After two heartbreaking years of separation, Eric Richards of Rochester, New York, and his dog, Jax are finally reunited. Thanks to the efforts of an animal rescue and community nonprofit organization, the happy duo look to a brighter future.
A tragic accident leads to difficult decisions
After being injured in a work accident, Eric Richards faced the devastating decision to surrender his beloved dog to a local shelter.
Richards told WHAM he was living in Kentucky at the time of the accident. The incident caused an injury that cost Richards his right leg. As a result, Richards faced multiple financial and emotional hardships. Ultimately, he was left with few options.
“It was kind of hard to take because I lost it all,” Richards explained. “My car, my girl, my dog, my leg.”
In time, Richards found himself in Rochester facing homelessness. Richards’ beloved dog Jax went to a shelter in Kentucky. Despite being apart, they led parallel lives. In the two years they were separated, neither had a place to call home and both had lost their right legs.
Sister Marsha Allen, the vision keeper of the Vineyard Farm in Rochester, spoke of the incredibly low possibility of Jax and Richards finding one another again. She also spoke to the miracle of the moment.
“If I had an actuarial or a statistician that could do the calculations that says what are the chances that the dog and the man would lose a leg, what’s the chance they get back in two years, it would be something like one in a billion numbers,” Allen stated.
Certainly, the reunion could be nothing short of miraculous. Thanks to the work of the Vineyard, a non-profit that helps people experiencing homelessness, and North Paw Rescue, the impossible occurred.
Richards and Jax celebrate reunion
Two years after a devastating separation, Richards and his beloved dog Jax are finally reunited.
“It’s kind of emotional,” said Richards. “I can’t get back everything that I had, but I got my dog.”
“It’s not something I can say I’ve necessarily seen in my 10 years of rescue,” said Mary Beth McCarthy, North Paw Rescue’s president. “We are so excited and we are very grateful to help out.”
The heartwarming reunion brought smiles to everyone.
Unfortunately, many people face the hardship of inflation and the rising costs of pet care. As a result, pet surrender has become more common.
The Humane Society of the United States offers a variety of resources for those who are struggling financially. A database called Pet Help Finder can help people locate medical care, food, boarding, and supplies that are affordable.
