BRUTALIZED BY A SPEEDING CAR AND LEFT TO DIE IN THE DARK, SPIRIT IS NOW A SHINING LIGHT

The first public photos of Spirit came early last spring with a “graphic content” warning — blood matted the lanky Labrador’s blonde fur, one outstretched paw, mangled; his face and ear, sliced and shredded; his deep-set, dark eyes, downturned.

A car struck the dog, leaving him to die alone in a roadside ditch. But a passerby sent word that reached the now-established DogRRR group, whose members swooped in to save the ani- mal, long shot though he was.

Then on an August afternoon, the reason Tarashevska and her crew do this comes at you as clear as the Texas sky — the reason bounds toward the front gate of a townhome on three legs, nuzzling its golden nose into your belly and hugging you, placing one large paw on your shoulder and licking your face.

“He is excited to see you,” says Cooper, who has been fostering Spirit since he left his first major surgery last spring.

A GoFundMe page raised some $16,000 to treat Spirit’s massive injuries, which required three surgeries including an eventual amputation of one leg. His body also was riddled with heartworms. Now that the treatment is almost complete, Spirit is technically almost ready for adoption.

But it is clear that Cooper and Spirit are hopelessly attached. “I don’t have a husband. This dog is like the husband,” says Cooper, a German native who still speaks with an accent. She’s talking about their sleeping arrangements — the young woman, who is studying to become a nurse, shares a queen-sized bed with Spirit, his good arm draped across her no doubt, as well as her own dog, Chambers, a gentle medium-sized sweetheart of unknown breed. There is a third, Glory, another foster and hit-and-run victim. The Joker-style scar on the right side of Glory’s face and his maimed foot only add to his certain cool-guy factor, “though Spirit still kicks his ass in a race,” Cooper says laughing.

Spirit might end up a “foster fail,” a lighthearted term used to describe a foster parent that winds up permanently keeping the dog.

The goal is to find good permanent homes for all foster dogs, but it is still bittersweet when they are adopted, Cooper admits. She never wants to say goodbye to Glory or Spirit, as she did not want to let go of the others she’s adopted out, but that is part of the hardcore sacrifices made by volunteers of her ilk.

“Yes, I cry like a baby when they leave.”

#TryAlpha

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You’re Invited!

Date: Wednesday evenings, Sept. 7 – Nov. 30, 2016 Time: 6:30pm – 8:30pm

Come join us this fall at Lake Highlands United Methodist Church for great food, a chance to meet great people, and share great conversation about the meaning of life. The Alpha course explores the basics of the Christian faith through a series of talks and discussions.

Location Lake Highlands UMC / 9015 Plano Rd / Dallas

Contact Info

Kerry Goad at km_goad@yahoo.com

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