A New Chance, A New Hope

Riley (formerly Slim) came to us from New Hope in March 2008. He was underweight and unsure of the world around him but had a heart of gold that shone through all that. Riley’s story was a very sad one. He has been chained to a fence, with no collar, on a short chain that had begun to grow into his neck. He was seized by the PA SPCA when his owners went on vacation (for at least 2 weeks) and left him, outside on that chain, without food or water as the temperatures dipped well below -40, sometimes reaching -50 with the wind. The wonderful workers at the PA SPCA called New Hope as they could tell this boy was going to need a lot of TLC to recover. Even though he was severely underweight the first thing his foster home commented on was the eerie look in his eyes, there was no life there, no hope. Anyone who meets Riley today would not believe that could ever be possible for this outgoing, vibrant boy, that has a joie de vivre that can not be matched.

We chose the name Riley because thought it suited him but little did we know that it was a sign of things to come. This big black boy now lives the life of Riley, lots of physical activity, watching TV with us from the couch, and sleeping beside and sometimes in our bed at night. Although it took some time to teach him to trust again he is loyal to those he loves beyond all reason. Preferring to lay on cold linoleum in the kitchen just to be with you while you cook he is our constant shadow and will put his personal comfort aside so he can watch over his family. He became a true hero one night not so long ago when he scared off some would be burglars who could have done some seriously damage had he not been there.

Pure joy radiates from Riley now and it is impossible not to smile when you watch him running and playing. His enthusiasm is infectious, he never just runs he bounds, “heel” is immediate even if he is 5 feet away he will leap and almost fly – rotating in midair – into the heel position, and “down” is a belly flop onto the ground. We could all learn some valuable life lessons from this boy on how to live, love, and put the past behind us. All those bad days have faded into the background for him now and even though I sometimes find myself with a tear in my eye as I think of what his life was like before for him, Riley harbors no bad will towards anyone. He continues to move forward though life with his focus on the moment, never looking back, and never holding a grudge. I strive to one day earn this lesson for myself but for now I just consider myself lucky to be able to call such a gentle soul my friend.

-Jillian Scharfstein

{ 0 comments }