Faith
October 1. 2001

Hi you guys,
I wanted to let you know what is going on with "Faith," Grace's shelter cellmate.
When our volunteers sprang Faith, she was in very, bad shape. Prepare yourselves for this picture.



Faith's eyes were matted completely shut.



After being rescued and vetted by Small Paws®, and living with volunteers, Sandy and Jim Sowell
(LitlSybil@aol.com), Faith is now loved and clean and well cared for.


I have to tell you the truth though. Faith may not be with us much longer. You see, she is in kidney failure, among other things.
Sandy and Jim are keeping her comfortable, and when it is time, they will help her across the Rainbow Bridge. Faith will leave us, knowing that she was loved by almost two thousand people, from different backgrounds...different races and religions, all with one thing in common. They all love their dogs. And, they loved little Faith.
This is what Sandy says about Faith...
"Faith is still with me and will continue to be until she passes on. She's a little slip of a thing, 10 lbs, and besides being blind and deaf she has failing kidneys and a low level case of Pancreatitis. BUT she now loves having her head rubbed and will push under your arm to get your hand going again if you stop petting her. She loves to sit out in the sunshine and equally loves to curl up in a ball in the middle of one of those big doggie pillows. She has her good days and unfortunately she has her bad days but when the bad days outnumber the good we'll have to make the decision of how to help her. Grace was a horrifying sight but I can tell you that both the kennel worker and I gasped when I lifted the fur up and we saw what was covering her eyes. I'll never forget and it will spur me on to help where I can.
I'm enclosing a recent picture of Faith so you can see her now. Since I took this picture she's grown in more hair and has had her ears trimmed shorter. She's a sweetie and we'll make sure she has the best days we can give her. Sincerely, Sandy"
When a person is called to rescue work, (and I do believe that those who do this are called), they know that some cases will be sad. Some cases are decided before we even get there. Faith was one of these cases. She was too far gone for us to really give her a long happy life.
We are so very, very proud, to have Sandy and Jim Sowell as Small Paws® volunteers. When others see, " unsalvageable "...they see possibilities. They are willing to risk the heartbreak, to experience the joy. Jim and Sandy, thank you...thank you so much..for all you do for us.
Dr. Robert Schuller, from the Crystal Cathedral in California, has a book out called," Turning Hurts into Halos and Scars into Stars"...I wish I had thought of that great title. If I had written a book about our Small Paws® volunteers...like Jim and Sandy...that would have been such a great title.
Am I sorry we rescued Faith from the shelter? Not even maybe. Faith has touched our hearts. I am so glad we rescue the old and the sick, and the injured...for that's what we feel that rescue really is.
Well, I wanted to give you an update. For as long as she has left, little Faith is in very loving arms, thanks to all of you, and to Jim and Sandy Sowell. Love, Robin