The Power of One

A Gentle Girl In Need

The inspiration for this blog came from a lovely Canadian lady called Julia, who I met through Facebook whilst I was sitting on my couch, whilst she was on holiday in Jamaica.

Julia had posted her upset over a pregnant dog who had been kicked and shooed off the beach by resort staff in order to keep up the façade of pristine unspoiled sand and she was reaching out for help.

Clearly looking for food, water, attention, companionship and help, she was guilty of no crime and did not deserve the shameful treatment she received of being kicked whilst she was down.

All of Julia's complaints fell upon deaf ears, leaving her no option but to take it upon herself to find a way to get this homeless dog what she needed.

And so this little homeless dog's journey began be trusting Julia enough to follow her to her room, where she was given water and food and a soft blanket to rest on, and this kind stranger dedicated the last few days of her holiday to making a plan for her new friend.

New Friends, A Forever Home & A Safe Haven For The Pups

Julia had left her phone number on the post so I contacted her to give her some ideas and support with regard to networking and finding a foster or safe haven.

The rescue and re-homing strategy is the same regardless of the location, and it's a person's in-built belief and willingness to do whatever it takes that carries everyone to the finish line.

Homeless pregnant Mama was now Maple, a perfect name bearing in mind that she is a caramel colour and Julia is Canadian, and she made a great stowaway!

Another lady, AJ, also stepped forward to assist and within a couple of days, Maple was whisked off to the vet for a check up and taken to a place where she would be safe to have her babies in peace.

Thanks to Julia, Maple even had a forever home lined up for when her babies were big enough to be re-homed and Julia was able to leave Jamaica with a full heart having changed the life of a homeless street dog and her puppies for the better.

Not The Holiday She Expected!

This was definitely not the holiday that Julia expected but one she would never forget and little did she know, that she would be taking more than memories away with her!

Once home, Julia got some friends together and her and AJ crowd funded over $3,000 to cover the boarding fees for both Maple and the puppies, Jax, Oscar and Coco, together with vet bills, medication, vaccines and everything needed to transport the puppies to Canada.

And if that wasn't enough, Julia flew back to Jamaica to oversee the whole operation and flew back to Canada with the puppies and then got them to their respective new homes.

In total, Maple had 6 puppies, but sadly, 3 died and Maple herself almost died as she had to wait to have heart-worm treatment as this couldn't be done whilst she was pregnant or lactating.

To complete the circle, Maple, now Jackie, was adopted in Jamaica by AJ and is living her best life with AJ, her new brother Tucker and AJ's husband William, and Julia adopted one of Maple's puppies, who she called Oscar, who has become the love of her and her husband's life they didn't even know they needed!

The Ripple Effect

Following her complaint, Julia finally received a message from the Assistant Manager of the hotel apologising and assuring her that disciplinary action had been taken to ensure a recurrence doesn't take place, as training is conducted on how to remove animals.

She also added that the management is committed to ensuring the safety of all animals, and have implemented a cat sanctuary on the property where wandering cats are taken in, fed, vetted and given a home.

Guests are also able to adopt and visit the sanctuary during their time with them and they are currently working towards establishing the same for dogs in the near future.

Julia was persistent in the action that she took, both with her commitment to Maple and the pups and also with her complaint, clearly demonstrating the ability of the power of one and the impetus it has on others to also raise the standard.

Julia, her Mum and Julia's husband, together with two strangers, AJ and myself, came together to support a little soul in need, joined also by Jesus himself (Matthew 18:20), and the results were sensational.

The Way To Freedom

Julia's single act of kindness resulted in a homeless dog finding shelter and safety in her hour of need, getting the medical treatment she needed, homes for mama dog and her 3 pups, a cat sanctuary and a dog sanctuary in progress.

The power of one can not be underestimated and not only were the lives of all the animals changed for the better, but all the families found a new purpose too, both in being a parent to a dog in need and continuing with rescue work as called.

There's nothing more beautiful, fulfilling and rewarding that helping those in need, and it has been said that there is no such thing as altruism as the very act of giving is selfish because it makes the giver feel better!

A life well-lived is what it's all about, and paradoxically, the only way our cup can be filled, is by filling others cups first, and when you can see the invisible, you can do the impossible!

Closing our eyes, ears, minds and hearts is not the way to freedom, the way to freedom is paved with suffering, but we hold the power in our hands to free others, and in so doing, we free ourselves.

Friends We Didn't Even Know We Had

What I love about these stories is that we have friends we didn't even know we had and there are so may people like Julia, who have started small and gone on to make MASSIVE changes in the lives of so many.

Many strangers banded together in support of one another, and in doing so, strangers became friends and friends became extended family, this is the beauty and best of life and nothing is more glorious than extending our hearts and our homes to one another.

Kristin Hartness & Jay Yontz from Ziggy's Rescue Farm Sanctuary in North Carolina, Lee Asher from The Asher House in Oregon and Theoklitos Proestakis from Takis Shelter near Ierapetra in Greece are all shining examples of the power of one.

When we live from our hearts, make a commitment and take a stand for life, the miracles that unfold are unparalleled, I have been living in blessing for over 15 years and have more testimonies than I can recount, each one, a testimony to a force beyond myself.

God is always there in our midst, rooting for us, routing people together and rotating the stars so that everything aligns in perfect order, and all the glory goes to Him, forever, amen.

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