It was a dark and stormy night, rain was pelting down and my
headlights could barely distinguish the form lying in the road, still and
limp...
Well, that's the start of many a great novel and it was partly
true recently, except that it wasn't really nighttime... but it was dim and very dark due to the heavy clouds and persistent rain.
A single car proceeding cautiously along the deserted Aska
Highway, following the river towards Blue Ridge, Georgia. The occupants, Thais and Copper, were a couple from south of
Atlanta. Their business at a local firm completed, and a long day
behind them, they were making their way slowly along the dark roadway,
returning to home and comfort.
The form in the road startled them to
alertness, they slowed down and finally pulled over to check it
out. There, in the pouring rain, a large dog lay quietly, not
moving.
This fellow had obviously been without food
or care for some time. And he wasn't too interested in moving from
his chosen spot in the middle of the road despite the river of water running over
and around him. He had given up.
The couple decided that immediate action was needed and
they were able to get him loaded into their car. Now what to
do? Even though this wasn’t their familiar territory,
they got the telephone number of the local Humane Society. Upon
hearing the nature of the problem, Humane Society volunteers immediately picked
up the ball. The couple was able to transport the dog, now named...
yes... ASKA... to a meeting point, a local animal hospital.
Aska was quite a sight. At over 70
pounds, afraid, dirty, smelly and matted, he was a candidate for medical treatment and
a good shampoo and hair cut.
The matting was so bad that he had a
large piece of window screen embedded in his coat. His
ears were very sensitive and he didn't seem to be able to
hear. (Sometimes with a dog though, you aren't sure if they
don't hear or are just ignoring you!!)
Humane Society volunteers got
him checked in with a veterinarian for evaluation and appropriate
treatment. He did indeed have a very serious ear infection. A
total exam revealed that he also had heart worm.
Thanks to the selfless action of these visitors to our area,
Aska was rescued, received his legally
required inoculations and all other appropriate treatment, including a great haircut and grooming, and was treated and
released to the care of the Humane Society. He was a sweet, loving dog and
you could almost see and feel the gratitude he reflected for being rescued... "somebody DOES care".
Animal rescue groups face situations like this every
week. Selfless volunteers working through rescue groups, or as individuals, who are
present day “Good Samaritans”, see the tremendous need for love and “caring”. Rescue efforts to save abandoned and abused
animals are expensive and more importantly, require people who care enough to
spend time helping. There always seems to be a large supply of
dogs and cats that need our help, the supply of Volunteers is not always so
plentiful.
Now, back to the couple that rescued Aska. Their
hearts are large and even though they lived 100 miles away, they came back to check on their Aska and eventually adopted him to give him a loving home.
The Bible story of the Good Samaritan reflects the kind of
loving heart that doesn’t walk by on the other side of the road, or in cases
like the Aska story, drive on by in the pelting rain, ignoring a fellow occupant of God’s
universe in need of help and healing. Actions typified by the Good Samaritan's actions when he found an injured stranger are still being carried out by loving hearts.
"But a certain Samaritan, as he journeyed, came where
he was: and when he saw him, he had compassion on him, And went to him, and bound up his wounds,
pouring in oil and wine, and set him on his own beast, and brought him to an
inn, and took care of him."
"And on the morrow when he departed, he took out two pence, and
gave them to the host, and said unto him, Take care of him; and whatsoever thou
spendest more, when I come again, I will repay thee." Luke 10:33.
If you have the heart of a “Samaritan”, or would like to
find out if you do, you will experience a warm feeling and the joy of serving
by volunteering with a local animal rescue group. They would love to have your help.
A Grateful ASKA headed for "Home" and Love |
4 comments:
very sweet... thanks for sharing. And a wonderful reminder that volunteering (with animal rescues or any number of organizations dedicated to giving to those in need) is a great activity to make time for. Many thanks to all those that spend their time helping others!!!
Thanks. The wonderful couple that found him are the type of people whose love overcomes human resistance to reaching out to help, even a helpless dog in the middle of a rain storm. Animal rescue people that I have met are perfect examples of the spirit of "The Samaritan.".
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