The note from Marci was in Spanish, so I translated it to make sure I understood.
“Sorry to bother you, but I wanted to see if you could help us share this photo of a dog to see if anyone could adopt her. Her owner just passed away, and she was thrown out onto the street.”
The dog’s name was Muneca, which means “doll” in Spanish. Marci attached a photo of a dog with very long ears lying on the ground. Marci added, “She’s a very good dog.”
“That poor dog!” my husband, Peter, said.
Marci was the foster mother of our cat, Felix. Marci takes in stray animals and tries to find homes for them. She cared for Felix for two months before we adopted him. But Marci was caring for 12 dogs already. She did not have room for Muneca.
Peter and I didn’t know what we could do. We didn’t know anyone who could take a dog. So we did what people do when they want to get the word out—we posted a short story about this sad little dog on Facebook.
Immediately, lots of people put hearts next to her photo and wished her well. People shared the post. People asked me to keep them updated. Peter told a man who contacted him that Marci was an honorable and trustworthy person—and that Marci said that Muneca was a very good dog.
“I hope Muneca finds a home,” Peter said.
“I hope so, too,” I told him.
But, honestly, I was not hopeful. There are a lot of stray dogs in Mexico, and Muneca was no longer a puppy. We later learned that her owner was not an older person, as we assumed, but a young woman who died unexpectedly. The whole thing seemed terribly tragic.
The day after the post went up, I was taking my walk when my phone made a sound. I never pay attention to my phone when I’m walking. But this time I did.
I stepped into a little shop and saw a message from Marci.
“I wanted to tell you that Muneca has already been adopted, in case you’d like to let anyone know. Thank you very much for your help.”
“Oh!” I said out loud. “That’s wonderful!” The man Peter had been messaging had adopted Muneca. Marci sent a photo of Muneca getting a bath and a video of the man walking her with his other dog. Both tails were wagging.
The young woman behind the counter of the shop looked at me curiously. “I am so happy,” I told her in Spanish. “I helped a dog to find a home. Her owner died, and she was on the street!”
“Oh!” the young woman replied in Spanish, “You mean Muneca?” She had seen the post on Facebook.
I was amazed. “Muneca is a famous dog!” I said. The girl laughed. She was happy this dog she had never met had found her new home. And so was I.
Social media is filled with a lot of hate and arguing and pointless posturing. I don’t blame people who choose to ignore it entirely. But I don’t think Facebook is a bad thing. Like most things, it all depends on how it is used. I reported that Muneca had found a home, and a whole lot of strangers were happy and relieved.
And I thought of what a funny world we live in—where there is so much hate and distrust, and where strangers can come together and find a home for a very good dog.
Till next time,
Carrie
