A Funny Little Dog Called Maddy

She came into my life accompanied by one of the people from the shelter that rescued her, riding in what is called a motor-taxi which is a motorcycle modified with a caboose and seats at the back to carry passengers. I met them at the corner from the house I was renting in the dusty neighborhood an hour outside of Lima, Peru. 

The lady got out and put her on the ground, then we walked back to the house. The little dog walked by my side, and it was obvious that unlike Mayah my other dog, she knew how to walk on a leash. I was pleasantly surprised. Many other things about her revealed that she used to have a home where she was probably loved because she knew what a sofa was the minute she saw mine and was upon it in no time. 

I called her Maddy, short for Matilda (I didn't like the double T's which sounded harsh so changed it to D's instead) meaning "mighty in battle" which she proved that she was, mainly when it came to hunting and killing rats. Maddy was adopted to be Mayah's companion, so she would not cry and whine when I was gone all day, and after three days of establishing their position with each other, they did become the best of friends.

Maddy

There are so many memories I have of Maddy over the years but none stands out more than her sweet and funny personality, and her joy when she was being petted. She had a hard beginning in life, and while she might have had a home previously, by the time she was rescued, she was in the streets living by one of the main bus hubs and when she arrived at my home, her fur had been chemically burned to a strange shade of orange from the gasoline people had poured over her. She was also terrified of broomsticks, an indication she had been beaten or hit by at least one previously. 

Yet, she was the most forgiving dog I had ever met and never ever held any bitterness or resentment against anyone. During the last couple of months of her life, when she was in great pain, she never once showed me any aggression when I had to turn or move her body, feed or check on her. She endured it all and would still want me to pet her despite the pain she was in.

As a human, I have a hard time understanding how she was able to be such a sweetheart despite what she had gone through. I don't know how she managed to keep trusting, but she did. Maddy showed me what we can all be like if we would let God heal our hurts and wounds and believe that there is a better future for us than what we are or might be going through. She chose joy and that joy in her personality helped her secure a future for herself that was better than what she previously had on the streets. She was able to forgive and forget in her own doggy way and because of that, she became a joy to others and was able to receive more joy in the process.

Could we be like her? Could we forgive and leave behind the hurts and betrayal inflicted on us in order to choose joy so we can eventually give and receive joy ourselves?

It is definitely something we as human beings need to think about.

As for me, I am glad she was able to be a part of our lives, and us, hers for she was truly such a blessing.