TECO The Costco Christmas Miracle

     If you believe in miracles, Teco's story will come as no surprise to you. If you have ever doubted that God is watching over us, including all the loveable, four-legged, furry children, then here's the confirmation you need to push past that doubt.
     With the adoption of my last rescue dog, I came across an extraordinary group of women at Dog Rescue Without Borders who have devoted their lives to locating dogs in crisis in Tijuana, Mexico then  providing foster care and eventual homes for these loveable, grateful souls.
     Part of the process includes dog transport to another area, or even another country. Most of the Dog Rescue Without Borders discovery dogs are transported to the United States for medical care and foster placement until forever families can be found. Other times, dogs will be transferred to other counties for placement at sister agencies.
The heart it requires to care for, provide love, shelter, food and security by fostering these animals, is a concept I cannot begin to wrap my head around. Imagine the responsibility it requires to ensure your charge is safe during this stressful process. Further still, imagine the bond formed between the rescuer, foster mom and the animal.
Once bonded, the dogs move on to other families, and you open your home again and again and repeat the process, one after the other, never running out of love, patience and loyalty. I envision a gaping hole in the heart of these Saints who tirelessly repeat this process on a consistent basis.
Can you imagine???
     Cynthia Espana Palacio is one such hero. Teco, one of Cynthia's beloved rescue &  foster dogs, was part of a transfer with 6 other dogs from Tijuana, Mexico to Riverside, California on December 4th 2014, when 3-year old Teco wiggled out of his collar. The paid transporter, Mario, didn't notify Cynthia of Teco's disappearance until the next day and told her that Teco ran off on Beyer Boulevard in San Ysidro - one of the busiest streets in the enormous port-of-entry city!
     The entire dog rescue community went a-buzz with action. Flyers were posted all over the area, and social media lit up with concern for poor, lost Teco. Volunteers lined the streets looking for Teco.
 Donde Esta Teco???
 To make matters worse, it was winter and bad weather had set in. Temperatures were freezing, and rain poured, hampering rescue efforts.
     Everyone feared the worst for Teco. His survival, lost and alone in a strange country in foul weather didn't bode well for him. Cynthia, who had formed a very strong attachment to Teco, was so distraught over his disappearance she was taken to the emergency room showing signs of a nervous breakdown. How could this happen???
     Days pass, and there was no sign of Teco anywhere! The transporter Mario, was peppered with questions and inconsistencies began to arise in his story. Cynthia and others in the rescue community concluded after several days, that Teco did not go missing in San Ysidro, the United States, but in Tijuana, Mexico. This detail was of great importance because valuable time and energy had been lost looking for Teco in the wrong country!
The search shifted to Tijuana and posters in Spanish went up everywhere. Shelters were searched, streets scoured, but no sign of Teco.
     Christmas loomed just around the corner and it seemed the Holiday must go on despite Teco's disappearance. Cynthia couldn't shake the thought of her poor lost baby, and never gave up hope. Although the Christmas spirit was far from her mind, she robotically went through the motions of  Holiday preparation.
     Cynthia drove to Costco in Tijuana to purchase her Christmas tree and asked a Costco employee to put the decorative white snow on it. The employee agreed to do it, but explained it would take some time. Instead of waiting around, allowing the visions of a Teco-less Christmas to invade her thoughts, she, being a woman of great faith, went instead to a local church. While there, she lit a candle for Teco and cried out to God, praying to the Virgin of Guadalupe for mercy and protection over Teco, begging in earnest to please bring her sweet Teco home.
     Now here's where the story takes a suspicious turn, where many readers might stop reading and say to themselves "no way did this happen'', but it's true, I tell you with tears streaming down my face, it really is true!
     Cynthia returned to Costco to pick up her Christmas tree and sitting beside the very tree she had bought, paid for and had decorated with snow, was TECO! It's as if he was placed directly beneath that exact tree at the precise time she would return as if to say " I'm home, Mama, I am home."

Teco Before 

She proceeded to scream and shout "Gloria a Dios" and didn't care about the glances the other shoppers were giving her, she was just happy her Teco was found. Teco was a lot skinnier, hungry, dehydrated and full of cuts, most likely a result of a dog-fight. She took him home to bathe him, dress his wounds and make him a very special dinner.
Teco's been recuperating at Cynthia's ever since, and has been patiently awaiting a forever family to adopt him.
 Of course Cynthia would love nothing more than to keep him, but part of being a phenomenal rescuer and foster mom is the ability to release the dogs to awaiting families, so more lives can be saved.

