How many times do you see something on social media accompanied by the words, “Not all heroes wear capes.” It’s a concept I understood early in life because I always thought my world was full of heroes–people who did the right thing, who always stepped up when needed, who had positive impacts on other lives not for reward or praise or recognition, but because they had character and compassion.
In animal rescue, I get to see and know and interact with such heroes every day. Sometimes when I’m so tired I can’t think, when I don’t believe I can do another thing, these people renew and fuel me.
This is Baxter. Baxter came into the rescue program as a one-year-old in July 2016. He was your typical, happy, still-puppyish dog who went into foster to prepare to travel to Colorado.
Then disaster struck. Baxter came down with distemper. It’s not common in adult dogs with vaccinations, and there are a lot of theories as to why this happens, including that they’ve harbored the virus for a while as strays, and some trigger makes it go active. For many dogs, young and old, it’s a death sentence. But Baxter’s foster mom Heather never gave up on him. She nursed him and loved him. Baxter had to live in her office because her personal dogs didn’t like him (if you have dogs, you know there is no accounting for their tastes). Once he was recovered, and no longer shedding the virus, he could have traveled, but the first time an attempt was made, the stress of transport day made him sick.
It was decided to try to find a local adopter for Baxter. I know, because I was the one who listed him on adoption sites. He had a few residual symptoms of distemper that he’ll carry with him through life. Occasionally a bit of teeth chattering or head bobbing. He was undaunted by any of it. Still, sometimes a special dog needs a special person. Was Baxter’s out there looking for him?
His foster loved him and wanted to do right by him, and one of the things necessary for any dog is socialization. He was great with people, but in order to be adoptable, he’d need to be great with dogs. Heather’s solution: Foster more dogs! Those dogs got to live in the office with Baxter. He loved them and played with his foster siblings as they came and went. But no adopter ever stepped up for Baxter.
Baxter loves to run, so he’d go jogging with his foster family–several miles a day! He even enjoys car rides. He’s the perfect Colorado dog who’ll love an active lifestyle, but not an ideal convoy traveler in the middle of a lot of other unfamiliar dogs and activity.
Then a big change happened. Heather and her family were relocating, and they wouldn’t have the same ideal setup for Baxter. That’s when new foster mom Lisa stepped in. Before Heather moved, Lisa agreed to foster him as long as it took. The org’s rescue team went into full-on SAVE BAXTER mode. They found a Colorado rescue willing to take him and find him an adoptive home where his physical quirks would just be part of his charm. BUT HOW TO GET HIM THERE?
Again: Lisa. The woman you see in that photo with him. She is personally chauffeuring Baxter in her own car to get him to Colorado. She’s Transport Team adjacent on this week’s journey.
Today, I removed Baxter from the adoption sites where we listed him. It’s one more step toward this boy getting into his forever home thanks to the compassion of a Colorado rescue group.
And thanks to those other heroes along the way, including Heather, her family, and Lisa. He doesn’t know it, but Baxter has a big fan club among many staffers, volunteers, fosters, and friends of the organization. We all love him and can’t wait until we hear he’s with his forever family.
You’re a good boy, Baxter.
