Willow Oak

[gini]

What an outstanding new Pet Talk member you are! I too, have read your posts from beginning to end and I can hardly wait for the next "chapter".

I think God put you in the place you were when you had your heart attack, so that you would be saved to care for your beloved animals.

I think all of us need to think about who would care for our animals in case something happened to us - myself included!!

Uh, also, you need to know that I am having a slight love affair....well, it might not be slight - but head over heels................

WITH SAM!!

[Willow Oak]

What an outstanding new Pet Talk member you are! I too, have read your posts from beginning to end and I can hardly wait for the next "chapter".

I think God put you in the place you were when you had your heart attack, so that you would be saved to care for your beloved animals.

I think all of us need to think about who would care for our animals in case something happened to us - myself included!!

Uh, also, you need to know that I am having a slight love affair....well, it might not be slight - but head over heels................

WITH SAM!!

You want him?

[slick]

WO:
I used to have a lot more time on PT but at work now I share an office with 2 others. It's only after they go home that I sneak a peak some days....well more than a peak.

For the past couple of days I have been mesmerized by your stories and your caring and loving heart. The one that ripped me apart the most is Lola Belle. I mistakenly read that one this morning before getting ready for work and I cried in the shower and cried all the way to work. I know there was a happy outcome but to think of that poor girl all rolled up in the back.....oh dear, here comes the LES again (good thing I'm alone now...)

It truly amazes me how animals can go through so much abuse then turn around and love someone so unconditionally the next day. Bless you for taking in these foresaken and lost souls......yes, I believe that pets have souls but that's for a Dog House discussion which I won't get into.

I'm in love with every one of your furbabies, here and at the RB!!! If only they knew how many of us around the world are sharing your stories and our emotions.

Finally, I'm convinced that things happen for a reason and you were meant to be in that hospital at that time. I'm so happy that you are with us today. Going through something like that makes you "think" and sometimes it changes your outlook on life and your priorities. I know......I have lung cancer but I'm doing good after my surgery.

Thank you so much sharing your world with us. Like the others, I await the next chapter.

[jennielynn1970]

I am loving this thread, and also crying my eyes out with the stories. I think it is wonderful that you are giving these poor souls a chance at love and life. There is definitely a special place in heaven for people like you.

Please give all your pets some hugs and kisses for me. I'd love to be able to meet them and do it myself, lol, but having you do it will have to suffice. It just feels like from your stories that we're getting to know them all so personally. It's really wonderful.

Keep the stories coming, please!

[Willow Oak]

There is definitely a special place in heaven for people like you.

I do appreciate all of the feedback, but I guess it's time for some honest talk. Yes, I have in recent times found myself sacrificing time, money, and energy to save the lives and dignity of some of God's defenseless creatures. But it wasn't always that way. Although I never went out of my way to be cruel to an animal there was a time when I wasn't nearly so considerate. Truth is, I do have some black spots on my record.

Fortunately, only a few black spots. I saw an ad in the paper for free puppies. I picked one up and delivered it to a relative as a gift, but she didn't want it. I was in my early 20's, and what did I know? So I found a friend who would take the puppy off my hands. In time he and his family found that they couldn't care for it either, so it ended up back with me. She was a precious little thing. My friend and his family had named her "Precious." That has been years ago, and I can barely recall much about the situation, but eventually she got very sick. I recall a neighbor sending one of her children to my house to tell me about the "sick" puppy hanging out in her yard. I went to retrieve it, and as I lifted little Princess into my arms she licked me. She was so sick she couldn't walk and could barely lift her head. All I did was place her in the garage with a bowl of water, then ..., I left her there. She was dead by the next morning.

Even though it has been around 30 years since that incident, I still can not get the image out of my mind. My Pet Talk friends, I am a sorry, no-good animal neglecter. No matter how many animals I rescue and care for now I shall never make up for that one incident of cruelty and neglect.

