One of the mottos dogs hold close to their hearts to help them deal with the sadness in the world is that all endings are sad, and all beginnings are happy, no matter how heartbreaking the end was.
We dogs only notice the person we are with, and we don't care if we lose everything else as long as we have them. But, our parents do worry about their living arrangements and whether they are properly caring for their beloved animals.
Lilo's Mom loved her dog so much that she had to give her the greatest gift, to leave her behind and give her a chance with a better family.
To do so was heartbreaking to them both. Despite how often her mother told her that she was leaving her behind for her excellent, Lilo just stood, smiling at her, enchanted with the sound of her voice, as we do, and not the shattering words.
Lilo and her Mom were living out of her car, but she knew there was no way for a dog to live. She had an invitation to stay in a homeless shelter across the state, but they didn't take dogs. Lilo's Mom wrote a tear-stained note, put it under her collar, and took her to the park; then, when Lilo happily ran off to chase a rabbit, she got back in her car and, with a shattered heart, drove away from the one soul she had ever loved, for the dog's good.
Lilo realized her Mom was gone and began to search up and down the street, then sat and nervously panted. Then she lay down at the last place she had seen her t mom and didn't move through the entire cold night.
That is when a policeman found her and called animal control; together, they read the note, and then the animal control officer took her to the shelter, where the workers read the message and let the tears fall as they hugged Lilo.
They could tell Lilo would never talk to another mom, so they took a chance and posted on Facebook about Lilo: "We want you to know Lilo is safe, and we will take the very best care of her," it read, "But if you are reading this, we will help you with whatever you need to care for her. We are here to help in any way we can."
They contacted housing agencies to help the Mom if she showed up. At the shelter, she read the post and realized they would both be happier on the streets than without one another.
Lilo's Mom came to the shelter, and Lilo howled in joy. They hugged, kissed, and licked.
Then Lilo's Mom was told of their new beginnings, a rent-assisted apartment where they were both welcome.
They happily moved in the next day.
No matter where they lived, they knew they would be together.
What a lovely ending to this heart wrenching story.
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