This is a profile from our “You Rescue Me” contest, which ran in early 2014. This particular entry won first prize, a 00 donation to Ruff Start Rescue.

It started with a phone call and 4 words: “I know this dog.” This beautiful unloved, unappreciated dog had already been abused and dumped by the time she was five months old. I spent years working through her behavior issues and teaching her to love and trust again. What I didn’t realize was that through all of my work with her she was teaching me how to love and trust again too. Cara was with me through a rough divorce, saw me struggle through but succeed through school and was my rock when I had a rough day at the hospital. Even when she was diagnosed with a life ending cancer and given a month to live she rescued me from the tough decision of when to let her go when she climbed in my lap on mother’s day 2010 and said her final goodbye.  It ended with “I know this dog” I know this dog was the light of my life that showed me to never give up and no matter what is thrown at you in life you can always lean on unconditional love.