The Optimist

My hero is Mum. When I got my own police station she knitted me a teddy bear. I was hoping for a coffee mug.
I said “Mum I’m too old for a teddy bear.”
She said... “Firstly, you’re not. No one is. Secondly, it’s not for you. It’s a trauma bear, for any kid you think needs it.”
Three months later I’m asking a little boy to do a big job. There was a scared bear in my police truck that needed looking after. And, while his world dissolved in sirens and lights that boy kept that bear safe and took him home.
Mum has made hundreds of things since. Trauma bears for victims of crime, quilts to warm rehabilitating drug addicts during the chill of withdrawal, booties and mittens for premature babies. There’s something in the stitching, a kind of grandma magic I suppose.
The photo is me dropping of some more bears and quilts. Mum’s my hero and, since she’s not on Facebook, if you message me I’ll pass it on.

TEAR JERKER ALERT!!!
You will want to read this story!!

Homeward Bound!!
“This is just a miracle!” These words came from the man who thought he would never ...see his dog again, until today!
Roughly 2 years ago Jose of Columbus, Wisconsin fell on hard times. He was going through a divorce, lost his house, became homeless and had no choice but to live in his vehicle. Jose got Chaos as a puppy and according to Jose, “Chaos helped me through so much in my life, I took him everywhere with me!” He is a very large dog with a lot of energy who had earned the name Chaos, so Jose knew that he needed to find a better temporary living situation for his furry best friend. A friend of a friend took Chaos and three months later Jose was back on his feet. Sadly, the friend refused to give the dog back, leaving Jose heartbroken. “I didn’t think I would ever see my dog again,” said Jose.
Oddly enough, this past Wednesday, a Winnebago County Services staff member was at home in South Beloit and found a dog in her driveway. An Animal Services Officer came out and brought the dog back to the shelter. The dog was wearing a collar with a 2014 National Identification Number.
On Thursday, April 28, Jose was going through his emails and he had received a microchip renewal notice. It was time to update his microchip information for Chaos. Jose became upset and disheartened. He began to reminisce on his lost friend wondering what happened to him. He began to scroll through old photos of Chaos. Suddenly, the phone rang!
Thursday afternoon, a shelter staff member called the phone number that was associated with the ID number. Thankfully, Jose had the same contact information. The staff member informed Jose that his dog is at Winnebago County Animal Services. Jose excitedly said, “Choas?!" and he began to cry! “I was speechless and I couldn’t stop smiling. I just couldn’t believe it."
Jose came to pick up Chaos at the shelter this morning! We took a minute to sit down with him to ask him a few questions about how he was feeling and the background story behind Chaos. “I couldn’t get to the shelter fast enough," said Jose. "I couldn’t wait for it to open so I could see Chaos! I left at 8 am today and had an hour and a half drive, so I was very anxious!”
When we asked Jose about the importance of microchipping he said, “I did debate getting the microchip for Chaos because at that time, it was all about affordability. I was living paycheck to paycheck and was worried about food and shelter. But I just had this feeling that it was the best thing to do, and it turned out to be the best thing I ever did! Honestly, without that chip, I know in my heart, that I would’ve never seen him again.”
We recorded the reunion of Jose and Chaos and it is a total tear jerker! Chaos was very scared, nervous, and timid at first…. Watch the video below to see Chao’s reaction!
After Jose was reunited with Chaos he states, “I couldn’t be any happier, I feel amazing!”
Jose did get another dog in the past two years. Therefore, he was a little nervous about how they would get along. We were so happy when Jose called the shelter later this afternoon to check in. He said that his two dogs were getting along great! “As soon as they met, they started playing and running around acting like they have been together since they were puppies!!”
He also mentioned that the drive home was very eventful and heartfelt. Once Chaos finally settled down in the car after trying to get into Jose’s lap while driving, Chaos just put his head on Jose’s shoulder the entire hour and a half ride home. Jose gave Chaos a bath and cleaned his teeth once playtime was over. Jose also decided to surprise his children and that was exactly the reaction once they saw Chaos for the first time in years once they got home from school!
“I haven’t been happier! This has taken a huge weight off of my shoulders and has made my entire week! Thank you so much to all of your staff for all you do. I will always appreciate you!”
Jose’s advice to any animal owners out there, “Pay the microchip fee! That fee versus never seeing your dog again is totally worth it!”