I was about down as a person could be. Trying to redeem myself for a DUI that cost me my license, my car, my savings, my self-respect; but mostly, my self-respect. In order to fulfill my community service, I signed up at our local animal shelter. I figured it would be a cakewalk, because I love animals and had loved and lost many animal companions over the years.
Cakewalk? Heck no. My service consisted of many hours of doing laundry, feeding the residents, and cleaning out the cages. It was hard and physically demanding work, but I felt like it was my penance for having behaved badly.
It was there I met this wobbly, crying kitten, who had just been brought in that morning. She was scared and unable to step out of her own filth. Her cage was in the room marked "feral" so I was afraid at first to go in. But I couldn't ignore her cries.
The staff named her Janis Joplin, because she wobbled and fell over, as if she was drunk. She was later diagnosed as having a condition called hypodisplasia. But after getting her cleaned up and acclimated, the staff (and I) discovered that she was the most loving and adorable kitty you could ever want to meet. But she was designated as a special needs kitty, and not considered to be adoptable.
Once my service was complete, I decided I had to adopt her, I had fallen in love. I knew that both she and I needed some redemption in this lifetime. From the moment I brought her home, Lulu became quite famous in our neighborhood. She had no idea she had any disability, and was active and playful and friendly to everyone, especially dogs; she was fearless. She even had her own Facebook page! I swear, I don't know how she had time to write! Losing her was hard, but having her in my life was a wonderful lesson I will remember, ALWAYS. Open Your Heart!
Santa Cruz, CA
