She was a pandemic dog, our Gracie Girl.
Rescued from a shelter when Covid shut down the world, she probably wasn’t the cutest pick, but her sweet, soulful eyes spoke to three young sisters and their parent’s hearts, and home she went.
Once a chocolate Lab of great beauty, she had been overbred to the point that, shockingly, her nipples all but touched the ground. Having served her purpose, Gracie ended up in a high-kill shelter where her age was guessed to be around four or five. However, it quickly became apparent she was much older, for snippets of gray hair soon began to appear around her sweet face.
In addition, she brought along her own anxieties for she had seemingly been mistreated and was very afraid of men. But it mattered not, for her adoptive family all understood each other. Anxiety during the pandemic knew no boundaries.
Despite these surprises, Gracie brought into the scary pandemic world, as her name implies, a huge measure of grace. Over the course of 5 years, devotion and love ruled the day. Her quiet presence (she never barked) lent a personal peace to all her knew her.
Sadly, she was recently diagnosed with inoperable cancer, and not wanting her to suffer, the family made the hard decision to put her down- a sorrow so deep, as so many dog lovers will attest, that it is impossible to describe.
For the many families that rescued pets during the pandemic, it will never be quite clear who rescued whom. What will be remembered, however, is the mutually beneficial, unconditional love that filled these homes during such daunting times. A perfect gift of grace.
I’m Marnie O. Mamminga and for all the pandemic rescued pets and their families, this perspective is for you.
