Sunny enjoying the outdoors
Sometimes I feel overwhelmed by the number of sad pet stories I come across each day. There are times where I find myself quickly scrolling through my Facebook feed, feeling inundated by posts about lost, abused, neglected, homeless, and needy pets. My heart sinks with each post.
Like many of you, I feel helpless- what can I really do? Should I hit ‘share’? Will sharing make a difference?
The truth is, you never know who is going to be on the other side of the screen reading that post you either wrote or shared. This is exactly how Lori Fusaro and Shady (now Sunny) came into my life and those who read Petco’s Facebook or blog. Our journey together, all started with the simple act of sharing.
Sunny loves her new mama. Photo by Lori Fusaro
For those of you who haven’t been following this story, Sunny is a 16 year old pitbull that was an owner surrender at the Riverside shelter. Not exactly a combination that would give one much hope for making it out alive. It’s no wonder that when Lori found her, it seemed like the ol’ girl had simply given up, describing her as “despondent, dejected and lost.” I can’t imagine what would bring someone to surrender their 16 year old pit-bull to a high-kill shelter, but I am so grateful that people like Lori exist, and that dogs like Sunny are given a chance.
Sunny gets spoiled with some treats and toys from Unleashed.
After our initial post on Facebook, I was absolutely overcome with joy to find that so many in the social world share my gratitude for Lori’s work. It was one of those moments that fills the heart so much, you just have to sit still and take it all in- deep breaths and all. Just knowing that thousands of you were as touched as I am by this story, it reminded me just how magnificent pets and the people who love them, truly are. To date, this post had one of the highest numbers of shares I’ve seen in all my days as a Community Manager. Again, by the simple act of sharing we made a difference together and so much good came out of it, including: raising money for Sunny’s medical costs; the kind people at Hill’s were gracious enough to offer Sunny a year supply of Senior Science Diet; Petco stepped up with a $500 gift card (to spoil both Sunny and Gabby rotten!); but best of all, we shared the hope and spirit that lives within Sunny.
So what is a ‘share’ really worth? In my opinion, far too much to take for granted.
Please continue to be their voice!
Sunny and her new sister Gabby.
For more updates on Sunny and her new family, please visit Lori Fusaro’s blog: http://www.fusarophotography.com/blog
You can also learn more about the project she is working on called HeartsSpeak. A great organization, that works with shelters to help raise visibility of animals in need: http://heartsspeak.org/
