On Wednesday, August, 25, 2021, as I commuted home from my office in Springdale, AR, this normal 50-min. easy commute turned into a raging rescue mission quite quickly - just as I approached the final stretch into the city limits of Eureka Springs, Arkansas, where I reside.
Coming upon Harold's Storage on Highway 23, I spotted two dogs walking side-by-side, in very similar stride, looking for "who knows what?"
Their person? Food? Water? Shelter? A bath? HELP? All of the above?
The smaller of the two was a mere puppy, Milo (that's what I named him as he had no collar.) Milo was crazy friendly and full of puppy energy almost to the point of being a bit too needy at times. Benny, the elder shaggy mutt, (also without ID collar) on the other hand was more of a "follow me kiddo I'll take us places" kind of adventure-dog.
These two fur-buddy's startled easily with every passing car which indicated to me instantly that this is not a normal environment for them - these are not wild dogs that live outside all the time and forage. So I stopped my car and put on my hazards and stepped out. The moment they saw me standing on the highway, they ran right over to me and started kissing my legs, face, neck and jumping at me with joy. Such joy.
Eureka!! Eureka!! They've been found! They've been rescued.
(my first dog-rescue in my lifetime, by the way.)
Benny, also my name for him, mostly because he's older, furrier and larger showed signs of dangerous dehydration and I didn't know this little factoid until I put them both in the back seat of my Subaru (Thanks, JollySu!) and Benny proceeded to start panting so furiously fast that he sounded like a human being hyperventilating.
This was the very moment when my easy commute turned into high-speed rescue mission as I pushed the pedal to reach 15 more miles per hour as I sped furiously into town, risking a speeding ticket, looking for a place to stop to get Benny some water FAST! (FYI - I never heard noises from a dog like that before.)
Milo and Benny took to me. It felt great. After getting them home, I situated them in my home, fed them, provided water (Benny drank like a fish!) and monitored their behavior. They were amazing. No crazy destruction, or barking. No doggy misdemeanors in the house. No outlandish behaviors. They were exceptional house guests for one evening as they obviously needed a place to lay their heads.
Then there's Kirby, our eight-year old beloved Chihuahua, who has lived with us since he was 8-weeks old. He was confused, but as I watched him interact, he, too, was exceptional. It was as if he understood their ordeal and what they've been through and that this was a safe place for them to rest and recoup. Kirby was the consummate host, making sure to provide K-9 kisses and sniffs to ensure his house guests knew "all is safe here."
It was also as if he sensed that he was hosting. When we took to the yard, he proudly showed Benny and Milo where and how doggy business is expected here and he showed them how you beg properly for treats (which they did quite well.) He showed them how affection wins over these two gullible dudes that own the place and he knew when to turn it ON to illustrate his examples, looking back over his shoulder at one point as I kissed and cuddled him as if to say, all sassy - see, it works, try it for yourself?
We already knew our little Kirby was just so delightful and yet, it took an unexpected adventure like this one, to offer us a new view of his existence through a completely different lens to allow us to admire his appeal in yet a different way.
He truly exhibits his very own, special Kirb appeal, that's for sure. He's tremendous in offering his unconditional love to humans but this interaction showed him with other dogs and the whole event was simply delightful to watch.
Who knew our home had such Kirb appeal?
This little rescue-adventure prompted me to further research dog symbolism as I asked myself why? Why did this happen today? Why me? How did this incident fall right smack into my path?
Here's what I found:
For the most part, dog symbolism is a reminder that kindness will often get you much further in life than criticism. In other words, allow yourself to be gentle with those around you and accept that their paths are not necessarily similar to your own.
Research also indicates that dog symbolism can also be a reminder to always be loyal and truthful to yourself first and foremost and make a point of being your own best friend, knowing yourself, respecting yourself and loving yourself.
By having self-respect and self-value, love yourself first. This trait is essential to be of great assistance to others because when you have self-esteem, it is more certain that others will respect you.
On occasion, dog symbolism can represent confusion about one's loyalties, beliefs, and commitments. When you try to be everything to everyone, you end up losing sight of yourself. The primary way to resolve this is to put yourself first and foremost.
By letting go of everyone and everything else, you will be able to piece together what is right for you for it is with loyalty to yourself that will you be able to grow and move forward.
Dogs are on this earth to teach humans lessons about love, life, loss, grace and spirituality. If we allow them to show us, we can gain a sense of illumination about what we need to learn. If you’re looking for life’s meaning and conviction, a dog may move you closer to your true purpose.
Kirby, Milo and Benny, most especially in this experience gave validation to the notion that dogs are sentient beings who express their gifts differently. Listening to them is a key to empowerment.
Thanks Kirby, Milo & Benny for this adventure and for this lifelong reminder.❤️