Teco Now

Teco is such a great dog, if I didn't have a full house myself, I would adopt him in a minute and name him Costco.
He's 3 years old, weighs about 62 pounds, has medium energy level and is great with other dogs and cats. He's loyal, social and would be so incredibly grateful if you could take him home with you.
If you are interested in completing Teco's story, please contact Dog Rescue Without Borders at info@drwb.org

Take Me Home

Cynthia & Teco

Love, It Seemed, Just Wasn't Enough.

     When my husband Scott and I married, we decided not to have children. Instead we chose to have a puppy. Scott knew a young Labrador retriever would be the ideal pet for us. He was confident about our decision, so I, a never-before dog owner, quietly stood by, allowing him to take the  lead. I never would've admitted, but, as insecure as it sounds, I just hoped that whatever dog we chose, I would love it, and it would love me back.


 

     During our search, Scott saw a FOUND DOG notice featuring a black lab puppy a rancher had posted on the wall at our local animal hospital. Calling to inquire if anyone had come forward yet to claim the dog, he was told to come by, if interested, could take him, as no one had responded to the flyers. The rancher believed the dog had been tossed from a car traveling near his property.
     Upon arriving, the dog bounded up to Scott and peed on his shoe. That's when my husband knew --- he was the one.
    We named him CODY, and fell deeply in love.  He was such a little thing, but sure could pee a lot, and definitely was not potty-trained. The neighbors next door, were foster parents of three brown labs, so CODY instantly had friends to bark along with.
     Right away, we took him to the vet to have him examined, micro chipped, and neutered. The doctor determined he was about four months old. Scott and I picked a day to be CODYS forever birthday, February 4th. 
     Soon after, at the vet for a follow-up, we mentioned to the doctor that his nose was only getting wet on one side, while the other was dry and sensitive. After examining CODY, the doctor determined his left ear canal was blocked, and  he was unable to get a scope in it. Concerned, he ordered a cat-scan. The results were devastating: CODY had a large mass in his brain, near his ear, that required surgery.
     Within a week or two, CODY began experiencing pain requiring medication every few hours. Each evening, I made peanut butter sandwich squares to feed him throughout the night, tucking the pain medicine inside. I would lie with him in his bed, holding and comforting him the best I could, praying for a miracle.
     Poor as we were, we didn't even have the money to pay for the cat-scan, much less the brain surgery. We were told our CODY would die without it. He had a major infection that grew into a mass affecting the entire left ear, including the canal, causing it to have to be removed, and the outer ear sewn shut. The surgery was dangerous -- he would lose his hearing in one ear, but the operation could save his life.
     We sought a second opinion, and a third, and interviewed a few surgeons. The first didn't even make eye contact with CODY or touch him. Unimpressed, we left.
     Each day, CODY yelped a little more, his jaw beginning to slack, and we knew time was running out. Many advised us to put him down, but he was "Our Boy", and we could never give up on him. We felt that someone else had already given up on him, and dumped him out in the country. When we chose to rescue CODY, that rescue meant through good times and bad. He needed us now more than ever. We simply refused to quit!
     I began searching  online day and night, applying for grants to find some organization to help us with his operation. Every day our hearts swelled with love for our CODY.  We felt so helpless. All we had to give this dog was love. Love, it seemed  in this case, just wasn't  enough.
      We received a portion of the money through a grant from Labrador Lifeline, the rest through a private organization in the form of a loan. These life-saving blessings provided the miracle we had been hoping for.


Cody & Tortellini

Three Years

   The surgery center we chose oohed  and awed over  our puppy, and took such great care of him.



 He came through the surgery with flying colors! The doctor did such a great job sewing his ear shut, you can barely tell there was ever anything wrong with him. Both sides of his jowls remain slack, and his nose still doesn't get wet,  but his painful ordeal is all behind him now. CODY has exceptional hearing in his good ear.
He is our champion.
      From the very beginning, CODY  has always been a terrific dog.  He seems grateful, like we are, just to have each other in our lives. He's  super good-looking, very personable, gentle, patient, and loving. He's a fantastic guard dog, loyal friend and comforter. Our big baby hasn't missed a meal yet, and  never passes up a good carne asada burrito. He currently weighs 110 pounds, so we limit his Mexican food consumption. We refer to CODY as "The World's Greatest Dog". He has become family. We like to say that CODY rescued us because our lives are forever changed for the better. We love you, CODY! Thank you for loving me back.


Cody with Mom & Dad