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Million Dollar Smile

2014-09-26 11.52.38His million dollar smile wasn’t there just moments earlier. Not even close. But he said no one needed to know how bad things were. No one needed to know how much he was hurting. So when I pulled out my camera and asked for a photo, he flashed that great smile. Smiling on the outside. Ripped apart on the inside.

I told him he had a million dollar smile and he laughed. He said “I don’t need no million dollars. I just need for my dog to have food because without him I won’t be here. He’s the only one that hasn’t left me. And I love him. Man, if he wasn’t here…” and his voice just trailed off.

He didn’t need to finish the sentence. Because I didn’t need to hear the words to know what he was saying.

He had called earlier in the day and said he had just learned about The Pongo Fund. And when he asked if we really did what he was told we do, he got choked up. I told him our next pet food bank was in just two days and he said ok.

But then he told me his dog hadn’t had a decent meal for the last two days already so I told him to head straight for us. That I’d be there to meet him.

When I got there a bit later he was already waiting for me. I told him I was sorry he had to wait and he said waiting was something he had time for these days, especially if it meant getting his dog some food.

He talked about his dog with complete love and reverence. He’d adopted him, a big beautiful Rottie, from a rescue in Grass Valley, Nevada. He showed me some photos on his phone and truly, this dog was just gorgeous. Things were good then. He had a job. His family was together. But then they changed. And now they weren’t good.

It was just him and his dog. And a car that showed the scars of a rough road.

He left with a big bag of grain-free CANIDAE Pet Foods dog food. Two boxes of treats too. I thanked him for coming to see us. I thanked him for being there for his dog. I thanked him for loving him.

And I told him that I knew he was hurting and that I really hoped things would get better. He said he did too.

As he was leaving he promised to send me some photos of his dog. But he also said he didn’t know how long his phone would still be working. He was worried about a lot of things. And I was worried about him. I gave him my telephone number and I told him to call me if he needed anything.

And then I said it again.

This man was so proud. He winced at the thought of asking for more help than the help he’d already received. But I said it a third time just so he knew I was there for them. That The Pongo Fund was there for them. That each one of you reading this now was there for them too.

I never received the photos of his dog. I called him a few days later to check on him and his phone was no longer in service. I’ve tried several more times and it’s still not working. His pride may keep him from coming back. But I hope he does.

Today is Sunday October 12th and The Pongo Fund will open our doors in just a few hours. What a gift it would be to find him there waiting for us once again.

When the love of a dog is the only love that’s left. And this is why we Pongo.

Sit. Stay. Eat. Live. thepongofund.org