Sarah was found hitchhiking along the interstate. It was clear that she was ill and needed medical attention immediately. But she refused treatment until something could be done with her dog ~ in Sarah’s mind that did NOT mean putting the dog in the animal shelter. So a fast thinking intake counselor called a VEFC family he knew loved animals. Would they please keep Sarah’s dog? Of course!

But there’s more to this story. Sarah had appendicitis, which required an emergency operation. When she was released from the hospital, she was still too ill to be returned to her home in New Mexico. The VEFC family who cared for Sarah’s dog eagerly extended the love and hospitality of their home to her as well. When it came time for Sarah to return home on the bus, her dog couldn’t go with her. But the creative VEFC family began making some phone calls and made arrangements for a major airline to FLY the dog back to New Mexico. It seems the person they talked to had a son who had stayed with a VEFC host family a year before and he wanted to help any way he could.

About two weeks later the court intake counselor received a phone call from Sarah’s mom. She tearfully said, “I don’t know all of what happened back there in Virginia, but it has changed Sarah’s life. Thank you!