Bear
Success Stories
Bear Meatball Cruz
CA - 2019
This is the name of one spectacular animal, our dog. When my family and I decided that we needed a furry addition to our home, we were ecstatic and couldn’t wait to go pick up our soon to be adopted our
legged sibling.
In the car during the drive there, the air was filled with stories that couldn’t be said fast enough. Our tiny voices had already mapped out countless adventures and memories that were soon to be fulfilled past our largest expectations. Once we arrived, we were lead inside to a small room with a door on the opposite wall. The lovely owners of the house opened the door and released an avalanche of brown and black fuzz. We were immediately engulfed in the love that only puppies can bless you with. There was one puppy that stood out from the excited chaos. This puppy was the fattest, happiest pup we’d ever met. With soft eyes and floppy ears, he anchored himself to our hearts and we fell in love. We all felt it and the decision was simple, he was the one.
Picking a name was easy. Our youngest brother, who was a year old at the time, ultimately named him. Without our knowledge or coercion, he began to call him “Beer”. We assumed he was trying to say "Bear" (like his stuffed friends with a similar physical appearance), given his brown fur and big head, and it stuck.
The middle name "Meatball" came in later years when his goofy disposition failed to leave him (much like his sense of adventure). We dreamed of an adventurous partner in crime, and we got it, sometimes more than we bargained for. Fast forward, to present day and that fat, little puppy seemed to forget that the world isn’t our safe backyard.
In early January, Bear set out on an expedition all his own. He left us, his faithful co-captains at home, while he went off to explore the unknown. It was around 7:00 pm when Bear seemingly vanished. We
hadn’t noticed his disappearing act until I went to the back door to let him inside. He usually runs right in but this time we were not met with the melodic click clack of his paws on our hardwood floors, only the frightening silence of their absence......
We immediately kicked into rescue mode and searched all night, calling his name and looking all throughout the neighborhood. With no luck. We had to go home and pray he found somewhere safe and warm to stay.
Early the next morning we made flyers, and posted them anywhere we possibly could. Animal shelters, Street poles, Mailboxes, nowhere was safe from our flyers. However, still no luck. We then began posting flyers and pleas online to social media, lost pet group pages, neighborhood watch apps and Facebook. We called local vet hospitals and animal shelters for Bear but no one had seen him. As the second night approached, we were all EXTREMELY worried. It became inevitable to imagine the worst.
Then, when 9:00 p.m. rolled around, by the grace of the universe, we were granted relief! There was a craigslist post and a Facebook post that got back to us. Someone found Bear! We called the number that was included in the post and immediately went to collect him.
Our relief was short lived once we arrived. The people who found him were explaining what was obvious. His leg was disfigured and in bad shape. His spirits however, never faltered. His inner puppy showed himself as he always does, happily accepting pets and the shower of love. We took him home and hoped the leg injury was something minor.
Early the next morning, we took Bear to get his leg checked out. After X-rays and some treats, we were informed that the worst had come true. His leg was broken severely. The radius and ulna were each completely separated in halves. We were deeply heart broken. We did not want anything to stop him from living his life to the fullest.
Financially, we could not afford what Bear needed to properly heal, so we continued to push back expenses and miss appointments. We spent what we could to keep him comfortable but it wasn’t enough. His leg wasn’t healing and because of the prolonged amount of time in the same splint the skin around his leg became infected and worn.
We desperately needed help. Bear desperately needed help. We asked his veterinarian what we can do to help Bear and she gave us a list of foundations that were available. We came across the foundation named “Brown Dog Foundation” and reached out to them. They contacted us back and were able to help us with Bear!
We are so incredibly thankful and indebted to “Brown Dog Foundation” for helping our brown dog, our ray of goofy sunshine, and giving him a new lease on life. Bear is currently doing so much better. His leg is healing considerably faster and will be good as new in no time! We promised him a camping trip once he’s healed and all the sticks and toys he can catch!
Thank you, so much. Genuinely. We are so grateful for groups like yours!
