I first saw Moonoi (Moon) from photos that Mo (of Underdog Rescue) had shared of a little dog from Thailand looking for a home. There was one photo that stuck in my mind of this little cutie in her bandana. Oh! Such sweetness and pride! I thought about her for three weeks after seeing that photo. I would wake up and think of her (“I hope you have a good day today, Moonoi and get extra love and treats and snuggles”) and I would think of her before bed (“Good nite little Moon. I hope you are safe and happy and warm wherever you are.”) Seriously.
After three weeks of this, I finally decided that I would reach out to Mo to see if Moonoi was still up for adoption. Lucky for me, she still was waiting for a home. Mo, Megan and Sandra worked with me to understand the mission of Underdogs and the unique situation of adopting a dog from Thailand. They shared their time and passion for the organization and were open and honest about letting me know what the history of some of the dogs are and what I might expect. Their love and care for the dogs and their well-being and their giant hearts were always so present. How could I not feel good about being a part of supporting Underdogs? I began the process of adopting Moonoi and received a phone call one evening in November that I could adopt Moon!
Having Moon in my life has been a blessing. She quickly found her place at home and grew from a shy and somewhat insecure girl, to a happy, playful and confident girl. She gained 8 pounds to a nice and healthy weight! I was told that Moon spent most of her days hiding in a concrete pipe. While this was so heartbreaking to imagine, it makes my heart feel so full now to watch her run through the grasses and go for hikes, to sunbathe on her own cozy chair like the regal girl she is and to have a basket full of toys to play with and a warm safe place to call home every day. She is a loving and intuitive dog that lives to sit close and snuggle and give kisses.
Two months before I adopted Moon, my best friend Tim was diagnosed with stage 4 terminal cancer. Tim LOVES dogs and we often talked about how he would love to have a dog, but could not commit to one knowing the instability of his future. Moon and I would spend several days a week with Tim over the last nine months and Moon and Tim bonded immediately. Moon was always so gentle with Tim and would sit next to him and rest her head in his lap while he pet her and they would fall asleep and nap together. Tim passed away two months ago, but I love and will cherish the memories of Tim and Moon together, just a boy and his dog. They are both angels.
So, thank you to everyone involved with Underdogs from the bottom of my heart for what you are doing and for finding little Moonoi (which means “little piglet” in Thai, by the way!!) and bringing her here. My life is exponentially more rich by having her a part of it – her silly-goofy-sweet-intelligent-gentle-stubborn spirit brings such joy to anyone who meets her.
Xxoxo,
Jenn
