Animal Shelter Inc.
Sterling, MA, USA
Is it possible for two souls to connect, to truly reach one another, connecting at the deepest level without a single word spoken?
I wanted to spend my time helping homeless animals at the local shelter. I spent the majority of my time with the cats, knowing the puppies were more popular. I cannot say for sure what drew me in to the kennel on a cold January night, but there I was. Twenty pens in all, and I found myself peering into the very last one, on the left. He sat, trembling, beneath his littermates. His eyes, chocolate brown and full of fear, told a greater story than many people live in a lifetime. He was a shy dog.
I grew up shy. Quiet, timid, and often inaudible. There were days I felt invisible, fading into the world and wishing I had a story to tell.
When you give someone your all, you lose who you are. It took years for Lenny to become unrecognizable from who he was. The little puppy who wouldn’t leave an eight comfort zone and feared walking out the door of his own home. Training, socialization, goal-setting, confidence building. The poised, loyal, and genuineness of a true American sweetheart slowly began to show through. Before I knew it, Lenny had become an advocate for shelter dogs everywhere. Rehabilitated with love and devotion, he knew he had someone to count on, who held him to the esteem of a champion. Words can’t describe the amount of joy and hope he has brought me. One day, I looked into his deep, expressive eyes, and the truth was there. In the hours, days, years I had spent learning to believe in him, I had also learned to believe in myself.
Boxborough, MA
