I lifted her and gently placed her in my car. She cried all the way home…

I carried her into the house, but she just cowered by the door in fear. So, I decided to sit on the floor, by the door too. I gave her medication for the pain, started treatment for the mange, and then rubbed her and said, “Please don’t cry. It’s okay now, I promise.”

She started to whimper, then crawled into my lap... and cried herself to sleep. I cried myself to sleep that night, too.

After her vet visit the next day, Maddie started to open up a little more. She began to follow me around the house, as she became increasingly curious about this whole “being inside” thing. Then… she started to smile…

That day...  just so happened to be the day that my IRS 501(c)(3) letter arrived, and I was able to share one of the biggest moments of my life with Maddie. I was so excited when I saw the letter, and Maddie was, too. In that moment, I picked up her front paws and we did our special Maddie-Moo-Happy-Dance. As we danced... her smile was so big... and when I put her paws down, she jumped right back up to do it again. So, we danced around the living room and the kitchen… and then... I stopped for a minute... to acknowledge the weight that moment.

I sat down and cried… for everything that this particular day meant to me… and also... for having Maddie to share it with.

But this time, Maddie didn’t cry. This time, Maddie smiled and comforted me… the very act I’d done for her... just the day before.

I looked at my letter… and I looked at Maddie… and in that moment, I felt Rudy’s love so strongly in my heart. I don’t always feel him here with me anymore… he’s been gone for almost a year… but at that moment, I knew that he was there.

And finally... I understood... why he had to leave me. He had to go, so this moment could be possible. I felt him saying, “Since I couldn’t be there today... I sent Maddie there... to share this with you instead. I’m so proud of you, Mom.”

In the photos I took with my letter... you can’t see her, but Maddie is lying on the floor just below me.

 But… there’s one other thing you may not have noticed. There are 2 orbs of light, to the right of me in the picture. I truly believe in my heart, that the larger orb --the one closest to me-- is my Rudy. He was right next to me on my big day. And the smaller orb, is Rudy’s best friend in Heaven, my Annie.

Thank you, Rudy and Annie, for guiding me through this life. And thank you, from the bottom of my heart, for sending Maddie to me. Today, I know.... that she’s truly a gift from Heaven.

*Maddie’s has a long road of recovery ahead, due to the severity of her condition.

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