A
Second Chance
by Jenna Cassell,
taken from the Chicken Soup for the Volunteer's Soul
As she drove to the Humane Society, Catherine wondered,
What in the world am I doing? It was the middle of a
busy morning, of a busy day, of a busy month, of her
busy life. With grueling, eighteen-hour workdays, she
barely found time to eat lunch. Here she was, a corporate
president, driving away from her office at 10:00am to
walk dogs as a kennel volunteer.
No one was surprised when the company she started exploded
with success. What did surprise Catherine was that the
more “successful” she became on the outside,
the more her soul seemed to be shrinking.
She drove faster toward the kennel for fear that good
sense would override her inner drive to be with the
dogs. When she entered, amid the loud barking of the
dogs vying for her attention, Catherine heard a quiet,
constant whimpering. For several long minutes she searched,
until she was looking into two sad eyes.
Alone in kennel number 32 was a beautiful springer
spaniel with long, snow-white hair painted with patches
of brown and tan. She had an underbelly that looked
like overfilled cow’s udders. “Oh, honey,
where are your babies?” Catherine asked lovingly.
The dog responded with a loud cry.
Catherine went to the puppy room and said, “Someone
just dropped off the mother and all her puppies last
night. I expect the puppies will go fast.”
Catherine kept her eyes on the litter. “What
about the mother? She really misses her pups terribly.
Can I bring her in for a visit?”
“No,” Joe said quickly. “Separating
the pups from their mother was traumatic enough. If
we let them see each other, we’ll have to do it
all over again. Finding the mother a new home is the
most difficult task we have now.”
Catherine vowed, “I’ll find their mom a
new home before the last of these puppies is taken.”
Joe laughed. “That’s a tall order. I’d
encourage you to try, but don’t be disappointed
if it doesn’t happen.”
“Oh, it will happen!” Even Catherine was
surprised at the certainty of her voice as she made
this declaration.
She returned to the mother’s kennel, opened the
cage slowly and invited the dog for a walk. The dog
came to Catherine cautiously, with her head low to the
ground. Once outside, the dog burst into a fury of movement,
running from side to side, as far as the leash would
allow. Catherine, surprised by all this activity, realized
that the poor dog was looking for her babies.
Catherine sat down on the curb and placed her arms
around the dog’s soft body as she spoke lovingly
into her ear. “I don’t’ know why one
as sweet and beautiful as you has to suffer the loss
of your home, your freedom, your name and especially
your precious babies. But I promise to help you find
a new home. Let’s begin by giving you a name.
How about Mattie?”
In response to her new name, Mattie turned her head
toward Catherine so that their deep blue eyes were perfectly
aligned. She gently licked Catherine’s face, sensing
she had found a friend. Then the corporate president
and homeless mother dog sat together quietly.
Catherine managed to steal time out of her busy corporate
life every day that week to be with Mattie. Before she
left on Friday, she checked the puppy room to find that
just two puppies remained. Her plan was to come back
to the shelter on the weekend to match Mattie with the
best family she could find.
Arriving at the shelter on Saturday, even before it
opened, she took Mattie for a walk and brushed her coat.
Then she carefully fastened the new red collar she had
bought around Mattie’s neck.
Catherine decided to visit the puppy room next, since
most people looking for a pet usually start there. After
helping several people find dogs that were best suited
to their families, Catherine noticed a middle-aged couple
enter the puppy room. The petite woman seemed kind,
although her husband was large and bear-like. But the
way he held his wife’s hand and gazed lovingly
into her eyes suggested he was a teddy bear. They were
both eyeing the last remaining springer spaniel puppy.
After introducing himself as Mr. Goodwin, he asked,
“Can you tell me how big this puppy will be when
fully grown?”
Catherine, smiling with delight, responded, “Tell
you! I can show you exactly how big she will be. And,
at the same time, I will introduce you to the best dog
we have – this puppy’s mother.” They
nodded enthusiastically.
“I’ll bring Mattie out to the exercise
pen so you can have a visit,” Catherine offered.
Catherine whispered into Mattie’s upright ear
as she walked into her pen, “This is it! This
is your chance for a nice, new family. Be sweet to them,
and you’ll go home today, girl.” But when
they entered the pen, Mattie was only interested in
being with Catherine. The bond between them was so strong
that Mattie didn’t even notice the Goodwins.
“I need to make a call. Why don’t you take
the leash and see how it feels to walk Mattie? I’ll
be right back.” Leaving quickly, Catherine crossed
her fingers and held her breath. As she spied at them
through the window, she was relieved to see Mattie responding
to the couple. The Goodwins took turns walking her,
and with each passing moment, it was obvious that they
were bonding. When Catherine returned, the couple announced,
“We want to take her home.”
As the Goodwins completed the paperwork, Catherine
sat with Mattie. Mattie leaned against her as if to
offer a last good-bye. Catherine held her close and
began to cry. Rather than tears of sadness, they were
tears of sheer joy that Mattie was getting a second
chance.
She also cried tears of joy for herself because it
was through her volunteer experience that she was able
to reconnect to a part of herself that had been dying
for a long time. Catherine’s heart was now open
wide. She remembered what it was like to be a whole
and loving human being. And she knew she would bring
this wholeness to her work. She had saved one life and
changed her own forever. 
|
