Do You Remember Miracle? (Entry Seven)

Some Col. Potter cairns develop their own "fan club" and such is the case with Miracle. For the next few days we'll be posting his story - how he came into Col. Potter, his surgery, life with his Foster Mom and "nurse" and a wonderful update from his Forever Home. Do you remember Miracle? (To read previous entries click here.)

The following is a synopsis of Miracle's journey with CPCRN written by his Foster Mom in October 2007 in response to a question posed by a new CP volunteer inquiring about the nature of Miracle's wounds:

Warning - parts of this post are graphic.

Miracle was attacked by Pit Bulls. His "kind, caring" owner took the boy and dumped him at a shelter on a weekend. No one saw him until Monday morning. When they found him he was nearly dead, covered in horrible wounds, with his right front leg nearly torn off. His head and chest showed multiple bites. He was covered with filth, dried blood and MAGGOTS. The Shelter's first reaction was to put him out of his misery. But someone knew an angel, and called CP's very own Lisa. Lisa called the CP Board who (bless them) said, "Yes, Of course try to save him!" The Vet wanted CP to be sure they understood that he might not even survive the surgery. Lisa named him Miracle. And a lot of folk prayed.

Lisa nursed him for a week or so. Then he was transported by Lisa to Iowa from where he was supposed to go on to Valerie. However he was "accidentally" dognapped by some crazy woman in Iowa. This loony just fell in love with him and since she had a foster spot open, he just kind of, umh, stayed. I remember getting a call from Mo. She was very diplomatic and asked point blank if I understood that he was not out of the woods and we could still lose him. And at the least he may lose the leg that was almost torn off. Could I handle that kind of thing? I told her that I would not be happy, but yes, I could do what needed to be done.

Well it turns out what needed to be done was for our Baylee to meet Miracle. When he first arrived he spent quite some time in a private apartment (X-Pen) in my office. He slept a LOT. The other dogs sniffed him but took very little notice, except for Baylee. She lay by his pen and stayed very close to him. At first I was a bit worried. But I soon realized she was looking after him. When he was able to get out and about Baylee was with him all the time. She walked with him and sat with him and watched him. What she didn't do was try to lick him, which I found interesting. I would sit with him on my lap and rub his wounds and stretch his leg. (His leg would not stretch because of the scarring, so I thought a little physical therapy would help.) But Baylee would sit right there with her nose on my lap as if to say. "Now be careful of his owchie, Mom!" He got a lot better.



Then one day He stood up on his hind legs to ask for a cookie. The next day he was missing. I went to look for him and he was on TOP of the table in the dog room with his head in the cookie jar... I kid you not! I have pictures to prove it!!! Mo was not happy. "You are supposed to be keeping him quiet!" she said. Whoops, Sorry. I forgot to tell Miracle he was still sick!!! Soon he got better and was adopted by a wonderful family in Colorado.

I loved him from first seeing him in Lisa's arms. But here is the really amazing thing about fostering: I knew he wasn't mine. He knew he wasn't mine. I don't know how the dogs know. But from the second he met his Forever Dad he went with him and never turned back to even look. I cried all the way home. But he slept all the way HOME. He knew where he was and where he was going. Lisa was his angel. Baylee was his nurse. I was just a temporary lap. He knew it and I knew it and I don't know how.

For you folk out there who worry about not being able to say goodbye to your fosters: Don't worry about it. Know that a little piece of your heart will leave with them... but luckily that leaves a hole to be filled, and then along comes the next little lost soul that needs you for a while ... just a while …

If after reading Miracle's story you find your heart moved to foster fill out a foster application form and you too can help a cairn on the path to the life they deserve!