Up at 7.30am..yes you read right 7.30am!!!
I had signed up to be a volunteer driver for the great organization here called Feed the Hungry…….and today was my first drive..it is only once a week and I asked to be given a school close to the city so I could get back and still play tennis at 9am…..so off I went this morning to the warehouse..the whole procedure is very well done..they provide food once a week for 28 schools…so you drive up to their warehouse
It is like a drive through restaurant you get in line in your vehicles
go into the building
Each of the schools are listed
you stop at your school
where two young men load your car and away you go to deliver.
My school was
I arrived at the school and was met by 2 ladies who helped me unload and I swapped high fives with about 10 kids and job done…..I was at the tennis courts ready by 9am….what a well managed and wonderful group!!!
Tenis was played under warm and sunny skies and very enjoyable.
After tennis time for a quick bite and a shower and off to the Rotary meeting again… I wanted to win the raffle prize again!!!! No…. I know the speaker he is the director of the local bi lingual newspaper I was happy to see Linda and Guy there as well….it was another good lecture.
Then it was time to go trade in the car for the scooter and off to see Paola to see if she needed a school uniform but there was no one home again I was a bit worried so I went to where her Mum works but they had not seen her for three days so I hope there is no problem at the house I will check again tomorrow.
Afterwards it was onto my evening yoga class…a busy day don’t you think??
This letter was posted on the civil list today thought you may enjoy it as much as I did!!!
I have been making the DFW/SMA drive for more than 9 years now, and it is always
an adventure. I always have animals traveling with me, and I enjoy their
company, and the humans that ride along with me are okay too!! Along with all of
my belongings, I also bring down veterinary supplies and equipment, and many
times have rescue dogs in tow that have found a new home back in the States or
beyond.
When I pulled out from SMA this past Friday afternoon, I told my human traveling
companion, Joey Merrifield, a resident of SMA, that she would be sure to have a
great ride North, promising good snacks, wonderful conversation (with me) and
some furry animal interaction. We would have my 3 personal dogs with us, all
under 4 pounds each, who are "regulars" there to SMA, and then 2 additions to
the group. I would be transporting 2 rescue dogs to the States for SAMM, or
Save a Mexican Mutt. Whenever possible, I am so thrilled to be able to bring
these dogs back and help them on to their new homes here in the States, or in
the case of one of these dogs, on to Calgary, Canada.
We were all loaded up, had a great bon voyage lunch at Cafe Monet and off we
went. I have a very strict routine that I adhere to when traveling with the
dogs, making stops only at my favorite places and timed just right so that the
dogs are safe and secure and allowed to get out and run, etc. Joey was going to
be a great help and she was well aware of the care and time needed to transport
these dogs and make this trip a success. We were off!!! Penelope, Paco and
Pearl, my 3 tiny dogs, and Gracie and Obi, from SAMM. Oh, us humans too!!!
We were doing well, and were having a good time singing (us humans) and telling
stories about our past travel experiences. Joey and I have been fortunate to
have been to many places in the world, so this more than 20 hour drive promised
to be spent hearing great memories from one another about our past. Little did
I know that just a short time later, this "adventure" would turn out to be a
nightmare.
I always stop at the first tollbooth plaza area, outside of San Luis Potosi. A
very nice facility with nice restaurants, bathrooms and grass for the dogs.
Prior to pulling in to this area, I had discussed with Joey what my routine
was, and I had even told her about all of the Mexican workers that would be in
the parking area, wearing orange jumpsuits, directing the cars in and out of the
parking spots. We both had laughed so many times over the years at their
efforts, whether in this parking lot or that of Mega, the local SMA grocery
store, etc., but they play a role in Mexico, and so we abide by their ways and
respect them. Their "role" would soon become so much more that we ever could
have imagined.
Joey took Gracie, a 15 pound poodle mix, and I opened the back of my Suburban to
get Obi, a 40 pound black Lab. He was in a huge kennel, and ready to go potty.
I opened the kennel, and grabbed the attached leash, which I never remove
during the entire trip for safety purposes. Well.......
