Hart was a sick little puppy that our volunteer, Krista, found while visiting a shelter in her area. He wasn't getting the vet care he so desperately needed and had no chance of surviving so Krista felt it best that she took him home. Hart is now all grown up and has a wonderful forever home. Hart's mom has such a connection to him and asked us to share his story.
From Hart's loving mom:
I was looking for a good companion dog and did a lot of searching through canine rescue websites and breed information. When I saw the photo of the little Hart that Krista had posted on the website, I just knew somehow this was the right one for me, even though I hadn't planned on adopting a puppy. It turned out to be a great decision. Hart has become the most wonderful friend and companion. He is extremely personable and sensitive, with an amazing sense of humor and empathy. He travels with me to most places I go, and has charmed his way into some really great situations.
He proved to be a natural therapy dog this Christmas. When I was visiting my elderly parents, Hart instinctively knew to move slowly and carefully around my father, and gave him a surprisingly gentle "hug" as soon as we arrived. The next morning, we realized that my father was very ill, and took him to the hospital. His heart was failing and his condition was very grave for several days. Hart stayed by my very distraught mother's side any time we were not at the hospital and comforted her by offering her his paw and leaning up against her and putting his head on her lap. He brought her his toys and the next thing I knew, I heard laughing and thundering up and down the stairs. My 77 year old mother was sliding little stuffed toys down the bannister. Hart was catching the toys at the bottom and then thundering up the stairs to give her the toy to do it again, and my mother was laughing like a little girl. What a gift to her he turned out to be, and he had only met my parents one other time during the summer. That same week,I was taking Hart for a walk, and was crying because of fear of losing my Dad. Hart turned around, stood up on his hind legs, and gently put his forelegs around my waist. I was astonished at his apparent understanding of the situation. My Dad is back home now and doing pretty well, and every time they call, they want to know how "Grandpuppy" is doing.
There are many stories I could tell about this wonderful dog, but the best part of the story is that someone with compassion and a caring heart, was good enough to rescue Hart from an unhealthy environment when he was a sickly pup, nurse him back to health and include him in her family until he could be adopted. Thank you, Krista for the work you do, for giving Hart a chance at having a good life, and for trusting me, almost a complete stranger, to be the right person to love and care for him. He is just an amazing friend and companion!