Rescued

I recently watched the interview of Squire Rushnell and Louise DuArt, authors of  the book, “Dogwinks,” a collection of inspirational canine stories. One of those stories is about a dog named Ruby.

A high energy Australian Shepherd and Border Collie mix, Ruby was returned to a New England area SPCA for the fifth time when she was only seven months old because of unmanageable behavior. Pat Inman, the woman who trained the SPCA dogs before they were adopted, was at their shelter when the manager told her Ruby was scheduled to be euthanized in several hours because of behavioral concerns.

“You can’t do that,” Pat yelled. She insisted that Ruby was very bright despite her uncontrollable behavior and should be given a chance. “Please call the Police Canine Unit,” she begged. The manager explained that he had contacted them before about taking one of their dogs, but without success.

“They buy $15,000 dogs bred specifically for search and rescue.”

“But can’t you at least try?” she pled.

“I’m sorry,” he replied.

After Pat left in tears, the manager relented and called the Canine Unit about Ruby. Little did the manager know that the Unit had been ready to purchase a purebred puppy, only to have their budget cut. No money. No purebred. They decided to take a chance on Ruby. They called Officer Dan, a State Trooper, whose dream was to be on the K-9 Rescue Team. He was paired with Ruby. After months of difficult training with Dan, Ruby achieved champion status.

Several years later Dan and Ruby were on a search and rescue mission looking for a local boy missing for 36 hours in the frigid evening temperatures. As they headed for the nearby woods, Ruby bolted from Officer Dan. When he caught up with her, she was at the bottom of a ravine licking the bloodied face of the still living boy. Officer Dan contacted his team to bring in a stretcher. When their GPS wouldn’t work, Officer Dan had Ruby bark until they could be located.

After the boy was sent to the hospital, Officer Dan headed for the parents’ home to give them the good news of how the Search and Rescue Canine Unit had located her son. As he was leaving, the mother asked, “Have you ever heard of a dog named Ruby?”

“That’s my partner.” Dan explained. “She’s the one who found your son.”

“I’m the one who pled for Ruby’s life when they were going to euthanize her,” the mother, Pat Inman, cried. “I always wondered what happened to her.”

“The dog you saved is the one who saved your son’s life.”

The story of Ruby, a National Search and Rescue Dog, is soon to be made into a movie entitled, “Rescued by Ruby.”

God tells us in Galatians 6:7: “A man reaps what he sows.” The scripture also goes on to say in verse 9: “Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.” It may have taken a few years, but Pat was reaping a harvest from her efforts years earlier as she pled for Ruby’s life.