The leash was not attached all the way to Obi's collar, as I had asked a worker
to help me load Obi into the SUV in SMA. I did not know at the time that this
worker, while trying to help me, did not fully attach the leash to the collar.
And so....... off went Obi into the Mexican countryside. To say that I was
startled was an understatement, and Joey as well. I am from Texas and always
loud, but I started screaming "perro, perro" at the top of my lungs. Obi went
all over the place and finally, straight into the highway. Now, at this point,
I was so distraught that I could hardly move, but quickly decided that I had to
do something. What, I was not certain, but I had better do something and fast.
We jumped back into the SUV and by this time, Obi had made it through the toll
plaza and was headed in the direction that we had just traveled from. I think
that I was already crying at this time, but a part of me was just numb. I could
see
him getting farther and farther away, and I could hear the 18 wheelers and
their brakes, trying to avoid him. We made it through the toll plaza and headed
back from where we had just been, paying the toll of 53 pesos of course!!! The
staff there saw Obi and were aware that I was on my way to chase him.
I was still able to control myself and drive, and down a ways and on a raised
area above the highway, I spotted what I thought was a wagging black tail. I
pulled the SUV over, and tried to climb the raised embankment. Not easy to do
wearing a sundress with sequins and glitter flip flops. Remember, I am from
Texas. Obi spotted me and started to run back the other direction, and off I
was after him. Now, to say that at some point in my life I would have ever
thought that I would be running down a major highway in central Mexico chasing a
dog with a leash in my hand, all the while screaming "perro, perro" would not
ever have crossed my mind, but here I was never the less and it suddenly
occurred to me that this situation was only going to get worse. And worse was
just what happened. Although my glitter flip flops are comfortable and quite
stylish, they are not the best running apparel for chasing a dog down a highway,
and down I went.
Yes, I fell down. Now, for those of you who know me, you know that I am
rather vain. For a split second, I thought about the injuries that I might have
just gotten and the life long scars that I probably had just created. These
thoughts though left rather quickly though as I realized I had better get up off
of the highway as several 18 wheelers were headed straight for me. Nothing like
almost being run over to make a person move!!!!
I hobbled back to the SUV, where Joey and the dogs were waiting for me. I told
Joey, "no problem, there are "returnos" ( U turns ) almost every few hundred
yards, and I have laughed at that so many times over the years because they are
so prevalent along the highway. Well, except when I really needed one this
time. No "returno" for Amy!!!! I had to drive 5 miles down the highway just to
turn around, and by this time, my heart was broken. More than 30 minutes had
gone by now, with Obi running all around and now I was so far away from him. I
drove and prayed at the same time, and Joey was very quiet. After the 5 mile
drive back, we saw the toll plaza in sight again, and on the other side, in the
distance, I saw a black speck, Obi, crossing the highway and still darting
traffic. I was happy and stunned at the same time. And, we saw another sight.
There waiting for us were the Mexicans!!!!!! They must have seen and heard
the crazy
American woman wearing the sparkle sundress and the glitter flip flops, because
they were out in force!!!!! The parking lot men in their orange jumpsuits were
in a flat bed truck, a motorcycle transito officer was there to guide me, and
another white car with 2 men were ready to make a move to help us. They had
ropes tied in a noose, anything to try and get Obi!!!! We all spotted Obi at
the same time, and off we went, driving through the parking lots and in between
18 wheelers and cars, all trying to get through the toll plaza or the parking
area. Obi knew we were after him and off he went up the highway, in the
direction that I should have been driving to Dallas on more than an hour ago.
I had stopped to let Joey out near the plaza area to recruit more helpers should
Obi make the turn again in another direction, but the motorcycle officer wanted
me to follow him, so I did and we spotted Obi, stopped along a barbed wire
fence. We stopped, as
well as the other cars who had caught up to us, and we cornered Obi and under
the Suburban he went. He was exhausted and scared.
