Florencia Aguilar is a Texan truck driver that travels tens of thousands of miles each year. Ever since she lost her beloved dog Bandit to stomach cancer, she has been battling with loneliness and depression. If she didn’t have a delivery route, Florencia would usually just stay at home. Her family members would also suffer from this because she would commonly raise her voice when she gets mad. And this happens often.
Florencia wondered if getting a new dog would help her get over her sadness. But because she loved Bandit so much, she wasn’t sure if she could ever love a dog the way that she did before. Maybe getting a new dog would not be as good as it was with her lost pet. She needed time to get in terms with his death.
Time to move on
When Florencia finally decided to adopt a new dog, she visited the San Antonio Pets Alive! Organization. There she met Sparky, a Jack Russell Mix that had many similarities with Bandit. Her heart skipped a beat and found some joy with the new dog. But the feeling wasn’t mutual.
Their first meeting was not as good as one could hope for. Sparky was aloof and stayed away from Florencia. He didn’t want to go near her and would snap and growl when she comes near. For some, this was a clear sign to find another dog. But Florencia didn’t want another dog. She decided that she would go back as often as necessary to win his heart.
And she did. Florencia spent weeks coming back to gain Sparky’s trust. And the more she visited, the more Sparky got comfortable with her. Until finally, the two got close enough that Florencia could take Sparky home with her. She also took her along every time she had a truck route.
Now together for almost a year, they have traveled more than one hundred twenty-five thousand miles together. The dog has brought happiness back to Florencia’s life. She notices and appreciates everything around her now. Together with Sparky, they take many adventures and discover the world around them. Her family members even say that she looks and acts different know. She is much happier, and she doesn’t yell anymore. Their family has grown happier as well because of Sparky.
San Antonio Pets Alive! Adopted Dog Helps Female Truck Driver Fall in Love with the Open RoadFlorencia Aguilar's story recently won second place in Petco Foundation's Holiday Wishes story contest. She's sharing her amazing story in how adopting changed her life.As a truck driver, it’s easy to feel lonely on the road. But a dog named Sparky helped show Florencia the joy in the journey again. While Florencia had always been happy with her life, without realizing it, she found herself becoming depressed and not feeling like herself. She had heard about Sparky, a distrustful, sad dog at San Antonio Pets Alive! Something about Sparky drew Florencia to him. After weeks of visiting him, Sparky finally allowed Florencia to pet him. “It was not until the day that Sparky trusted me…that I felt a spark of happiness that I had not felt in a long time,” she wrote. Today, Florencia and Sparky have a blast together. “I can look at Sparky’s loving face and know that I’m okay because I have him beside me. I finally found joy on the open road again.” Help San Antonio Pets Alive! win an additional $25,000 in People's Choice Voting! Vote for and read the full story here: http://wshe.es/6vmfmUss A special thank you to www.pixelreflexmedia.com for bringing this story to life and the amazing photos and video!
Posted by San Antonio Pets Alive on Wednesday, December 11, 2019
Source: San Antonio Pets Alive via Facebook
