Hank

Emotions welled as he sat on the patio watching the pup play with their four adult hunting dogs. Today was the pup’s last day with them, and he reflected on the coincidence - perhaps Divine Providence, all things considered - that led to this moment.

Two months prior, he left on a hunting trip with one of their dogs but found himself detoured by the compulsion to buy a grocery store sandwich. Firstly, he never bought food for hunting and secondly, a bag of snacks set on the seat beside him. Furthermore, the sandwich he craved had to come from a specific store that he had already passed.

It was there that he found the frightened two month-old pup in the cart return area where someone had dumped him just minutes before. Without a second thought, he abandoned the hunt and returned home with the pup. Hank, as he would be named. Soon afterwards, he and his wife noticed gentle, caring manner in which their dogs treated the pup and how they were careful to make eye contact before communicating in the dog-language they spoke. Their vet then confirmed what they suspected: the pup was deaf.

Now, two months later, Hank was leaving for the state prison to be part of a program that centered around inmates training rescued dogs, particularly those with disabilities like Hank. Watching the dogs romp about in autumn’s chill, he smiled fondly at how this discarded, unwanted pup, was destined for a greater purpose.