“I didn’t even think twice.”
Published on Oct 12, 2023 at 12:05 PM
This past Sunday, hundreds of people joined together to race in the Chicago Marathon. Among them was Sarah Bohan, running to benefit PAWS Chicago, a local animal rescue nonprofit.
But that day, Bohan did more than just raise funds for pets in need.
She actually saved a furry life.
While nearing the final stretch of the 26.2-mile race, Bohan was on pace for her personal best marathon performance to date. But then something caught her eye.
“I happened to be running on the left side of the road nearest the sidewalk and entered a tunnel,” Bohan told The Dodo. “[I] noticed this small, fluffy cat crying and scared on the sidewalk.”
Despite knowing that even a momentary pause would jeopardize her record time, she stopped to help.
“I didn’t even think twice,” Bohan said. “[I] scooped up the cat.”
From there, Bohan’s priority was the frightened kitten’s well-being. She slowed her pace to a walk so he wouldn’t be jostled.
“That cat became my responsibility,” she said. “I needed to give it the love it deserved.”
After walking with the kitten in her arms for about a mile down the course, Bohan caught the attention of several spectators on the sidelines. Turns out, they were fellow animal lovers, volunteering to take little cat off her hands.
“I didn’t know them,” Bohan said. “They just came forward and said they have cats of their own and will give this little baby love. I trusted them based on our very brief interaction.”
Bohan, having rescued the kitten and found him a home in the midst of a marathon, then continued on her way to the finish line. It was an unexpected turn for the day, but she wouldn’t have had it any other way.
“I was just concerned about this cat’s well-being and was not going to run at all until I found it a home,” she said.
Though Bohan did not exchange any info with the people who took in the kitten, PAWS Chicago followed up with a heartwarming update.
“Adopter found!” the group wrote. “We hear [the kitten] is settling into his new home and doing great!”
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Pink, Wrinkly Puppy Completely Transforms After Finally Feeling Loved
“Despite all of this discomfort and pain, she is so sweet and patient.”
By Ashley Ortiz
In May 2023, the folks at Beagles and Bentleys discovered a young puppy in desperate condition at a shelter. The puppy, a pit bull-mix, had no fur — instead, her bare skin was pink, wrinkly and inflamed. So the Beagles and Bentleys crew decided to save her.
“The fact that she, in just her short three months of life, had developed to a state of severe neglect is incredibly overwhelming and disheartening,” Beagles and Bentleys’ McKenzie Licata told The Dodo in a recent video. “You could tell she just hurt so badly.”
The dog, later named Rosie, was clearly in pain; her irritated skin cracked and bled with each slight movement. But the young pup’s resilient spirit only grew stronger after being rescued.
“Despite all of this discomfort and pain, she is so sweet and patient,” Beagles and Bentleys wrote on Facebook.
Rosie went home with Licata, where she would stay as a foster for a few months until she was healthy enough to be adopted. Licata had plenty of experience fostering pups, but Rosie’s severe skin condition, eventually diagnosed as demodex mange, offered a new challenge.
“I really expected her to be more shy or unwilling to accept the help that I was giving her,” Licata said. “You don’t get in that state because you were treated well.”
But the pushback Licata anticipated from Rosie never came. The tiny pup was more than patient with her foster parents’ care plan, which included consistent medicated baths and skin treatments. Despite the pain, Rosie never complained.
“She warmed up to me very quickly once she realized I was there to help her,” Licata said. “She was willing to accept all the help that my husband and myself were able to give her.”
After nearly a month of consistent care, Rosie’s skin improved, and her puppy-like energy emerged.
“Around the four-week mark, we started to notice that her fur was coming back in,” Licata said.
“And that was also when she was just really starting to act like a puppy again and starting to feel a lot better.”
With her skin condition finally under control, Rosie felt comfortable enough to engage with the world around her. She began playing nonstop with her canine foster siblings and joined Licata on every outdoor activity she could.
“She didn’t want to miss out on anything. She had major FOMO,” Licata said. “We had to bring her everywhere with us. And we loved bringing her everywhere with us.”
Two months later, with her skin completely healed and her gray coat grown in, Rosie was officially ready for adoption. While she visited her foster dad’s firehouse for socialization practice, Rosie’s friends at the shelter sorted through adoption applications. It wasn’t long before they found a promising family.
“I could tell these people [are] just good people who love animals, love rescue, and they love kitties,” Licata said.
Licata was right — the prospective family was a perfect match for Rosie. She soon left for her forever home, where she’s been thriving alongside her fur siblings and doting parents ever since.
You can see Rosie’s transformation and her new family here:
Sending Rosie off to her permanent home was challenging for the Licatas, who fell in love with the pup during their few months together. But seeing her blossom with her forever family makes it all worthwhile.
“I definitely had a hard time letting her go. It’s bittersweet when you have a foster that you are lucky enough to be so involved in their recovery and see them transform in such a way, and the only way that’s possible is by loving them,” Licata said. “As hard as it is to say goodbye, it means that I can continue to help other dogs just like her.”
If you’d like to help pups like Rosie get the care they need, you can donate to Beagles and Bentleys here.
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