The Perfect Time

A chain of events on Labor Day weekend brought smiles to a puppy named Noodles, three sisters and undoubtedly many others.

As we waited for my sister at a parking lot to go for a bike ride, Noodles came out from the woods, his tail between his legs, no collar.  Barking and growling, he wouldn’t let anyone close.  Attempts to catch him were fruitless as he kept retreating to where he seemed to have bedded down since his solo journey began.

We went for our bike ride, seeing him as we went up and down the trail.  As we left the Lambs Creek Recreation Area near Mansfield, we parked again at the first parking lot.  Noodles was returning to ‘his’ area from an excursion across the roadway and near the trail.  He couldn’t reach his secure area because we were there.  Scared, lost and hungry, Noodles finally laid down, munching on some grass.

We were not going to leave him there, so I planned to drive down the road to McDonald’s to get a burger and egg sandwich to entice him to come with us.  As I walked toward my car, I made a noise with my mouth and said, ‘Come on…let’s go home.’  I got in my car and left, but my sisters saw he had begun to come toward me when I left.  By the time I got to McDonald’s, my sister called and said they would meet me there because they invited him into the car and he gladly obliged.

When they got to the restaurant and I brought the food over to the car, Noodles’ tail was wagging back and forth so much his body swayed.  The fearful, growling puppy had transformed into a loving, grateful friend. He showered kisses on us all, thankful for the rescue and nourishment.

My sisters drove to Second Chance Animal Sanctuaries in Tioga County (you can find them on Facebook or Instagram, too) where they helped and named Noodles.  Thank you all!!!  Noodles now has other friends, so if you’re looking for a pet, give them a call.

A chain of events – a traffic stop, multiple chance encounters and sharing love to dispel fear made it the perfect time to bring a smile to the hearts of a lost puppy, three determined sisters and the volunteers at a magnanimous, heart-filled organization.

Moral of the story:  It’s always the perfect time to do what you need to do to help others, even if fear makes it appear they don’t want your help.