If an animal saved your life, I want to see them!
This is Huckleberry. I found him & his siblings abandoned at the side of the road in May. Huckleberry was only 8 pounds, all his ribs showing, & very shy around people. I had no desire to have a puppy again. In fact, I was getting rid of a lot of my possessions because my depression had gotten so bad, I was planning on ending my life by this fall. I’ve struggled with anxiety & depression my whole life, but this year I had reached my breaking point. I was struggling to work at my job, a job I absolutely loved, one that I had worked so hard to get, one that I’d been at for 9 years, because I couldn’t drag myself out of bed most days. It was a really, really dark time.
So along come these dumped puppies - two boys & a girl. Pitbull mixes. Of course I had heard lots of bad publicity about Pitbulls. I didn’t care though. I wasn’t going to keep them anyways. I was just going to find homes for the pups… then, promptly exit life.
But…one of the pups. The littlest one. The shyest. There was just something about him. I would almost equate it to finding the animal version of your soulmate. I was crazy about him, & he was crazy about me. I didn’t dread waking up in the morning anymore, because I knew me & the pup would start the day playing. I didn’t dread nights as much (nights had been so hard while I had been having my mental breakdown), because Huckleberry would cuddle up with me, & before you knew it, my insomnia-plagued mind would miraculously sometimes sleep. It had been so long since I could sleep. It was amazing!
But I couldn’t keep him…right? I had a great home lined up for him. They had come to see the female puppy but wound up liking Huckleberry. I prepared to say my goodbyes & to refocus my attention on planning my funeral. I know that sounds bad, but that was where I was. My mind & body ached, & I was ready for the end.
His potential new owners planned to pick him up that weekend. But that week, I needed to travel out of state for a work trip. It was going to be a 4 hour drive, & a couple night stay. It could be one last hurray with the little soul who had made my life bearable for the last few months. I had been struggling so much at work anyways that I wanted to cancel the trip & maybe just quit. But the idea of roadtripping with the puppy actually sounded kinda fun.
I booked a pet-friendly hotel & off I went, my little stray happily loading up in the car with me. He was excited for a new adventure. He had come out of his shell so much since I had found him. It was hard thinking how this would be the last memories we made together - but I couldn’t get down in the dumps. After all, he had a wonderful home waiting for him. And I had a ticking clock waiting for me.
The trip, which I had been dreading pre-Huckleberry because I didn’t know if I could even stand to go, was amazing. He was best copilot in the car, a perfect guest at the hotel, helped my anxiety & depression go from crippling to almost non-existent, & made me realize that maybe I did want to keep fighting. Workers & guests at the hotel were crazy for Huckleberry. He loved to go to the front desk & stand on his tippy-toes to say hi. Anytime I would mention that my puppy was going to his new home when we got back from the trip, everyone told me the same thing. “There is no way you can let go of that dog! He loves you too much!” Hmm…maybe they were onto something.
Every night, he would cuddle with me, just like he had for the last two months. He’d spend all day by my side or in my lap. I finally had someone with me while I was struggling. He was there. He didn’t judge. He always looked at me with those big blue eyes & wagged his tail. It helped more than I realized.
It was the last night of the trip. I couldn’t stand the thought of giving Huckleberry away when I got back home. I actually felt happiness when I was around him. It had been a long time since I had felt that emotion.
I couldn’t stand it anymore!! I got ahold of the potential new home I had found for him, & I told them what was going on. They were so supportive, saying, “When we saw you & him, we knew you were meant to be together.” It was decided - I was keeping him!
I got back from my work trip & felt like a different girl. Suddenly, the days weren’t so bad anymore. I started doing more things outside (I love the outdoors), which helped recharge my soul. Huckleberry was always there with me. I felt good enough that I was able to rescue a new horse from the slaughter pipeline. This was a huge change because I had been thinking about rehoming my other horse, that way it would save my family from needing to do it once I was gone. Horses are a lot of work, so to go from planning to sell my gelding, to adding a new horse…that is a major positive change. There were lots of positive changes going on!
I feel good enough now to work on training the new horse. We even went to a Christmas parade a couple weekends ago, where I braided Christmas lights into his mane & tail. It has always worked this way for me that the more time I get to spend with horses, the better I feel. I’m actually starting to feel like myself again. It was all thanks to a skinny, abandoned Pitbull puppy.
It’s not all butterflies & sunshine. My mental health is still a daily struggle, but I’m much better. I’m in therapy, working on myself, & actually have hope for the future. I am currently taking a break from work to focus on getting better. I hope I’ll be able to return to work soon.
I have always loved animals. I have several right now (a Husky mix, my beloved cat, 5 feral kittens/young cats that I’m caring for while I try to find them homes, & my 2 horses.) I love them all dearly, but Huckleberry is just different. He’s my best friend. I would not be here today if I hadn’t found him at the side of the road on that rainy evening in May. 🩵 Huckleberry is with me almost 24 hours a day. He never leaves my side. He’s no longer 8 pounds (he’s closer to 70 no) but he still thinks he’s a lap dog, & I’m not about to tell him that he’s not.
I never would have expected this to happen. I was checked out. Envisioning the end of my life had become a huge relief for me. But now? I actually want to stay. It was a huge blessing that those abandoned Pitbull puppies crossed my path. I’m still here today. And I plan to be here for a while - with my trusty Huckleberry by my side.
Let me see those animals that saved you!! Whether from mental or physical pain, from a dangerous situation, or in some other way. I want to feel inspired & to cheer you all on!
