Ginny, a schnauzer mix was found in the closet of an empty apartment along with three puppies. She had absolutely no food or water and was near death. Her previous owner had literally left the family there to die. After being discovered by the landlord, a shelter was contacted and they were picked up. They considered putting the dogs down on the basis of their poor condition, but thankfully they all showed immediate signs of improvement. All of them were brought back to full health and put up for adoption.
Phillip Gonzales was suffering from depression and went to adopt a dog specifically for therapeutic purposes. The one he had his eye on was no longer available and so, the shelter suggested he take Ginny for a walk.
He was quite reluctant and she picked up on it. According to Gonzalez, she refused to budge until he was able to make eye contact with her. He was sensitive to the fact that she also seemed to have feelings. He was charmed by her and felt that she was indeed special. It wasn’t long after that Gonzales would see just how extra special this little pup was. She had a secret mission and purpose that Gonzales was not aware of yet.
Her first rescue was during a routine walk. She took off, and went to straight to a pipe. After pawing at it, she manage to release five kittens. Animal behaviorists speculate that after being trapped and unable to help her own starving litter, she may have felt the need to overcompensate for it all later. Gonzales said that she always wanted to be out in the world, offering some aid to those in need. It became her life’s mission. She always wanted to be searching alleys, buildings, and even dumpsters. Always seeking injured or abandoned cats. Which is how she attained her incredible number of nearly 1,000 cat rescues.
Gonzales and Ginny soon became regulars within local animal shelters where they took many cats and kittens to help them find medical attention and homes. That is also where his family would begin to grow.
Ginny especially had a soft spot for impaired felines. One day her owner found her begging in front of a kennel and wound up adopting a blind cat.
Another time, same thing happened, days later he discovered the new family member was completely deaf. Their family continually grew over the years and the ones they could not adopt or take to the shelter, they would at least feed. Every morning at 4:30am they would feed literally hundreds of hungry stray cats. He said it did not matter that he had just a small disability check from a construction accident. He felt that Ginny had taught him the importance of giving love.
When Ginny was put down in August of 2005, she had stopped eating and was also incontinent and arthritic.
She was an incredible dog who lead a remarkable life.
