Saturday, March 8, 2014

My Life: Yoda Bird


Hello lovelies!  I hope you are all having a relaxing Saturday morning.  Ryan has been out of town quite a bit lately and I am happy as a clam to have him back home.  Everything feels right in the world when our little family of three is together.  Speaking of the third member of our family, today I wanted to share with you a bit more about our dog Yoda {or we call him, "Yoda Bird"}.  I volunteer at a few local animal rescue organizations including the Humane Society and Every Dog Counts Rescue {EDCR}, and this past August we received an urgent email from EDCR saying the local Care & Control was overflowing with adoptable dogs and if they couldn't find short-term fosters there would be no choice but to euthanize the dogs.  Clearly this was not something I would sit by and allow to happen, so I quickly called EDCR and opened up our house to a foster.

The next morning a woman dropped off a little 8.5 pound long-haired Chihuahua mix named Yoda off at our house.  When they found him wandering along the side of the road he had almost no fur due to horrible malnutrition.  He had mange, multiple skin infections, an infected toe, and just about every other ailment you can imagine.  The poor thing was so scared he cried for the first three hours he was at our house.  When Ryan came home from work to meet him he whimpered and shook, afraid to let Ryan get within arms distance of him.  However, he quickly came out of his shell, literally falling asleep in our hands every time we gave him any kind of affection.  I remember about 24 hours into it laying on the couch to take a nap and little Yoda sneaking ever so cautiously into my nook and falling asleep with me...and it was at that moment I decided that he would never be leaving us :) It took Ryan about another 36 hours, but by the end of the weekend we had decided to officially adopt Yoda.

Slowly but surely, thanks to an organic diet, fish oil, about a dozen appointments at the vet, exercise, and a lot of love his health returned and so has most of his fur!  You can see his before and after picture here {to be honest, every time I look at the 'before' I cry}.  This little guy has made me happier than I could have ever imagined.  Last year was a pretty downright rotten year for me.  My mom was diagnosed with cancer {thankfully she is now in remission!}  My grandpa passed away.  I couldn't find a job, and when I found one {which I thought was the perfect job at my dream company} it turned out to be one of the most terrible experiences of my life.  I spent a lot of time questioning what I wanted to do with my life, doubting my self-worth, and being bogged down with constant anxiety and stress.   My friends, family, and Ryan were there for me 110%, supporting me and lifting me up when I was at my lowest...but it just seemed like no matter what I did I was stuck in a perpetual funk and no matter how hard I tried I wasn't able to get out.  Getting Yoda somehow managed to lift a huge weight off my shoulders knock me on a different trajectory, one of positivity, optimism, and {dare I say it} contentment.  I was so stuck inside my head and overwhelmed with my fears and anxieties, that getting a dog was just what I needed to bring me back out to the real world and realize that life is actually pretty darn awesome!  Apparently the bumper sticker was right all along...my rescue dog rescued me.

24 comments:

  1. Just the sweetest story ever. Yoda to the rescue! We love you, Molly,Ryan and Yoda

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  2. This is a wonderful story! Yoda is so cute and Im glad he is healthy and gaining his fur back. These pictures are amazing.

    -Vogue&Heels

    www.vogueandheels.com

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  3. Awe!! I love love love this story! So sweet....and I don't dare click to see his before photos, I know I will sob. So glad you found him and him---you. :) he is one cute pup!!

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  4. Hi lovely,

    So glad you stopped by my blog, as I have now come across yours! Love the images, writing and your dog. Look forward to the next post.

    Sophie x

    http://your-girl-is-lovely.blogspot.co.uk

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  5. yoda bird is such a sweetheart -- love these pictures, but love hearing about your big heart and everything you do to help the shelters near you :)

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  6. Such a sweet, heartwarming story! Yoda Bird is adorable and so happy you found each other,
    xx,
    Kristi

    www.currentlycrushing.com

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  7. what a cute dog. you sound like such a wonderful person from what I have been reading on your blog. Yoda bird is precious and you are so lucky to have him as a member of your family. Really beautiful pictures of Yoda bird as well.

    rae of lovefromberlin

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  8. What a beautiful dog and what a beautiful thing to do in your life. As much as I would love a brand new puppy I know I wouldn't be able to buy one when there are others that desperately need a home so much. I'm glad it took such a short time for him to settle in, how brilliant! My goal is to run to the nearest shelter as soon as I have a house that can accommodate a dog and ask for the dog that needs a home the most!
    Beautiful blog by the way, thank you for stopping by on mine, I'm looking forward to reading more!
    Lucy xxx
    www.la-lingua.blogspot.com

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  9. thank you so so so much!
    we are very lucky to have found him :)

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  10. thank you so much erika! yeah, the before picture is so sad. when i first got his paperwork from the rescue they included the intake papers from when he was at care and control, and there was one picture of him in the cage there that literally made me cry for about two days straight. we are just so happy to have him in our lives :) :)

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  11. thank you so much jennifer! i have always had such a huge place in my heart for animals with special needs, and nothing makes me happier than feeling like i have helped make their lives a little better :)

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  12. thank you so much for the sweet words lucy, i truly appreciate it more than i can say! i have always felt the same way about rescuing. not only do you have a dog that brings so much joy to your life, but when you get a rescue {especially one that really needs help!} it also gives you so much fulfillment knowing you completely changed that animal's life for the better :)

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  13. thank you so much kristi!!
    we feel really lucky to have found him as well :)

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  14. rae, thank you so so so much for the beyond thoughtful comment. we feel truly blessed to have him in our lives...he makes every day that much more special :)

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  15. what a wonderful story. i am tearing up reading it. we rescued my baby, sampson too. you are his guardian angel and there is a special place for people with such big hearts. thanks for sharing and i hope this year is better for you! i completely can relate :)

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  16. thank you from the bottom of my heart for your beyond kind message madeline. i am so happy that you found sampson and would love to see some pictures of him :) i truly find having a rescue dog to be one of the most rewarding experiences imaginable. not only do you have a dog that makes you so happy, but you know that you absolutely changed their life for the better. thank you again for your thoughtful comment...i appreciate it more than i can say!

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  17. My grandson - quite the boy. And the best parents in the world.

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  18. He is just the cutest thing! We rescued our dog, Mr. Chips, 4 months ago and couldn't be happier. Love his little sweater too, btw.
    Rebecca

    desert girls vintage

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  19. thanks dad, we're sure happy to have him!

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  20. aren't rescue dogs the best? i'd love to see some pictures of mr. chips! yoda got his sweater as christmas gift from my mom and it cracks me up every time he wears it. what can i say? he's a momma's boy :)

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  21. What an amazing story and an amazing little guy you have! Dogs are the most amazing thing - he looks so loved & happy! Thanks for sharing Molly & that sweater is fantastic
    whatsarahknows

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  22. Beautiful story, Molly. You and Ryan have amazing hearts! Yoda is so cute I just want to give him a big hug! So glad to heart he's been bringing you so much joy and happiness - it is incredible how these little creatures can melt our hearts and make everything better in life with just being there.

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