Good evening friends.
My friend Mitchell wanted to write to everyone in ELS about his dog Luca. We have talked about Luca before. He still needs a home. Below is the story of Mitchell and Luca;
I sincerely thank the ELS community for allowing me to share my short story and also to appeal to your altruistic and human nature.
Some Humans Just Don’t Understand
Why can’t people understand that my relationship and love for my dog, Luca, is separate from my wife and daughter? Yes, he is ‘just a dog’ as some people like to say. Given an oncoming proverbial speeding bus I would of course save my daughter first.
The reality is there is no mutually exclusive binary decision to be made from this fantasy situation.
Many fellow humans don’t even attempt to appreciate the feelings of thankfulness I have for him in my life. He makes me a better person and makes me feel great being responsible for his life given the seriousness of the oath I took when I adopted him.
Background
For 20 years I always wanted a dog, but was never ready for the responsibility or time commitment. When I turned 40yo I lost my job from the financial crisis so I was forced to cancel my first apartment purchase which I was in contract to buy; I was really down and lonely. I then decided to rescue a dog and finally take on some responsibility.
I searched and searched for many months for a dog that I would finally have a connection. There were many emotional visits to so many different shelters in the tri-state area, some found through friends and some through petfinder.com’s available 30,000 dogs.
I’ve always seen the North Shore Animal League and ASPCA commercials, but never went inside of a dog shelter before. One cannot feel anything but morose sadness at every dark and dingy shelter watching each dog trapped in its own small cage 24/7 awaiting the nod of each potential new owner. After a long stretch many will be given another type of nod – left or right – euthanized or not. It was one of the rare times in my life I felt such pity for so many innocent animals. I wanted to adopt every one of them, but I was advised by many to choose one which I would have a mutual ‘connection’.
After meeting and spending 15 minutes alone with many dogs in many different places I finally drove an hour and a half in NJ to meet a dog named Theo (his 3rd name in his first year of his life). When I first showed up the office staff was confused as there were so many dogs that they introduced me to a different dog whom immediately bit my arm. I wasn’t angry as I figured life inside a cage 24/7 without much exercise will do that to an otherwise different (and luckier) dog.
After the confusion they let a happy-go-lucky dog out of its cage and he started to trot and sniff a small patch of grass that was available. I felt so good just to be the excuse for him to get freedom for five minutes outside of his cage. He slowly came over to me and seemed very friendly. Immediately after giving him suggested back scratches he rolled over into a submissive position and smiled and played. They told me this was a great sign as he felt comfortable and I probably wouldn’t have any ‘alpha’ issues with him.
The words “I’ll take him” just came out of my smiling mouth. I felt a bit overwhelmed as I met so many dogs over the past few months and certainly wasn’t expecting this to be my last visit / meet/greet at a shelter.
The adoption papers were signed and I put him in the back seat of the car. It happened pretty fast and I was nervous driving onto the highway having just committed to taking care of a living being who was relying on me for the rest of his life. This was the biggest commitment of my life.
He Changed Me
Luca was (and still is) very very sweet, timid, shy, and kind yet also a bit nervous. Three shelters before turning one year old might do that to someone. At first he didn’t bark and wouldn’t eat his food and required (asked) me to stand next to him. He was a handsome and noble gentleman in looks and attitude. He was very obedient and conscientious. He would never go to the bathroom in the house and didn’t go (or jump) anywhere he wasn’t allowed. He was an excellent behaved boy and slowly we developed a mutual trust and relationship.
For the first time I felt like an adult. I had a real challenge to learn how to train and raise a puppy correctly by researching, reading, and regular training. I enjoyed this immensely. As I got to know his innate idiosyncrasies I fell in love with him. He got along with every person and dog he ever met. I felt comfortable taking him anywhere and everywhere and I did. I think he loved me too.
He was a puppy and I now had to make sure he was walked, fed, played with every day, and kept up to date on his vaccines. In hindsight this really made me a responsible adult and gave me a ‘purpose’. I really enjoyed taking him to central park all the time and watching him run and play with the other dogs. He loved the wide open fields.
Before I adopted him I probably would have just slept late and snoozed the alarm, but now every time having Luca poke me with his nose in the morning to go hiking in the summer and playing in the snow with the other dogs in winter I leaped out of bed as I felt great knowing I would see him smile while sprinting in the park and playing with some friends before most people left their homes.
I went for long walks and took him everywhere I went – Washington DC, PA, and even Spain for a few months. Yes I was a bit attached, but I loved when he would look up at me like we were two best friends.
I lost a great job and fantastic real estate opportunity, but now I was much happier having filled a large void in my life.
I looked forward to taking him out to play in the park every day after work and to keep me company while doing errands around the neighborhood. I got so much personal enjoyment not only having an excuse to exercise and walk/play in a beautiful park, but I also get great pleasure thinking how I saved a dog from Georgia on death row providing him with a relatively good life and teaching him to trust me to take care of him and never hurt him.
Helping our relationship
My wife and I have a great relationship. We are both healthily independent having separate and necessary alone time. She enjoys some great hobbies alone and my biggest ‘hobby’ was my boy, Luca. These different interests make our relationship stronger because we have an outlet to flex our independence muscles.
I love taking Luca for walks exploring our new neighborhood borough (Brooklyn), playing and hiking in Prospect Park, and having him keep me company every time I went out to do errands such as getting my wife breakfast before she awoke.
Now
Unfortunately I would have loved for this story to have had a happy ending, but it doesn’t. Badass Brooklyn Animal Rescue says it best with their motto of “Saving Badass Dogs from Idiot Humans”. I am not with Luca anymore due to idiot humans and our society’s understanding and tolerance of our fellow canine species. Details of this horrible ending do not matter.
I am devastated and heartbroken having to lose my best friend who is the sweetest kindest boy and trusted me every day. He is simply – THE BEST DOG EVER.
I’ve only felt this horrible one other time in my life – when my father passed a few years ago. People just don’t understand the love one can give and receive from a dog that is just not possible (not better or worse) with fellow human beings. Why do many humans treat animals as inferior species and subhuman? Just because they haven’t sent fellow beings to the moon doesn’t make them inferior.
I am now asking for your help in saving Luca’s life. He is my best friend and does not deserve to be in his current predicament. Luca needs YOUR HELP NOW.
Please help save a Badass dog from death row by donating ANYTHING (the more you give the better you’ll feel) at http://bit.ly/DonateBadassBK
I IMPLORE you to help LUCA and other innocent Badass dogs by donating to Badass Brooklyn Animal Rescue. Unfortunately they are in desperate need of funding to help save dogs’ lives. PLEASE, please, help save LUCA’s life!!
Please donate NOW. It seriously only takes 30 seconds! Please! If you don’t do this now, then you will unfortunately forget to do this as we are all very busy. LUCA is sitting in a cage right now (23 hours a day) waiting for you to help. Here is the link to easily help LUCA and donate:
http://bit.ly/DonateBadassBK
Thank you so much,
Below is the link to easily help LUCA and donate:
http://bit.ly/DonateBadassBK
