sample stories - Southside Animal Shelter

Making Me a Better Person Every Day
Story submitted by Kacie Carlson
On January 11, 2012, my life changed. I had visited Northwoods Humane
Society on several occasions searching for a spaniel or a retriever, but this
time the pitbull in the corner sitting patiently with her head tilted asking,
“Pet me?”, caught my eye.
She was found tied up and abandoned in an alley and was on the
euthanasia list before Northwoods Humane Society rescued her. For two
months, she waited patiently for a family as she saw dogs come and go.
Her name was Maple and she was about to become my best friend.
Maple’s an adventurous gal, always ready to go on a journey with me. Before she came into my life, I didn’t have anyone to
share experiences and make memories with but she changed it all.
Our first adventure was buying a houseboat where Maple and I would sit on the roof and watch the stars and fish, repair
motors, swim and kayak. We enjoy camping, backpacking, and skijoring, all activities that would have been unbearably lonely
by myself. But Maple was my co-captain.
Some may say that Maple hasn’t committed any heroic act, but it’s the everyday small things that have immeasurable impact
on me, my outlook on life, and who I’ve grown to be. She has helped me become more kind and compassionate, and motivates
me every day to appreciate little things, smile, and enjoy life. She’s taught me to be a better listener, greet people with
excitement (like she does), and be a devoted companion. All these life lessons learned from a dog who almost lost her life.
As if that wasn’t enough, Maple really changed my world on one of our adventures at the beach. The day was perfect, but the
beach was crowded, so we snuck around to a more hidden cove. We had the place to ourselves, just us and a fishing boat
offshore. Then, I heard a splash and swimming towards us was the fisherman’s dog obviously attracted by Maple.
In no time, the dogs were running, jumping and splashing. Eventually, the guys pulled up and we introduced ourselves while
apologizing for each other’s dog instigating the other. An hour later they invited us for pizza and a month later Eddie and I
were dating.
On this day when I probably would have retreated indoors, Maple brought me swimming to find the love of my life.
With Eddie’s future of odd-hours as a police officer and potential for more deployments with his Military Police unit, Maple
continues to be my comfort and because of her I’ll never be alone.
It’s hard to imagine that she was once abandoned in an alley, because I can’t imagine life
without her. She hasn’t changed my life, she’s made it all that it is and continues to make
me a better person every day.
$50,000 grand prize winner: Northwoods Humane Society | Grand Rapids, MN
TV Reporter Falls in Love at Work
Story submitted by Julie Tristan
As I sat at my desk at work I had no idea that I was about to have a day
that would change my life!
I worked at a TV station as a news reporter. I was covering a story about a
Gateway Pet Guardians volunteer named PJ. She spent her mornings
feeding the abandoned and homeless dogs in East St. Louis.
Each day without fail, rain or shine or blizzard, she drove her tiny twodoor car into one of the city’s worst areas. She said, “Most people get up
and have a cup of coffee; well I get up and do this every day because I
know they are waiting for me.”
As the packs of dogs heard her car driving up they would run out of the
mostly burned down houses they took refuge in for shelter. Wagging their
tails you could tell they loved seeing PJ! They knew she came with food
and kindness.
I followed her around that morning with a cameraman so we could tell
her story and hopefully bring some attention to the Gateway Pet
Guardians and the amazing work they do in that part of St. Louis.
Stop after stop we filmed her feeding the dogs and cats!
But it was the last stop that I would never forget. A momma dog had just had puppies about four weeks ago and they were
living in a ditch next to a burned down fast food joint, in an area full of overgrown grass, weeds and trash. These furry,
adorable, tiny tail wagging puppies were hiding under a dirty old mattress that they used for shelter.
What happened next I will never forget. PJ said, “I wish we could rescue these puppies from the street but we don’t have any
available fosters,” and before I could think straight I said, “I will foster a puppy right now, go and get me one.”
Then PJ said, “Well, they are so young, you’ll have to foster two!” Having two dogs in an apartment at home already I was
hesitant, but five seconds later I said, “Ok!”
I knew I couldn’t go back to work knowing those puppies were there to
fend for themselves. Luckily that day, PJ decided that since I was taking
two, she would rescue the other six at the same time.
Now, six years later, I ended up being a “foster failure” and adopting
them, and my mom adopted one too!
Simone, Molly & Lulu, the dogs living in one of America’s toughest
neighborhoods under a dirty mattress, are now the dogs that I couldn’t
imagine my life without.
These dogs are my heart, they are my smile, and I am grateful for them
every day!
Since that day, I’ve been an active volunteer with the Gateway Pet
Guardians, even adopting one more dog from them bringing my happy
home dog total to five fur kids!
$50,000 prize winner: PJ’s Pet Guardians/Gateway Pet Guardians | St. Louis, MO
My Gal Blue
Story submitted by Laurie Lambert
I did not need a dog.
I could travel on a moment’s notice.
I could wear black without using a lint brush.
A dog would only complicate things.
So what was I even doing at the animal shelter?
“I am only looking,” I told the kind woman as I signed in at the front
desk. “I will not be leaving with an animal.”
And I really meant it.
I was already like a favorite auntie to a neighbor’s dog. I often took Scout running and spoiled her silly, then returned her to
her human. I thought it was the perfect setup for a dog-lover who didn’t need to have a dog of her own.
Yet, something had prompted me to a rural shelter that day: a rough outpost at the edge of a mesa where the heroic staff
works tirelessly to keep the place going.
I can only call it a nudge from the universe. Not that it was impulsive, mind you. In fact, I had spent the entire year with a
simmering addiction to animal rescue websites. I was on a nameless mission without a clue as to the objective. I told myself
that looking at orphan dogs was merely a hobby. In hindsight, that year was like tilling the soil in preparation for planting. I was
preparing without even knowing it.
So there I was at the shelter, finally seeing real dogs instead of pictures on a computer screen.
The barking was thunderous. Desperate voices crying, “Pick me!”
Dogs jumped, yelped, and clamored for attention as I walked past. It was predictably heart-wrenching.
Then I saw a furry body that was strangely quiet. She seemed to be focused on trying to melt herself through the chain link, as
if that were possible. Her intent gaze could not be ignored.
“Could I see that dog?” I asked the attendant.
The words tripped out of my mouth before I could retrieve them. Five little words that would change my life.
I sat on the dirt outside her cage as he fumbled with the latch, until out bolted 35 pounds
of wagging happiness...straight into my lap.
I don’t know how or why, but in a single instant I knew that she was mine and I was hers.
Needless to say, I left with an animal that day. It was the best forty bucks I’ve ever spent.
Blue and I are a team now. We run miles into the mountains. We swap stories without
speaking. Our bond is so sacred that descriptions are inadequate. I have learned that the
most extraordinary things in life often look very ordinary on the surface. That’s the thing
about love.
I still wear black, by the way. To hell with the lint brush. I even still travel on a moment’s
notice, but only if Blue can come along.
Does it complicate things? Just a little. Is it worth it? Oh, YEAH!
Because it turns out that I needed a dog after all.
$25,000 prize winner: Stray Hearts Animal Shelter | Red River, NM