Meet spirit

My name is Spirit.

At least that’s what they call me now.

For a long time, I didn’t have a name.

I just wandered.

Day after day, I walked roads and fields and neighborhoods, looking for something I couldn’t seem to find. Food. Water. Safety. Kindness.

Mostly, I was just hungry.

The kind of hungry that never goes away.

I was thirsty all the time, too. And lonely. And scared.

People saw me. I know they did. But most looked away. Some crossed the street. Others averted their eyes as if pretending not to notice me would make me disappear.

After a while, I started to wonder if I really was invisible.

Then one day, everything changed.

A kind lady came out of her house and called to me.

Not with anger.

Not to chase me away.

She called me like I mattered.

It was the first time in a very long time that someone really looked at me.

I was tired, so very tired, and I decided to trust her.

I followed her into her backyard, where she gave me food and water. For the first time in what felt like forever, my stomach wasn’t empty.

I wish I could tell you that was the end of my story.

It wasn’t.

The nice lady wanted to help me, but she wasn’t able to take me in herself. So now I’m in a shelter while a rescue works desperately to find someone who can help me heal.

Right now, I don’t feel very good.

My body tells the story of everything I’ve been through.

I don’t have much hair left. The fur around my eyes is gone, making me look like I’m wearing little raccoon masks. Large patches of my back are bare, and my tail is missing most of its fur too.

The rescue lady has been coming to see me and bringing me medications the shelter approved because I have a severe yeast infection in my skin. She says it must be very uncomfortable, and honestly, she’s right.

I’m also very thankful to the wonderful veterinarian in Jacksonville who helped make sure I got the medicine I needed.

Everyone keeps telling me I’m going to be okay.

I believe them.

But I need help getting there.

What I need most right now is a foster home.

A warm place to sleep instead of a cold kennel.

Nutritious food to help my body heal.

Fresh water.

Soft hands.

Patience.

Time.

The rescue says it will probably take months for me to recover and grow strong again, but they also say I’m worth it.

The lady who found me gave me the name Spirit because she said that even after everything I’d been through, she could still see a beautiful spirit inside me.

I hope she’s right.

The rescue is trying so hard to find someone willing to foster me. Without a foster, my future is uncertain. With one, I have a chance.

A chance to heal.

A chance to learn what it feels like to belong.

A chance to be loved.

And maybe someday, a chance to find a forever family of my very own.

Until then, I’ll keep believing that the next person who sees me won’t look away.

Love,

Spirit