An animal shelter is a magical place, or so it can be. Yes of course I am biased, but just look at the facts. Here in this one shelter there are a number of rather remarkable stories that just now or recently have taken place.
There's the Australian bearded dragon, actually still up for adoption, who simply and absolutely refuses to eat until you sit down with him and either sing or play him a tune on your smart phone (any music loving reptile fans out there, please get in touch): give him some of your time and a song and he'll happily down his dinner of veggies and bugs. And the lost parakeet who chewed through the screen on our second story window to break into and be with two others of her own kind (a success story, the three of them went home together to a new family).
And, of course, there are many, many magical stories about dogs and cats. The cat diagnosed with a chronic neurological deficit that causes her to shake and shiver with every move she makes: she recently went home with someone who knew "on first sight, deep in my heart" that this timid and easily overwhelmed animal would find the safe home she needed with her. The profoundly deaf border collie mix who found a home with a family who already had two of the same smart and demanding breed, the two dogs instantly accepting the newcomer and helping her learn the family's rules through a language that did not requiring hearing. The three-legged kitten blissfully unaware of her disability, who will never believe anything is missing: she just went home with a young family who completely agree with their new cat's self-assessment.
And the miracles we hope and believe are just about to occur: Graham the pit bull; Rocky the beagle; a 3-month-old and cuter than should be legal American bulldog named Hazel; 7-year-old yellow lab sisters Stella and Fuoco; brother white bunnies with black ears and noses, Charlie and Oliver; a gorgeous green-eyed, long-haired red tabby named Janis; a calico kitty unimaginatively named Kitty (but, hey, you can change the name); and a remarkable number of black-and-white or what we call tuxedo cats of all sizes and ages.
In 2011, more than 6,000 miracles happened here. That's more than 6,000 animals' lives saved. And like I said, this is just one shelter of thousands around the country.