In the spring of 2009, I received a call about a pit bull who had been left behind on a chain after his owners had long moved away—weeks before. This poor baby was left with no food or water, and he was slowly starving to death. I went to check out the situation, and as I pulled up, I saw a living skeleton. He had the kind of eyes that led me right into his soul, and I knew that he needed to be saved. I would soon rescue this poor baby, but little did I know that he was the one who would change my life.
My husband & I took this sweet little boy into our home, and we named him Rudy. He was my special little angel, sent from Heaven just for me. He was so gentle and loving, and he was so great with the foster dogs that are constantly in and out of our home. Rudy didn’t have an aggressive bone in his body. He was everything good bottled up into one… I guess that’s why he was so big.
Rudy was heartworm positive when I saved him, and although he received treatment, his little heart was just too weak. On July 8, 2010, I let Rudy outside to play with his foster friends. Little did I know that it was the last time I would ever see my sweet little boy—my everything—alive. I came home to find that Rudy had passed away from a heart attack. It was truly the worst thing that has ever happened to me.
Despite all of the unspeakable pain I have felt since Rudy’s death, it doesn’t even come close to the amazing experience of having him in my life. Rudy taught me about life, love, and unbridled joy. He taught me the meaning of true forgiveness and the importance of second chances. He taught me about the beauty of the pit bull breed, and he inspired all my future rescue efforts to save every pit bull I can. And I guess now, Rudy is trying to teach me about grief and letting go. Those are lessons I wasn’t quite ready to learn. Most importantly though, Rudy taught me that one man’s trash really is another man’s treasure. Rudy may have been worthless trash to the people that left him behind, but he truly was—and always will be—the very most special treasure in my heart.
