Day 16 - "Who rescued Who" Challenge

When I received the following email from dog-mom Rebecca, I was truly moved by her and Dharma's incredible story.    I am so delighted to share the following (warning... you might want to have a box of tissues handy)

"There is no single word to define dharma, in any of the western languages.  
In Hinduism it is duty, law, the nature, and/or the path.   Buddhists define dharma as cosmic law and order,  and for Sikhs,  dharma is the path to righteousness.  (Taken from Wikipedia)

Dharma is a force of nature.  She is a lesson in perseverance,  trust, and love. 
Dharma and I rescued each other three years ago.  I saw a picture of her four years ago on the ARF website.  It took nearly a year for me to meet her.  I was told Dharma was a special case, I was told there are other lab type dogs I could get.  I simply said thanks, but no thanks.  6 months later, at a charity event I saw Dharma still had not been adopted.   I inquired again, and finally was able to meet her.  A special case indeed.  She was a stray dog in Taiwan,  with a badly deformed leg.  She either was hit by a car, and it healed badly, or had her leg caught in a trap.  Both occurances are rampant in Taiwan. She was then, captured by a rescue group in Taiwan, and spent the next three years of her life in a shelter with over a thousand dogs. She would get to go outside once a week, I think. She was flown to Canada in February 2011, where she became an ARF dog.  Dharma and I found each other in September 2011.  When we first met, we both knew we were meant to be for each other.   Dharma had never lived in a house before,  but had extremely good manners right from the start.  She did have much to overcome though.  She was afraid of men, doors, doorways, brooms, loud noises, bicycles, and much more.  Together, with the help of her dog brother Dillon, she has learned to be a dog.  There were moments when she would forget all her fears, and just be.  As time went on, those moments came more often.  Dharma is my best friend.  I love her more than anyone or anything.  She has taught me that there is always hope.  After having lived the life she did... and learning to trust... she shows me daily, what resilience is.  Dharma is love."

Thanks you so much for sharing this amazing story Rebecca

Dharma. Acrylic on canvas, 6x6 inches

Dharma enjoying some time in the sun. I loved this photo... very befitting her name (photo credit: dog-mom Rebecca).