Perspectives Project:
During this project, we were assigned an animal who needed to be, or had been adopted. We were tasked with creating a book that told our assigned animal's story of how they got to the shelter, or how they got adopted. We went on short field trips to the Humane Society, and Center for Animal Control to meet our animals as well as a horse ranch. A student also brought in some assorted animals that had been, or need to be adopted. However, some of our animals owners were not available to talk when we were there, but we were giving background information and animals to compensate. We also took pictures with our pinhole cameras while we were on the field trips. We we had collected everything we needed, we started writing our animals story through their prospective. We then took our story and formatted it into a book along with pictures and/or drawings of our animal. We then read and presented our books at the Ray at Night festival in North Park, or at the school wide exhibition.
Spirit
Miracle on Paws
Stephen Hymer
Caitlin Rolf
This book is dedicated to all the dogs, cats, lizards, hamsters, rats, horses, llamas, birds, cows, geckos, turtles, and any other animals that need a home. We hope you find a home that you will be happy living in and be able to have a story as amazing, or even more so then Spirits.
Spirit
Miracle on Paws
Story written by Stephen Hymer. Illustrations created and edited by Caitlin Rolfe.
Additional photography provided by the San Diego Center of Animal Control and the San Diego Humane Society.
Pain. Pain Like no other. It strikes me again and again. In my side. In my head. Why is he doing this to me? He shouts something incoherent as he picks up my small frail body and heaves me into the air and I land in hard in the dirt. For a few moments it’s silent and the pain stops. I will my body to move but it is unresponsive. Then I hear a shout and the man kicks me in the head and more pain laces throughout my body. My small being goes limp under the pounding that ensues. My vision becomes blurry, my eyes go in and out of focus and the world goes dark.
When I come to, a constant hum fills the air. I swivel my eyes around and notice I’m in a moving box. Suddenly, the box begins to dip and the humming dies down, but then it pitches up again and the box’s humming becomes louder. That’s when I notice the figures. They are both menacingly tall. They are both wearing green leafs and wear oddly shaped vines around their waists. The box levels out, still humming along to a beatles song. One of the massive figures moves his paw towards my head and I brace for a fist which never comes. Instead the figure gently strokes my head and says grimly, “I hope it makes it.”
“Yeah,” the other figure says in agreement, “wish we had caught the guy who hopped back over”. I lift my head at the mention of the man, but then I felt tired and lay back down again. And slowly, to the sound of the boxes humming, I rest my eyes
When my eyes open again, I’m in a metal cage with bars. I’m laying in a soft blanket which has some sort of yellow bird on it. A full bowl of water sits on the side of the cage. When I try to stand up, I feel immense soreness in my hip and right leg. that’s when I notice the bandage that has wrapped itself around my left knee. Never the less, I try to stand up but immediately fall on my side. A figure appears in front of the cage and opens it.
“Careful there,” the figure says in a female voice, “Here, let me help you. You don’t want to be walking around too much on your own right now.” I was surprised about how gently she picked me up. She carried me across the room to a table with a blanket on it. She then gently placed me on the towel with my legs standing straight. She then put hey paws on my chest and my but to balance me.
“Go on,” She said, “Try and take a couple steps.” Obediently, but with some hesitation took a step forward. “That’s it,” The figure said, “try another one.” Again I took a step but this time I moved my right back leg and I felt a rush of pain and whimper. The figure, now looking concerned, picked me up again and put me back in my cage.
“That was good progress you made there Spirit girl. We’ll try again tomorrow and start water therapy in a week or so.”
I didn’t pay attention to the figures units of measurements as I did not understand them. I did how ever hear her say Spirit. This intrigued me. Was she purposely calling me Spirit. I’d never had a name before, and the fact that the figure had called me by one was a bit comforting. I laid my head back down on my blanket. Pondering my name until the room went dark.
Over the next couple of suns and moons, or what I at least figured were suns and moons though I couldn’t see a moon from inside my cage, I tried to walk with the figures help several times. And I fell several times. The female figure and several of her other friends fed me special colored kibble and helped me learn to walk again. They put a small toy in my cage which I chewed one every night. At one point they put me in some sort of yellow vest and put me in a clear lake. The vest helped me float while I swam back and forth between two of the females friends.
Moon after sun after sun after moon, my legs were getting better and I could stand up by myself and walk a little bit. Things seemed to be getting better for me. Until one day, I was moved from my normal cage to another one sitting across from a cage with a thick haired cat. This cat had several marks on it’s face and looked kind of grumpy.
“Hey, girly.”
“Me?” I asked
“Yes you.” The cat responded, “How long have you been here?” I didn’t exactly know so I said,
“A while, what about you?”
“4 months.” I was surprised that this cat understood the humans units of measurement.
“Why are you so sad?” I asked.
“You don’t know do you?” the cat remarked rhetorically. “All of us are bound to be put down. All of us are going to die by the hand of the humans. I have been up for adoption for almost 3 months. But nobody wants a cat. I’ve probably only got maybe 2 weeks tops left.”
“What do you mean?” I was really confused. The cat let out a grumpy cat sigh.
“This place only has enough space for a few of us. When some of us are in for too long, they put us down to make room for new cat and lizards and your kind.”
Just then, the female came and opened my cage.
“Time to go for a swim Spirit girl.” and she attached a leash to my color and led me towards the pool.
For the next couple of moons and suns, the humans took care of me. I swam in the small clear lake, and at the special colored kibble. Eventually I could stand and walk around on my own without much pain. Then the female came and took me to a different cage which was bigger. I didn’t like this new environment. The other dogs were loud and the floor was cold and I couldn’t see anything but a blank wall. I sat in the cage for what the cat had called “days” nobody came. I acted “cute” like the other dogs. I chased my tail, I played fetch with myself, but still nobody took me out of my cage.
Then one day two people came. I went to the edge of the cage and sniffed their hands, and licked their fingers. I spun around and tried to entertained them. They had smiles on their faces, but they didn’t take me out of my cage. After they left I sat in my small bed and lied there until the next people came. Maybe they’d let my out of my cage.
Later that day though, the female came and got me out of my cage and brought me to the two figures I had seen earlier. I was surprised by this. But the female had taken me out of my cage so I wagged my small tail happily to make a good impression.
Later that day though, the female came and got me out of my cage and brought me to the two figures I had seen earlier. I was surprised by this. But the female had taken me out of my cage so I wagged my small tail happily to make a good impression.
“These are your new owners Spirit,” She said. They will take care of you now.
When she said this, I did not know what she meant. The two humans took me to their box. The day was humid and their box smelled oddly like flowers. After a ride in the humming box, we arrived at the humans house. It had a front yard with grass which was freshly cut and tasted quite good.
“Welcome to your new home Spirit.” The male human said.
Since that day I have been cared for by the two figures. I have my own bed and am fully healed. Unlike the cat I have a home. I am finally happy.
This Book was made possible by a partnership with the class of 2017 from High Tech High International and Center of Animal Control.
For more information on shelter locations around San Diego County, or how to adopt a pet, go to:
www.sdhumane.org
www.petfinder.com/shelters/ca979.html
www.petfinder.com/shelters/ca816.html
http://www.sddac.com/
There are thousands of animals who need your help finding a happy home! If you aren’t thinking about adopting, consider supporting your local shelter by making a donation!