Freeway: The Miracle Dog
Early one morning Mary Bishop turned East on the I-70 freeway, heading towards Columbia from Marshall, Missouri with her mother, Peggy, in the car. Peggy, who had previously been diagnosed with cancer already underwent a mastectomy, and had frequent thoughts of death and dying. This was to be her last chemo treatment and the illness was taking its toll. What happened next would not only save Peggy's life, but it would prove once more what has been known for years. While driving along the I-70 towards Columbia, Mary Bishop, a
pet owner her entire life, spotted a scroungy-looking dog running alongside the freeway. Not wanting to leave such a desperate animal to its own demise, Mary did what seemed to come naturally: pull onto the shoulder and try to catch the pitiful animal. For 45 minutes Mary darted in and out of traffic, mirroring the terrified dogs actions. Her mother sat helplessly in the car, too weak to do anything. The little dog would run across the freeway, with Mary in tow, trying to elude capture. Her fear in humans had grown after her previous owners tossed her from a moving vehicle. Could she trust Mary? After what seemed like two hours, the tired dog gave up. An animal that had endured so much in the past, who could've easily ran away into the woods never to be seen again, she put all of her faith in Mary and hopped into the backseat of her car. The little dog seemed to gravitate towards Peggy and was soon curled up in her lap.
That was six years ago.
Today Peggy is a lively woman. Her voice is spirited and she smiles when she thinks back about that incredible day. She is sure that Freeway, the dog they rescued back in 1997, saved her life. As Mary puts it, Freeway "made it necessary for mom to live." She kept Peggy so busy with caring for her, that Peggy had no time to sit and think about her own illness. Through Freeway's unconditional love she was able to give back someone's life. Perhaps Freeway sensed Peggy's illness and did what she could to help her, or maybe it was just her way of saying "thank you."
It has been known for some time that pets can change the course of an illness, but just how much can be astounding. Something as simple as petting your dog or cat can lower your blood pressure and heart-rate. Deemed as "Pet Therapy," dogs who visit hospitals and elderly homes are noted to lift patients spirits and improve the overall quality of their lives. A fairly recent addition to pet therapy has been the introduction of miniature horses into the program. Mini breeds, such as the Falabella - thought to be the smallest breed in the world, are trained in a similar fashion as the pet therapy dogs and can visit the same establishments.
Link and Freeways' picture!
I've Been Frosted
