On a chilly wet spring day in San Bernardino Robyn, a teacher by profession and an angel by heart, found a beautiful black lab roaming near her school. The dog was obviously lost and didn’t have any tags on her. It was evident that this sweet dog was a new momma as her milk ducts were full of milk. Sadly, Robyn couldn’t find her babies anywhere. Yet she didn’t give up! Robyn brought this sweet momma food and tried to follow her everyday hoping to find the puppies. Everyday this sweet dog would be patiently waiting, on the same street corner, day and night with such hope in her eyes. She seemed to be waiting for her family to come back and pick her up…sadly no one did.
About 4 weeks later another dog started hanging out in the same spot. The two dogs bonded instantly! They kept each other company and endured the unusually cold and wet winter we had in So Cal this year. Robyn, with her big heart started to feed both dogs. She new she couldn’t take them home, but still needed to help care for them. Everyday this sweet couple would stand outside the school greeting the students and other teachers who passed by. Soon this bonded pair won over the hearts of everyone at school. The kids and the teachers would buy them extra lunches and the kids loved how they would walk them up to class and to the corner every day.
With every passing day it was evident to Robyn that no one was ever going to come back for these two sweet souls. She feared with the school year coming to an end something would happen to both of them. She didn’t have the heart to call Animal control in San Bernardino. Why? Let’s just say we are thankful that she didn’t make the call. After everything they have endured, no one wanted them to go to San Bernardino City Animal Shelter. So, Robyn decided to make a plea on behalf of this sweet helpless couple and she did. As luck would have it, we saw it! Immediately we mobilized the team and put in a rescue plan together. Everyone in the team was heartbroken after listening to their story and jumped right in to help. We let Robyn know that we heard her plea and were coming in to rescue the dogs. Robyn was teary eyed when she heard the news. With the promise of better life, we rescued this beautiful bonded pair the very same day.
As soon as we met this pair we knew they were special and we named them as such. Hope, because she never lost hope that someone would care and Hero, because he showed up to help protect her on the lonely, cold streets of San Bernardino. They were taken directly to our vet who ran blood work and fecal tests. Later they were bathed, given flea/tick meds, spayed and neutered, micro-chipped and vaccinated. They are both healthy and ready to go home now, preferably together, who can break up this love story? Originally Hope weighed about 80 pounds and was looking very thin and frail. Now she weighs about 90 pounds and looks happy, healthy and strong. Hero is a smaller guy weighing about 65 pounds.
They are technically not a bonded pair, but it will make all our hearts happy to have them go to a loving home together. They are kindred spirits who got each other through the cold and loneliness on a small street corner… The hopelessness and heartbreak they felt when they were left behind feeling cold and hungry is beyond any of our imagination. Now it is time for these sweet souls to want for nothing and have all the love and warmth they can handle and more… Both dogs are incredibly sweet, affectionate and light up with any attention. Any home would be blessed to have these two happy souls.
Please consider opening your home and heart to Hope and Hero. They are great with kids, good with other dogs, ride well in the car and are truly sweet pups. Our heartfelt thanks and regards to Robyn for being their Angel. We pray that they find their forever happy home and family soon. Please email us at dogs@labradorsandfriends.org for any further inquiries or fill out our online application at www.labradorsandfriends.orgto take Hope and Hero home with you. Currently they both are in Southern California. Thank You for taking time to read our Hope and Hero story.