FRISCO'S TALE

Hi, my name is “Frisco”. I am such a happy fellow these days. I have a wonderful home and am treated like a king by my humans. I also have 3 cat siblings, but after nearly 3 years, I still can’t figure them out. Don’t get me wrong, we love each other, it’s just that they are a bit fickle … one minute they want to play and the next they are hauling off and slugging me. Mom says the cats really rule the house, but I think I do.

Anyway, my life is fabulous now, but it wasn’t always so. Back in 2011 I was a youngster prowling around having fun chasing squirrels when all of a sudden I heard loud bangs and the next thing I knew I had searing pain in my back, legs and chest. I crawled as best I could, but collapsed by the side of the road. Surely someone would see me and help me. It was August in Kentucky so it was extremely hot and I was so scared and in such pain. One day past, then two, then 3 and still no one was stopping to help me. I could see cars go by, but the people must not see me. If only I could get up so they could see me. Surely if they did, they would stop. After 5 days of laying there, I was giving up hope, I no longer could feel my legs and I drifted in and out of consciousness. The next thing I knew I woke up and was at a place with shiny lights, metal tables and people hovering over me, sticking me with needles, but they were kind to me and I could sense they were helping me. I heard the man in the white coat, who I found out was a doctor, tell a woman named Marilyn that I had been shot 3 times and one bullet was lodged in my spine and could not be removed. He told Marilyn that he couldn’t be sure if I would make it and if I did whether I would ever walk again. As I listened I found out that Marilyn was my rescuer, she had come for me from a place called “HART”, a rescue group in Cincinnati, OH. Marilyn told the doctor to do whatever it took to save me. When I heard that, I realized I had to muster up the energy and will power to fight to get better. I had to, if this good Samaritan Marilyn and her friends at HART were willing to fight for me, I had to also fight not to disappoint them.

Fast forward a few months and I walked out of the vet’s office and into a new home that HART had found for me. I was so happy, but my memory of those days is sketchy. All I know is I tried to be a good boy and thought I was for 2 years, but somehow that wasn’t enough and my new family took me to a place called a shelter and just left me. I was devastated, it was cold and dreary and not like anything I had ever seen. I heard people say how bad I looked, covered with fleas and matted hair. I tried to tell them I was beautiful inside, but they didn’t listen. Then they ran this machine down my back and I heard them say “he has a chip and it says he came from HART”. Wow, I thought, how did they do that, but the next day my world brightened up when who should I see but Marilyn standing at my kennel run, saying “hi Frisco, everything will be OK”. I heard Marilyn say very angrily to the shelter staff that there was no excuse for me winding up here, that my family should have contacted HART if they couldn’t keep me instead of dumping me at a kill shelter. Yikes, a kill shelter didn’t sound like where I wanted to be. Marilyn got me out of there as fast as she could, got me a bath, got me checked out at the doctors again and then I went off to a foster home with a lady named Christina. Not sure what foster means, but Christina and her mom were very kind to me and again I was so happy. I thought to myself, I don’t know how, but someday I am going to thank Marilyn and HART properly for rescuing me, not once, but twice. I know I would not be alive to write this if it had not been for them.

Anyway, Marilyn told Christina that I was not to go to another family unless she was absolutely 100% sure that the family was the PERFECT home, otherwise, I was to stay with HART the rest of my life. A couple days passed and I heard Christina talking on the phone to someone and I got the drift that someone was coming to meet me. Boy, did Christina ask them a ton of questions. I over heard her say “you are approved to adopt from HART and your vet references are outstanding, so come on up and meet Frisco”. I was so nervous, I thought I had been a good boy at my last home, but they didn’t keep me, so I thought, what do I have to do to make the next home be my forever home. The next day, 2 people named Jackie and Cheryl came to meet me. They were so kind, I immediately liked them and Christina seemed to also. They sat on the floor with me, gave me kisses and hugs and I had a great feeling that maybe they would be my new family. After about an hour I heard Jackie say to Christina, “we love him already, wrap him up” and off I went to my new home, which I found out was back in Kentucky. All I remembered about Kentucky was laying in pain on that country road for 5 days years ago. But, there must be 2 places called Kentucky, because the Kentucky that Jackie & Cheryl took me to was paradise. I had a warm bed, plenty of toys, 3 cat siblings and I finally felt so loved and I just knew I was finally home. That was nearly 3 years ago, and my life just gets better everyday. I couldn’t love my humans anymore than I do and they must think I am perfect because they tell me so everyday. And, they apparently knew all that Marilyn and HART did for me too. Remember when I said I hoped I could thank Marilyn and HART properly for all they did for me; well my new family is helping me do that, by donating to HART as often as they can so HART can help other poor dogs and cats. I have to end my story now, it’s dinner time and then I have squirrels to watch out the back door, and a couple of humans waiting to give me kisses, hugs and all the love I could ever have wanted. I can’t wait to see what the rest of my life is going to be like, but I know it will be fabulous and I don’t ever have to worry about anything ever again. My mom has a T-Shirt that says “Life is Good” on it, and it sure is now!!!

Frisco