We drive to a shopping mall just east of Seattle on a recent Monday night and circle around the parking lot with uncertainty. We do not know where to meet, so we circumvent the asphalt hoping that intuition will signal where to park. We finally locate a large area in the southeast corner that feels right.
We park our car and get out. As the minutes pass, people begin assembling, glancing at each other hesitantly. It dawns on us that we are here for the same reason, and an alliance builds among us, tightening with each passing minute. We wait with a mixture of judicious patience and anxious restlessness. The pilgrimage from Texas has taken too long, delayed by generator repairs and unexpected traffic.
At last a large, grubby windowless van rolls into place, and we all let out a relieved but polite cheer. After a never-ending wait, the roll-up door at the back of the truck opens, and a cacophony of barking, whining, and scratching erupts. The crowd quiets with anticipation and the air is thick with an expectant hush.
The upbeat but fatigued driver emerges from the back of the van with a large manila envelope and a bouncy young hound who strains at his leash and blinks at the brightly fragrant air. Two people in the crowd rush forward, their eyes bright with relief and joy. They squat down for a proper and non-threatening introduction, and the dog sniffs them carefully but without inhibition. Quickly snapped photographs document the adoptive parents’ radiance and the pup’s bewilderment. The newly formed family makes its way to their car after a short walk through the curbside grass.
Each new dog is escorted out, one by one, with what feels like an interminable interval in between. Audible gasps, cheers, and applause greet each new arrival: a large, white, long-haired mama dog, having recently been separated from her litter; a black and white pit bull who is given a handsome new wide, leather collar; and an old stray with a look of stoic resignation in his eyes. Two puppies come out, shaking with the stress and uncertainty of the unknown. A one-eyed pug snuggles immediately into the arms of his adoptive mother, instantly realizing that he has found his forever home. Universal tail wagging and excited yips abound.
Vibrant emotions are on evident display. Young women exhale high-pitched exclamations, and mature couples allow happiness to displace their customary emotional reserve. A middle-aged tough guy glances downward to disguise the softening in his eyes as he pets and murmurs at an endearing mixed breed mutt. In an instant, hearts heal, and loneliness is eliminated.
I watch the cluster of adopters quietly and happily diminish as the number of pets dwindles, solace replacing canine stress and connection supplanting human isolation. The tedious expedition that began days earlier and the heartfelt quest to adopt a pet unite in a grateful confluence. These rescued stray doggies do not know it yet, but their lives just took a permanent and happy pivot that began with the opening screech of the truck’s pull-up door. The little canines are delivered from an existence of chaos, disruption, or abuse, and their human parents are relieved from lives that feel lonely, restless, or unfulfilled.
My husband and I look at each other in a moment of perfect understanding as our son cradles a resilient mixed breed puppy in his arms and heads to his car. Our hearts are full as we are struck by his instant attachment and devotion.
Salvation for all of us can be as simple as adopting a lovable dog that needs a home.