Teacher in a Fur Coat From Chicken Soup for the Soul: The Dog Really Did That? By Jenny Pavlovic Dogs do speak, but only to those who know how to listen. ~Orhan Pamuk After Hurricane Katrina, I went to Louisiana to take care of lost, rescued animals. There I met Sarah, another volunteer. Even though we live 1,000 miles apart, we stayed in touch after we both returned home. Sarah operates an animal rescue organization in a very poor area of rural Virginia. When I viewed her website, a picture of Fred, a Red Heeler mix, popped up. My dog Bandit, a red Australian Cattle Dog (a.k.a. Red Heeler), had recently lost his best canine pal and needed a buddy with whom to run and play, so I asked Sarah about Fred. She told me that she'd rescued Fred from an angry man who'd thrown him around, stuffed him into a tiny chicken crate, and had planned to shoot him for chasing sheep, which is instinctually what the breed is supposed to do. Fred had trembled on Sarah's lap for a couple of hours while she'd assured him he was safe and promised to find him a loving home. (Keep reading) |