Destiny, Bartlesville, OK

The day my Mama found me, my name was “Unknown.”

Once upon a time, I belonged to somebody. And that somebody didn’t want me no more, so they dumped me. Somehow I ended up over 50 miles away from where I used to live and was caught stumbling down a busy street as a stray.

I was only 39 pounds, dehydrated, and so skinny, all the muscles in my head were gone and made me look kinda funny.

I was sitting in my kennel, number 251A, when this nice lady and a beautiful 8-year-old girl named Destiny walked up and saw me.

The sweet angel looked at the nice lady and said, “What’s wrong with her?”

The lady said, ”Well, sweetheart, looks like someone didn’t feed her or take care of her.”

The little girl looked up and said, “Why would somebody do that?”

The lady looked sad, like she wanted to cry. Finally she said, ”I really don’t know, baby, there’s a lot of bad people in the world.”

Then the little angel spoke up and said, ”We can just feed her and she’ll get better, right?”

Those ten simple words saved my life.

The nice lady, she went home that night and couldn’t sleep, haunted by the look in my eyes. I was afraid, hungry, defeated. Every time she closed her eyes, she saw mine. She knew in a shelter full of healthy, friendly dogs, I wouldn’t make it.

She knew she had to do something.

So the next day, she came back to the shelter and got into the kennel with me, sitting on the cold concrete. I was very scared and tried to warn her, ”Please, lady, I’m afraid. Don’t push me!” I said with my growls.

The lady listened. She didn’t look at me. She didn’t try to pet me. She just tossed treats my way. And oh, my, did they ever smell good! I wanted them so badly, but I just knew if I went near them she might try to grab me or something.

The nice lady just kept tossing treats my way. Eventually, I just couldn’t stand it and I started eating them.

That lady, she was sneaky. She started tossing them closer and closer to her until I realized I was standing right next to her. I almost bolted, but still she didn’t try to touch me or anything, so I stayed.

Finally, she held out a treat and it was in her hand. This time I looked up at her and she looked at me, then looked at the treat. I took the treat, then sniffed her hand, and closed my eyes as she gently touched my cheek.

Her touch was so gentle, all I could do was sigh.

I looked up at the nice lady and she had water running down her face. I stood up really close to her and then put my paws on her legs and stood on her. I heard her say, ”You beautiful baby girl,” and I knew something special was about to happen.

After a while, I was tired, so I went over to my bed and blankie and laid down. The lady watched me the whole time, then gently touched my cheek and said, ”I love you, baby girl.”

I think that’s the moment she knew I was coming home with her.

That night, the lady went home and wrote my story. In her story, she said,”I truly believe it was meant for us to walk back to the kennels that Friday after our photo shoot. I truly believe it was meant for us to see the dog named ’Unknown’ in kennel 251A.

“And it was absolutely meant for an eight-year-old to say ten simple words to change the course of this dog’s life and mine. So no longer will this sweet dog be known as ’Unknown.’ Her name is Destiny. Because it was meant to be.”

My Mama (that’s what I call her now) took me home to a house full of love. No longer am I cold. No longer am I hungry. I’m not scared anymore.

I have special blankies I cover up with. I have a Pibble Posse I love more than anything in this world that I write to every day on Facebook! I have my own bed. I have sisters (five of them!). But most of all, I have love.

Love,
Destiny the Pibble

Parent: Sherry