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A Successful Rescue

How a Dog Inspired a Community


In Lakewood, behind the Northwest Commercial Bank and next to The Ram business offices, lived a dog who inspired a group of kindred souls to come together for a life changing experience. "Hobo", the dog to whom I am referring, lived for 1 1/2 years in his parking lot "home" fearful of the many people who would come to offer him food or interaction. No one knew his history and no one knew his future, but one thing people did know was that they loved him and feared for his safety.

Kindred Souls Foundation learned of Hobo in February 2006. We learned that Hobo was smart and that he had no interest in being "rescued"! He saw his life as being "just fine". His meals of steak, ribs, sandwiches and dog treats were consistently delivered by the

people who cared so deeply for him and not a day went by that his bucket wasn't topped off with fresh water. Sure he had to sleep with one eye open due to the transients and other "scary" people who came by, but Hobo felt free and that he was doing a pretty good job taking care of himself!

What Hobo did not realize was that his days of freedom, in that particular location, were no longer an option. Due to the many calls made to animal control Hobo was going to have to leave the home he knew for 1 1/2 years. Kindred Souls Foundation made a commitment to help Hobo comfortably transition to a new lifestyle. In order to do this, we not only had to catch him, but also had to bring in various professionals to help us work with Hobo.

Kindred Souls Foundation has a holistic approach to the care we provide to animals. We ensure that all interdependent parts of their being are addressed in the healing process so that the animal can function as a "whole". This requires services in the areas of physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual health. We knew that Hobo was going to need intensive services and so the emails and phone calls started going out before a rescue plan was even thought up.

All practitioners currently working with Hobo responded within 24 hours of receiving our request! They offered their expertise and donated their services with a genuine concern for Hobo's best interest. They offered insights and support before, during, and after the rescue.

Our rescue group volunteers responded with the same eagerness and commitment to Hobo. They stayed in touch while the rescue plan was being developed and made themselves available whenever we needed them. These two groups of people, together, made up  the most generous, talented, and caring team we could have hoped for.

On April 1, we successfully rescued Hobo! It was an emotional day for Hobo and all of his new friends. In the first week of Hobo's new life he experienced what it feels like to be gently touched by loving hands, spoken to with kind words, and loved by a group of kindred souls who have made him a promise to respect and care for him for the rest of his days.