When Heather's marriage ended she declared to God, "Phooey! I am done with men! Send me a dog!"
Shortly after, at a Christmas gathering, she met an Australian Shepherd and fell in love with the breed. She put a photo of herself with the Aussie on her car's sun visor and asked in prayer for one.
She volunteered at the SPCA and saw hundreds of dogs. Inexplicably, she never saw one with a pinch of Aussie in it. She also scanned newspaper ads and the Internet for "Her dog". She wondered, "What is up?!" Because she never saw "her" Aussie rescue.
After two years, she looked at the faded photo on her visor, removed it and angrily tore it up. As she tossed the remains into the air, she looked heavenward and declared, "Phooey on you, too! Two years I've been waiting! Praying! And nothing!" For the first time in her life she began doubting her faith.
A few days later while on the phone with her friend, Heather told Kim about the faded photo incident. Kim declared, "We've been looking for a home for an Aussie, Precious, for months now! She's been breaking INTO our yard! My husband was incensed at watching our vicious neighbor beating Precious; so one day, he marched over to the abuser and demanded, ‘I am sick of you beating your dog in front of us. Give it to me now.' The abuser threw the dog and her leash at him."
Heather hung up and drove to Kim's home for "her" dog!
A few months later, Heather's new cleaning lady, June, asked, "Where did you get that dog? She sure looks like the dog I rescued in Tampa before we moved here to Key West."
The next week, June arrived with Heather's dog's baby photos! How was this possible? June had moved from 450 miles away! Explain that! Im-paws-ible! No one can! What miracle led June to walk into the very home, in a city of 27,000 people, of the people who had also rescued her once rescued puppy!
"I was driving in Tampa and saw a nasty bugger, in a pickup truck, toss a puppy out onto the six-lane freeway," said June. "I slammed on my breaks, ran over, and rescued the animal."
June named the injured baby, Precious. After a hurricane forced her family to move, her new landlord would not let them keep the dog. Sadly, unknowingly, in her innocence she gave the young dog to the abuser.
What is lacking in someone's mind and heart to beat and terrorize sweet innocence!? The puppy, now grown, still cowers when she rides in Heather's pickup truck but not in her car.
Heather eventually moved to Canada and Precious, who was born on the east coast, did what most people never do! She had lived in two countries and swam in the Atlantic and Pacific oceans!
Precious trained and became an amazing therapy dog. She uplifted children at elementary schools while they read and offered compassion and comfort to seniors in care homes. She loved people and they loved her. She earned medals for her hours of volunteering dedication and received a letter of acknowledgment from Queen Elizabeth in gratitude for her services.
"Precious taught many of us about love, patience, faith, trust, friendship, faith in a higher Power and in life's amazing coincidences," said Heather.
Who was luckier for finding each other? Heather or Precious? Paws-ibly Heather, because after she divorced a "dog" and found her true love!
