04/01/2025
We were reminded about a winter evening a policeman rushed into our clinic carrying a bundle in his arms. Our technician met him and he said this small dog was thrown from a moving vehicle. This little French Bulldog was emaciated, hypothermic, and had lacerations on her body; worse, her uterus was pr*****ed, (exposed outside of her body). It appeared she delivered pups without help and then was discarded. She needed emergency surgery.
The waiting room that night hidden angels, a couple whose dog was there to be being treated after a fall. They wanted to pay for her care, and if the owner could not be found they would take her.
The surgery was a success, and our techs took turns caring for the little dog during her recovery. After weeks she gained weight and recovered. Our Good Samaritans then adopted her. She now lives a life of love, toys, and family.
Thinking of the people around Lisle, Naperville, Aurora, Downer’s Grove and the surrounding areas and how they come to the aid of animals reminded us of another story: “The Starfish Story” adapted from an essay by Loren Eiseley:
Once upon a time, there was an old man who used to go to the ocean to do his writing. He had a habit of walking on the beach every morning before he began his work. Early one morning, he was walking along the shore after a big storm had passed and found the vast beach littered with starfish as far as the eye could see, stretching in both directions.
Off in the distance, the old man noticed a small boy approaching. As the boy walked, he paused every so often and as he grew closer, the man could see that he was occasionally bending down to pick up an object and throw it into the sea. The boy came closer still and the man called out, “Good morning! May I ask what it is that you are doing?”
The young boy paused, looked up, and replied “Throwing starfish into the ocean. The tide has washed them up onto the beach and they can’t return to the sea by themselves,” the youth replied. “When the sun gets high, they will die, unless I throw them back into the water.”
The old man replied, “But there must be thousands of starfish on this beach. I’m afraid you won’t really be able to make much of a difference.”
The boy bent down, picked up yet another starfish and threw it as far as he could into the ocean. Then he turned, smiled and said, “It made a difference for that one!”
Thank you, to each of you who make a difference for even one, from your team !