The campaign where I met Indie was just another day of volunteering for me. I never expected to rescue a puppy that morning. It was a pretty busy campaign with a lot of volunteers, so I was just wandering around, lending a hand wherever I could. Then, out of nowhere, a friend handed me this tiny, fragile puppy and asked me to hold onto him until we could figure out where he came from.
Turns out, he had wandered in, probably attracted by the other dogs outside the building. The volunteers noticed how bad he looked and wanted to make sure he got some care. When my friend gave me the puppy, all I could feel were his bones. He couldn’t stand properly, so I couldn’t put him down. It seemed like he’d been in an accident, with his back leg dislocated and muscle grown around it from not being treated. He was covered in ticks and fleas, bloated from parasites, skin and bone, limping, and covered in wounds. My heart went out to him, and I couldn’t help but wonder how he ended up in such a sorry state. That’s when Julia and I started talking about where he could live.
I hadn’t planned on taking him home, but when I looked into those sad, kind eyes, I knew he was coming home with me. As the campaign wrapped up, we found out he had an owner who wasn’t looking after him properly. With the help of some amazing vets and volunteers, we convinced the stubborn owner to give him up because of how serious his condition was. After that, he was mine.
The first few weeks were tough, with lots of vet visits, keeping a close eye on him, surgeries, and making sure he settled in okay. I was lucky to have the support of the volunteers, vets, and my parents. They were my rock, helping me make sure he got all the care he needed to get better. He turned out to be a strong and determined pup. After his leg surgery and plenty of good food, his sweet and funny personality started to shine through. He could finally just be a happy puppy, not worrying about where his next meal or a safe place to sleep would come from. Now, he spends his days running around, playing, tagging along on my errands and meetings with friends, and making new furry friends.
A few months after I rescued Indie, I watched a video about a girl and the dog she got in her 20s, which she called her “20s dog.” The video talked about how her dog had been with her through all the ups and downs of her 20s, moving to new places, meeting new people. As a 20-year-old myself, trying to figure things out, I looked at Indie and felt so incredibly blessed to have found such a sweet and amazing “20s dog” to be right next to me while we grow older together.
