When the Fredericksburg Regional SPCA announced that they had three adorable Boxer puppies up for adoption, they knew that the floppy-eared pups would be quickly snapped up!
A woman named Lisa was the first to arrive at the shelter at 6:15 am, and was later joined by her husband, Carl. They planned to wait until the doors opened at noon. Behind them was another woman, and third in line was Mary Garecht. She was hoping to bring one of the puppies home to her family, which included her husband Eric, and their sons, John, 10 and Greg, 8.
The early risers assumed that theirs would be the three families to receive the three puppies, and chatted for hours while they waited.
As it turned out, the Garechts had lost their beloved Boxer, Boris, to cancer two years ago. John, who was 8 at the time, seemed to take it the hardest. After all, both boys had known Boris their entire lives.
As they stood in line, Carl checked the SPCA’s webpage and made a discovery that threw a wrench in their plans: one of the puppy’s foster families had already decided to adopt him. They realized that only two of the Boxers were going to need forever homes.
Without hesitation, Carl gave up his spot in line so that the Garecht’s could take one of the puppies home. The new dog would never replace Boris, but his excitable energy and exuberant personality would certainly help fill the hole that Boris had left in their lives, especially for the boys.
In honor of the kind “stranger,” the family decided to name the new puppy Carl. After bringing home their furry friend, they took to social media to reconnect with the kind man in order to properly thank him.
As the post spread, they were finally able to locate Carl. They wanted to buy him a restaurant gift card so he and his wife could enjoy a night out. But he told them that all he wanted was to see them happy, and when he found out the puppy was named after him, he was deeply touched.
Overall, Carl (the human one!) shrugs off his kind deed as “no big deal.” But to the Garecht family, his selfless gesture meant the world.
“But I guess with all the hate out there, it’s nice to hear a heartwarming story,” Carl told fredericksburg.com.“Like my wife says, it’s karma. You pay it forward.”
Thank you, Carl, for reminding us of all the goodness in the world! We hope that you and your wife find a wonderful puppy to adopt. And to the Garecht family, congratulations on your new addition! We hope you enjoy many happy, healthy years together.
(h/t: fredericksburg.com)
