November 19, 2023
A Tale of Two Cities

Perhaps not as dramatic as the historic novel by Charles Dickens, but our little tale starts in Oakland, CA and ends in Boise, Idaho where two Oakland dogs have recently been given a second chance, thanks to the caring, dedication, and collaboration between two shelters.

About a month ago, HAPI was contacted to provide transport for a sweet 5 month old pup who was found straying on the Mills College campus in Oakland with two broken rear legs. This tough little girl had clearly endured much trauma while her mangled legs healed on their own. She walked by using her two front legs to drag her bottom. Despite her challenges, Angel is truly such an angel!

It’s no secret that shelters don’t typically have the resources to handle these extreme cases, but if you know anything about the staff at OAS, you know they don’t give up on their animals that easily.

Enter Idaho Humane: wouldn’t you know, the Director at this Boise shelter is an orthopedic surgeon? Well, a staff member at OAS knows this and was willing to go out on a limb, no pun intended, to help a dog in need. A phone call was all it took to get this girl the second chance she deserves at having a happy, fulfilling life. 

Another phone call was made  to HAPI to see if we could transport and this girl’s future was changed forever.

Fast forward to last week and OAS once again took in a stray with a healed broken front right leg. This time, it was a young male, adult German Shepherd. The shelter appropriately named this strong and stunning boy “Troy”.  

Shelter medicine would dictate that Troy’s leg be amputated. Dogs can live a full life as a tripod, but once again, the staff at OAS wanted to try for more. Another call to Boise, another call to HAPI, and our sweet, young man was on his way to a new life as an Idahoan with four legs.

The resilience of these dogs is palpable. From one transition to the next, with strange people, in strange places, and on a 10 hour drive, with no understanding of what is happening to them must be incredibly frightening. Yet, they endured every moment with poise and courage. They have no other choice but to put their faith in us and hope we have their best interest in heart. And we do.

We are inspired every day by the hard work of these shelter workers who have more on their plates every day than can ever be completed, but their dedication to every animal that comes into their care is unwavering, and their unwillingness to settle for less is fierce.

We are grateful to be able to be part of the solution, even when it is one animal at a time, and look forward to being called to task anytime we can help the shelter realize the dream of not just doing the bare minimum, but reaching for the stars to achieve the best possible outcome for these sweet animals who rely on them so much. Truth be told, getting to spend 24 hours with these delightful dogs, and knowing we were bringing them to their destination for a brighter future, fills our hearts with so much joy.

Thank you to the staff at OAS and Idaho Humane. You are our heroes!