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Happy Endings Aren’t Always Easy: New Orleans Teacher Says “Goodbye” To Rescued Stray

| Published on July 29, 2022

It is no secret that housing issues continue to plague pet owners all across the country. Rent costs are continuously rising, and there are landlords aplenty who refuse to budge on their “no pets” restrictions. Given the statistics, it’s no wonder that countless homeless pets fill our city streets.

Shelters and rescues are overwhelmed. So much so that many have had to start refusing intakes. And not for lack of concern, but simply due to lack of space. They are running out of physical space to house these pets in need.

The Villalobos Rescue Center

One such rescue is the Villalobos Rescue Center in New Orleans, Louisiana. The rescue that became famous on Animal Planet’s “Pitbulls and Parolees” has worked tirelessly to rescue those in need.

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The Villalobos Rescue Center, on average, is able to take in approximately forty dogs per month. According to their website, their estimated cost of operations is a whopping $10,000 per day. They are one of many rescue groups battling the increasing service demand. And they, too, have had to turn intakes away.

For this reason, when VRC’s employee, Lizzy, saw a man sitting at the front door of the rescue, she prepared to give “the speech.”

It’s the speech that tells this helpless, searching man that they cannot take his dog in today. The speech that tells this man there’s no room, no matter how much they would like to help. It’s the speech that tells this man that he has to find another option.

However, as Lizzy listened to the man’s story, she couldn’t bear to give the speech. After hearing him speak, she knew they had to help him, regardless of the cost.

A Good Samaritan

She came to learn that the man was a teacher. And as he sat with a sweet, four-month-old puppy in his lap, she realized that he was a Good Samaritan as well:

“The little guy had been found as a stray, and this man who was also a teacher at a New Orleans school, took this sweet little boy home to care for him,” said VRC in a Facebook post. “But it didn’t last long, for when his landlord found out, he told him to get rid of the puppy.”

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Having to choose between his own home and the innocent puppy, the teacher did what he thought was best. He waited outside of the Villalobos Rescue Center, preparing to say goodbye. Fortunately, despite their own concerns for space, the kind-hearted folks at VRC agreed to help:

“Paperwork was filled out and we assured the Good Samaritan teacher that the pup was in good hands,” said the VRC.

But the teacher couldn’t leave just yet. Not without saying goodbye to his new pal:

“But then he had one last request…to say “goodbye,” said VRC. “Hearts melted, tears fell, and a little scraggly tail went “thumpity thump, thump.”

A Pup Named “Scholar”

Due to VRC’s lack of space, the puppy will soon be transported to a partner rescue called the Pet Pack Rescue Initiative. This organization is run by teachers – what a perfect place for a pup named “Scholar.”

“In his honor, we have named this pup “Scholar,” said VRC. “And together, we hope their story will change lives, enrich minds, and teach that together we can make the difference even if just for a moment.”

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Tia Torres, founder of the Villalobos Rescue Center, does not doubt that Scholar will go on to achieve great things in his new home:

“As a former teacher myself, it got me in the feels,” said Torres. “We thought (that rescue) was the perfect next step to Scholar’s life’s lessons and onto his journey to finding a forever home.”

 

Featured Image: Facebook

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