One of the orange clad workers crawled under my Suburban and grabbed him and the
others went around all sides of the SUV so that Obi could not get out. The
motorcycle officer instructed me to slowly back the SUV up, thereby exposing Obi
and the man who had climbed under there after him. Obi was breathing almost
uncontrollably, and they told me to get on the ground and to comfort him. I
laid down with Obi in the dirt, while they went and got water for him. Then,
just as quickly as I had laid down, they started hollaring at me, but I could
not understand them as I speak very limited Spanish. I realized that they
wanted me to get up, and NOW, and so I did. Obi and I were laying on a fire ant
hill, and the ants were crawling all over us!!!! So, first falling on the
highway with oncoming traffic headed my way, and now I was laying down on a
mound of fire ants.
I had told Joey that I was going to take her on an adventure, but this is not
what I had in mind when I invited her to go along for the ride!!!! At this
point, all of this seemed so surreal to me. I knew what was going on, but my
mind simply could not believe that I was with Obi again, fire ants and all. I
saw blood on some of the workers orange jumpsuits and I did not know if it was
theirs, or Obi's. He was alive, for now, but we all knew that we had better
help him very quickly. Now, I do believe that things happen for a reason, and
just after closing the door of the home where I had stayed for 2 weeks, I made
the decision to walk back into the house and get the case of bottled water that
I was going to leave there for my return trip. I had already closed the door
behind me, and then turned around and went back and got the water and put them
in the SUV. Had I not done that, we would not have had immediate access to
water to give to Obi
and to pour over him to cool him down.
The Mexicans thought that Obi was my dog and we had a conversation about what to
do at this point, in my broken Spanish and their efforts at English. It was
decided to put Obi on the flat bed truck, with the "parking lot guys" and to
head back to the toll plaza. The motorcycle officer stayed with us the whole
time and I followed him to a shaded area near the toll plaza office. I had
spotted Joey in the distance and she did not know that we had Obi. I again
started screaming "perro, perro", forgetting that I was trying to signal my
English speaking friend that we had Obi. YEAH!!! 1 hour and 30 minutes had
elapsed by this time. I picked Joey up and followed the Mexican crew to a
shaded safe area. Obi was in severe distress, and so was I. I was so overcome
with emotion that I was having a difficult time, and falling and the ants did
not help the situation any!!!! Joey, who is a medical professional, attended to
Obi the dog, and an EMT
was called for me because the Mexican "rescue crew" thought that I needed
medical attention. I felt I was okay, but I was hyperventilating and I suppose,
acting like a crazy person after realizing that Obi was at least at this point
still alive. My blood pressure checked out okay and the pulse was good, and
after sitting for some time, I was able to stand up and check on Obi, whom I now
fully believe to be a miracle dog.
Joey speaks almost perfect Spanish, and spoke at length to the Mexicans who had
assembled by this time to help with the rescue of Obi. This is when the tears
came to me, and I could not control my emotions. I began to think of the
conversation that Joey and I had discussed prior to Obi's escape, about the
"parking lot guys" and the "job" that they perform and how silly it was but
still a part of the Mexican charm. I thought about the times I had laughed when
the Mexicans would look at me in my sparkle and glitter clothes and shoes and I
wondered if they thought I was strange in my attire, and yet I now know that
they must have paid attention to me and my ways or else they would not have come
to my aid to help with Obi. I reflected on my years of experience in dealing
with Mexicans and their sometimes misunderstood attitude when it comes to the
animals. Not all treat the animals as they should, but this group of Mexican
men had come to my aid
because of a dog that they thought to be mine, a stranger from the US that was
just traveling through their toll plaza and rest stop area.
Joey and I discussed it and we decided to give them 1,000 pesos for their help,
which was such an insignificant amount in the scheme of what had just happened
and had been accomplished. They refused the money. The main authority figure
who helped in this rescue instead asked Joey to write a letter, in Spanish, to
their boss and to tell him what they had done. Although I have limited
understanding of Spanish, I heard him ask Joey to use the words "fabulous,
great, etc." and she wrote an entire page about what the afternoon was like for
those workers and what they did to help us, and to save the life of Obi. She
listed every man's name and went into great detail to describe what they had
done, and when she was finished, we all hugged and even took pictures.
