"I still think of you" - Remembering Best Friends

Thank you for sharing Drago’s story @Kelly :green_heart: Beta fish are special little creatures, they have fun personalities once you get to know them. Drago was a beautiful beta!

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Thank you for sharing your beautiful loyal boy with us @Katie

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I volunteer as the Director of Events at The Animal Pad dog rescue, and on this Pet Remembrance Day I wanted to share Simon’s story. :green_heart:

Simon was abandoned by his owners and left on the streets of Mexico to fend for himself. His owners said that he became sick and infested with fleas and ticks, so he wasn’t welcome there any more. Thrown out like a piece of trash, Simon laid there unable to move due to his paralyzed back legs.

Days went by before a kind human stopped to help Simon. Simon then made his way to the US where he became an official TAP dog. The Animal Pad (TAP) dog rescue immediately rushed Simon to the emergency vet. He started to make slow progress and got stronger every day. Simon soon became everyones favorite rescue story and he was loved by so many.

On Simon’s road to recovery we would visit local elementary schools to teach the children about animal rescues and animals with disabilities. He helped everyone feel special and loved, and was a reminder to all that anything is possible if you believe.

Simon’s story quickly spread on social media and many hearts were touched. He had thousands of people rooting for him, especially his foster mom, Lauren. Lauren is the Director of Operations at The Animal Pad dog rescue and she did everything possible to save sweet Simon.

Unfortunately Simon was unable to fully recover and despite many visits with specialists, his health began to decline once more. Everyone’s heart was broken. Although Simon was only with us for a short 5 months, he made a huge impact on so many lives, especially Lauren’s. Right before Simon crossed the rainbow bridge, Lauren officially adopted Simon, right there in the emergency room.

Lauren later shared the tragic news about Simon to all of his followers on social media. One particular sentence she wrote really stuck with me. She said, “If love alone could have saved him, he would have lived forever.” wow. If only this were true for all the animals and people we have loved.

On this Pet Remembrance Day I wanted to share sweet Simon’s story. A story about strength and courage, a story about never giving up, a story about love, but most importantly a story about helping others in need. You see, if it wasn’t for that kind human who stopped to help Simon, he wouldn’t have been able to go on and help others in need, others who needed to hear his story.

Thank you Simon for touching so many lives and reminding all of us the importance of helping others.

I’ll leave you with this quote…

“Rescue animals aren’t broken, they’ve simply experienced more life than other animals. If they were human, we would call them wise. They would be the ones with the tales to tell and the stories to write, the ones dealt a bad hand who responded with courage. Don’t pity them. Do something. And most of all, be proud you have their greatness by your side.”








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:heart::heart::heart::heart::heart:

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@Julie_A, okay I have officially cried this morning. This is such a touching story and I applaud and appreciate all you and the members of PAT and all other rescue groups do for all the animals that are just thrown out like trash. My heart breaks when I read stories like this as I know for every one that is rescued, there are 100 more who aren’t. God Bless all!

Debbie

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Our cats usually live to 18+ but this one left us all too soon due to kidney failure. Fripouille made quite an impression in the 10 years she was with us and we have great memories.

Her sister Cassiopée is still with us and she’s 16 now. We welcomed them when they were 4 months old. We almost adopted also their two brothers but we already had a 16 year old cat at home and we didn’t want to overwhelm her.

This box has also been with us for more than six years now as it was from the start a favorite place of theirs to play, hide or rub against. :hugs:

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Hi@gchampagne, thank you so much for posting your memory of that beautiful baby of yours, Fripouille as well as her sister, Cassiopee. What a blessing to have gotten to share even those ten short years with Fripouille. Our pets seem to leave us all too soon and the pain we feel never really goes away. I’m sure having Cassiopee helps to ease that pain, but still the heart is heavy when you know you are without her sister. Take comfort in knowing she is no longer in pain from the kidney failure and bless you for loving her sister as you do.

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I’m with Debbie - started my shift teary after reading the story of Simon, and Lauren and all the loving spirits at The Animal Pad.

“If love alone could have saved him, he would have lived forever.”

Bless you all for the compassionate care you gave Simon and so many whose lives he so deeply touched :gift_heart:

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Thank you Julie and all of the amazing volunteers of the Animal Pad https://theanimalpad.org

Most of all, thank you to all the Simons of this world for we rescue each other.

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