Faith | Is God aware of all his creatures? This dog found ‘paws-itive’ proof
A tiny bird tumbles to earth … silenced. An injured pup’s cry lifts heavenward, its whimpers breaking the quiet. In those desolate moments when God’s creatures suffer, do they go unnoticed, unheard?
Linda A. remembers a summer walk in Florida, years ago, one that answered that very question and set her feet on a firmer path of faith.
“I’ll never forget the moment I realized God really answers prayers,” the now retired nurse said. “It just gave me chills on that warm, humid night – like ‘Wow!’”
It was summertime and Linda, who often fostered strays, had agreed to care for a large dog who needed a home. Through her veterinarian she’d met the German Shepherd mix, its leg badly injured from a callous gunshot.
“Somebody had shot him at close range,” Linda said, “His leg was broken in several places, splintered, and metal fragments inside.”
The poor dog had been fitted with an external fixator to hold the newly set bones in place with screws; the apparatus was cumbersome and rigid.
Unfortunately, the screws had gone through its tendon, causing extreme pain — an error Linda’s veterinarian discovered and remedied with a leg cast instead. Complete healing would require anywhere from four to six months of attentive care, including physical therapy.
“Ordinarily, I’d be leery of the mix, but this dog was so kind after being treated so cruelly,” Linda said, reminiscing about their first meeting. “He was just the sweetest, and I think he knew he’d been saved.”
Linda’s heart was won even before she had heard the rest of its story.
“A single mom who’d found “Brandy” couldn’t take care of him, and she’d heard that I had deep feelings for animals that were hurting,” Linda said, recalling how this large breed would mean a huge commitment on her part. “The vet told me, ‘Make sure you walk the dog daily so he can get some strength back.’”
Routinely, Linda, would go the same direction for their slow jaunt around the neighborhood. But one day, Brandy had a different idea, pulling his “pet mom” in the opposite direction and around the corner from their house.
Ahead lay a grassy, un-mowed area, a soft surface to stroll through that beckoned beyond the concrete sidewalk.
As the pair closed the distance, Linda could see the grass in the field was wet. She knew she had explicit orders from the veterinarian to keep the dog’s injured foot and leg dry.
“He kept pulling and tugging, and I said, ‘No, no! Don’t! I don’t want to get your leg wet,’” Linda said, remembering how she was no match for the determined full-grown Shepherd-mix.
Linda thinks back on how she instinctively sent a prayer heavenward — a cry for help — knowing the two of them would end up on the wet grass, “I wished that I’d put a sock on his leg!”
And then something incredible happened.
“Brandy just kept pulling me and he walked right up to a yellow fire hydrant,“ Linda said, her voice filled with emotion at the memory, “and there on top was a pair of brand new socks with red and blue bands!”
To this day, those socks are tucked away as a reminder that God hears our heart’s cry too.
Lucy Luginbill is a Tri-City Herald columnist in national distribution, religion editor and retired public television producer and host. Her popular Light Notes column reflects inspirational and faith-focused stories. She’s been working in journalism for more than 30 years.
