Difficult life situations sometimes force us to do things we thought we would never have to do. But, no matter what, it’s always important to be kind to one another.
A beautiful (and, at the same time, very sad) story of love, hope, and resilience comes from the Village of Monee, Illinois.
A precious dog named King was left outside the local Burger King with a heartbreaking note paper-clipped to his collar.
One citizen found him and immediately contacted the Village of Monee Police Department.
Many will think who could have abandoned this precious dog like this, but the real truth behind this story is actually as heartbreaking as the dog’s abandonment.
“I’m A Good Boy…”
The note that was attached to the dog’s collar read:
“Hi, I’m King. I’m a good boy. Love to hug and kiss. Birthday, July 22, 2018.”
As soon as King was brought to the Monee Police Station, officers could see that he was indeed the goodest boy.
It broke their hearts that he was abandoned like this, so they immediately began investigating King’s story.
King spent the night at the police station, and in the morning, he was taken to South Suburban Humane Society.
Everyone wondered what had happened to this beautiful boy and how he ended up in the parking lot of their local Burger King.
They didn’t have to wonder for too long, though. Shortly after the shelter posted online about King, his mom showed up at the shelter to share her story.
From Whopper To Wagging Tail
“After suffering a major medical event, she had moved in with family, and has been trying to get back on her feet. Her family member abandoned King without her knowledge, and she is devastated,” SSHS wrote in their Facebook post.
King’s mom, Ms. J. Cruz, was injured at work the previous year and was unable to work due to Post Concussion Syndrome, which causes her daily migraines, anxiety, dizziness upon standing or bending, and sensitivity to light and sound.
After learning about King’s whereabouts, his mom raced to the shelter with all of his favorite food, toys, and treats.
This had led to a very tearful conversation with the shelter staff, who after learning about her situation, decided to help her.
“Every single day, every one of us has a choice to choose empathy and kindness. SSHS is grounded in both, and we choose kindness whenever possible (it’s always possible),” they wrote.
“It was evident to our team how much love and affection there is between them, and he was totally overjoyed to see her. She was sobbing as she was telling me all of the things that have happened to her, and I had tears streaming down my face,” Emily Klehm, CEO of the SSHS, told The Dodo.
A deal was made – one of the shelter’s staff members would foster King while his mom tries to find a new place to live.
Choose Kindness Whenever Possible
Only a week later, King’s mom returned to the shelter to tell them that she had found a safe place to live with her beloved pet. Where there’s a will, there’s a way.
The reunion between the two was so beautiful and filled with so much love that there was not a dry eye in the room.
However, the SSHS’ empathy toward this pair did not end there. In hopes of helping King’s mom stand on her own feet, SSHS shared a GoFundMe page created by Ms. Cruz’ friend.
There were almost 500 donations to help reunite King and his fur parent – an incredible $15,580 was raised for the cause.
But, that was not all.
When Burger King found out about King, the dog, and what had happened, they decided to join the cause as well.
“From one (Burger) King to another, we want to send you some love!,” said their message, accompanied by Impossible Whoppers to the shelter’s whole team, and a care package for King’s mom.
King’s story is a perfect example of great things that can be achieved when people and organizations come together, guided by love and true empathy.
