Without a home or an owner to care for them, stray dogs roam the streets, clueless to the constant dangers of the outside world. These furry friends come in all shapes and sizes, yet go through the same struggles on their own. They’re lost and uncared for as their paws wear out, their fur becomes matted, and survival is all that matters.However, a few lucky animals are able to find a new lease on life, thanks to people like senior Taylor Pascua and her aunt.
For the past 10 to 15 years, Pascua’s aunt has been rescuing dogs by either bringing them to the shelter or taking them in as her own. While she doesn’t want too many pets, she refuses to leave them out in harsh conditions. Pascua sees a lot of herself in the animals she rescues off the streets. As an orphan herself, she was taken in by her aunt after no longer having a place to call home.
“My aunt is a caring person and she can be strict sometimes but she cares for all individuals,” Pascua said. “The way she takes in dogs gave me a new outlook on life.”
Living with dogs is something that Pascua learned to accept and even appreciate after moving in with her aunt. Pascua helps take care of the dogs by taking them on walks or carrying dog food when they’re at the store.
“My biggest pet peeve is when they bark, but besides that they’re not really a problem with me because I like them all.”
The first time Pascua really came to love dogs was almost a year ago on Christmas. She and her family were on their way to help at the homeless shelter for the holidays. On the way there, she saw an older dog and a puppy on the side of a cold winter road. Though she was originally going take them to the shelter since her family was busy with the holiday, Pascua was overwhelmed with emotions when she picked them up.
“I saw the two and wanted to rescue them so I had (my aunt) go back,” Pascua said.
After taking them off the streets, Pascua immediately went to the vet. One of them had a big cut on his left side and a tumor on the right of his chest.
Pascua was crushed after the veterinarian told her that the dog would only live for another three to four weeks. However, she wasn’t planning on giving up. For the next few months, she took him back for checkups. Slowly yet surely, the dog’s tumor went away.
“I was heartbroken when I first saw him and since then he’s become like a best friend,” Pascua said. “They’re kind of my personal dogs and I have a personal connection with them.”
Rescuing animals has affected what she wants to do in the future. While she doesn’t have any big plans, Pascua wants to be involved with helping animals and other people by getting a job like being a social worker.
Overall, Pascua just wants to change the community outlook on stray animals and the homeless so more people would be willing to help and give them a better life.
“Being able to go and pick out a pet is always fun but it just really felt like I was in my aunt’s shoes and I could do for these animals what she was doing for me.”