10 years ago, I saw a strange Facebook post about someone in urgent need to get rid of the last of a litter- brother and sister puppies in south Missouri. My friend was attending Vet School in MS and was coincidentally visiting me the following weekend. I asked her if she could pick up the last one for me. Having soft spot for animals, she agreed.
Oddly, they requested to meet at a gas station and handed over a filthy carrier.
After many hours in the car, she handed over a puppy smaller than a soccer ball covered in fleas, missing fur on all four paws, an ambilocal hernia, and so hungry she tried to eat bottle caps outside. I took her to the vet and they exclaimed that the people who had sold her must’ve operated a terrible puppy mill due to her condition- starving with paws missing fur due to a skin condition from being left in feces for weeks on end. The vet explained the horrible conditions she must’ve endured during the first few weeks of her life. It deeply saddened me to know such a place existed for defenseless newborn animals. She was out of their hands and finally had a home with me. The next morning while pondering a names, I was brewing tea and looked at the label, Matcha, and thought that would make a cute name.
8 years after that, I was picking up dining chairs from Marketplace the next neighborhood over. when the lady opened the front door to her home, it was filled with cats and dogs. I asked if they were all hers. She said some were hers, the others she saved as strays and enjoyed rehoming them. She said we seem like good people and offered a kitten to me, which I exclaimed I already had a dog and didn’t know if they’d get along. She said it as no problem, if they didn’t get along I could bring her back no hard feelings. I had always wanted a cat and dog, but didn’t know if I was ready to take care of 2 animals. She sweetened the offer by mentioning their had been a cuddly runt of the litter, I melted when I met her. Of course there was no turning back. She’s part of the family now. I kept the theme of tea names and name her Mint. Although Matcha and Mint are different species, they have a sassy love hate relationship like sisters do.
Much like my pets’ stories, Furr Good was founded by accident. Although Matcha and Minty have found homes with me, I’m constantly reminded by all the pets that don’t when I see a stray cat wandering the alleys. A tender spot for animals, communities of other pet lovers, and a series of random events led to Furr Good, where maybe together we can find more homes for pets still waiting.
Have you ever heard that saying that you don’t choose the pet? They choose you.