And...... we all cried together. 2 foreign residents living in SMA, and at
least 7 Mexicans, who had done something for us so out of the ordinary that it
is still has not fully set in with me yet. Once Obi was stabilized, we went
across the plaza area and got something to eat and to rest for a minute. I was
still shaking, but managed to eat a sandwich, but was not really able to talk.
Screaming "perro, perro" while running down the highway had done a number on my
throat, plus I was still in shock. Obi had survived, and I was amazed at what
had just happened to us.
I cannot explain how Obi ran for miles up and down a major highway full of cars
and 18 wheelers and was not hit and run over. I cannot explain how I did not
receive a single scratch after falling down on an asphalt highway running at a
pretty good speed. I might have been wearing flip flops, but I was a track
champion in my younger days and was giving it my all while chasing after Obi!!!
I cannot explain why I did not receive a single ant bite, nor did Obi, after
both of us were discovered to be laying down on a fire ant mound. They crawled
all over us, but not one bite. I cannot explain why I went back inside the
house to get the 24 bottles of water, but they were needed in order to help save
Obi's life. And, most importantly, I cannot explain why a group of men would
gather, waiting for us in case Obi showed up again, which he did. They saved
Obi's life, a group of workers who are so often looked down on by many of the
traveling public,
whether residents of Mexico or traveling foreigners. They were the hero's last
Friday and my life and attitudes will forever reflect what they did and helped
me accomplish that day.
Joey and I and the dogs continued on to Dallas, and I found myself starting to
cry at various times during the drive. I only stopped for gas and a 45 minute
break, as my adrenaline was flowing and I just kept driving and driving, more
than 21 hours. I am not known to be quiet, but during this drive back, I just
could not find the words to describe what had happened to us. I believe we
were part of a miracle that day. While running down the highway and screaming,
I was also praying. I was praying that God would spare Obi's life, and allow me
to fulfill my obligation and honor of helping him to start a new life, away from
the streets of SMA. When I made my personal vow 5 years ago to dedicate the
rest of my life to helping to save God's most precious creatures, I knew that I
might face some challenges. Joplin, Missouri more than 2 years ago and just
this past May in Moore, OK after the tornadoes, proved to be very emotional
events for me,
and helping to rescue trapped dogs and cats and to seek care for them and to
help reunite them with their owners or to help find new homes for them were life
changing moments for me. This rescue of Obi will forever stay with me. I will
never forget how we were treated and respected and how Obi survived because of a
series of events, all by strangers who came together to create a new life for
him, a young black Lab who deserved a chance a life and a human family waiting
for him to become a member of their family.
Obi's pads on his paws were raw, and my husband, Danny Cox DVM, was waiting here
for us when I pulled in with Obi on Saturday after the long drive, to provide
any medical attention he needed. And today, Obi was put on a flight to Calgary,
Canada to begin his new life. From the streets of SMA, to the loving arms of
Kelly Karger at SAMM who in turn found him a new home, and on to "the adventure
of a lifetime" on a roadtrip with Amy Cox.
The morale and lessons learned are:
1 - Never give up hope. I kept running until I fell down and then got up and
kept going. Obi needed me, and he was my responsibility. I had no choice but
to keep going. Find your own rescue, challenge or passion, and give it your
all, and do not ever give up. Miracles do happen.
2 - Do not assume or make a generalization about a person or group or a culture
or race based upon false perceptions. My "parking lot guys" turned out to be
saviors, and I respected them before and will continue to do so, as well as all
of the Mexican people. I will never forget the group of them waiting for me
upon my return to that area, they were the Calvary that saved Obi.
3 - When planning on making a mad run down a highway while waving a leash and
headed into oncoming traffic, wear the proper foot gear. Glitter flip flops are
not appropriate.
I love the animals, and SMA and the people of Mexico. We all came together to
save a life. Go out and do the same thing, in what ever manner it presents
itself. Your life will forever be changed. Go make a difference. It might
leave you speechless and out of breathe, but your heart will soar and you will
be changed forever. Life is grand.
Blessings to the animals and their keepers.
Amy Cox
The Paws Cause
Yashi Koshi!!
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