The only other such incident that I can recall came around the same time. A co-worker asked me if I would take a puppy off his hands. I did. I do not recall the puppy's name, but he was a gorgeous little German Shephard mix. In time I found that he was too much for me, so I drove around until I found a pack of dogs roaming the neighborhood. Then I did the unthinkable: I let the pup out the car and drove off. I have no idea what became of him.

These images haunt me. These thoughts of mine, that I should be so cruel and neglectful grieve me constantly. No matter how much money I spend on vet bills; no matter how much money I spend on dog food and cat food; no matter what I do I can never make up for these past indiscretions.

I am a regular guy. I like to curse, smoke cigars, eat steak, watch football, chase women, show off. Of course, at my age and in my health I no longer smoke cigars or eat steaks or chase women (it wouldn't do me any good anyway), but I am a regular, normal man. In other words, I don't think about much, except myself. I recall back when I was less considerate of others. I was a bully among my peers. I think of a young man to whom I was inconsiderate -- no I was a downright bully. I did, however, have an opportunity to see him a few years later, and when I did I apologized for my previous disposition toward him. "Gee, I don't remember," came his reply. He either genuinely did not recall, or he was being far more considerate to me than I had been to him. Either way, among God's creatures he proved himself to be much better and much bigger than I.

I hope that someday I do stand before God. And above all else I want God to give me exactly what's coming to me. I don't want mercy. I want to pay for my crimes. I hope God does not consign me to burn for eternity, but I do want to do some sort of penance. I want something else. I want an opportunity to see and apologize to Princess and the other puppy. I want to tell them that I am sorry for what I did. I imagine in my mind that if that opportunity presents itself that I shall hear something like, "Gee, I don't remember." And if and when I do, then among God's creatures, those two precious ones will have proved themselves to be bigger and better than I.

[slick]

Let's see now how does that saying go?

Let he without sin.......

Stop being so hard on yourself. I believe that you could line all of us up and none of us would be able to cast the first stone. We all do things in our youth that we are not proud of. We both grew up in the same era and back then animal activists weren't all over the media the way they are today. You could always tell "women of wealth" because they wore fur coats.

With maturity comes wisdom and now you have the wisdom to know and make a difference. What matters is now and how you treat your fellow humans (trying to be politically correct here ) and animals and from what I read in this thread, you have a heart filled with passion and compassion.

I am a regular guy. I like to curse, smoke cigars, eat steak, watch football, chase women, show off. Of course, at my age and in my health I no longer smoke cigars or eat steaks or chase women (it wouldn't do me any good anyway), but I am a regular, normal man.

Forgive me, I had to giggle at this comment for in my time I've known more than my fair share of men like this.

[Cincy'sMom]

What a great thread. You writing is excellent and the stories amazing. I had not been able to read through the thread previously, as our computer at home is down, and I am uncomfortable being logged in here too long at work, but once I started, I had to read the whole thing! You really should considering writing a book...or several! I'm sure there is much detail that could be added to all these stories!

I like to curse, smoke cigars, eat steak, watch football, chase women, show off.

And who doesn't? Okay..so I'm not a guy and don't cahse women, but I think the rest applies!!!

[jennielynn1970]

Let's see now how does that saying go?

Let he without sin.......

Stop being so hard on yourself. I believe that you could line all of us up and none of us would be able to cast the first stone. We all do things in our youth that we are not proud of.

With maturity comes wisdom and now you have the wisdom to know and make a difference. What matters is now and how you treat your fellow humans (trying to be politically correct here ) and animals and from what I read in this thread, you have a heart filled with passion and compassion.

So well put. I hope you take this to heart, Willow Oak.

[chocolatepuppy]

I think God put you in the place you were when you had your heart attack, so that you would be saved to care for your beloved animals.

I agree. How sad about Lola Belle. What 'human' could leave an animal like that? What a lucky day for her when you saved her.

[krazyaboutkatz]

I just read through this entire thread and I'm enjoying your stories very much. I'm so glad that you're still with us. God knew that you were still very much needed here. You should really consider writing a book about all of your rescues. I know that I'd buy a copy of it.