A pixie face staring solemonly through the bars in the cage in the back cought my attention one summer day and stopped me dead in my tracks
"What's her story?" I asked the staff and I listened to their reply: "They rescued her from a sewer pipe. If they hadn't she would have died."
"She is awfully scrawny," I commented. "Dirty and full of fleas... I wouldn't get your hopes up too high, we can't save many like these."
But something in the kitten's eyes touched my heart and stayed in my head. It was hard to envision her tiger striped coat lying there, cold and dead.
But I hadn't counted on shelter staff or the wonders their love could do For they took the little one under their wing, the kitten they named Piper Sue.
And when I checked back on the following day a miracle had occurred. They'd coaxed her to eat, and given her baths. Now I watched while she happily purred.
So now we had to wait for a week the time we give to strays And as we watched her valiant fight we anxiously counted the days.
At the end of the week the prognosis was poor; her conditon hadn't improved and yet while the rest of us started to grieve And officer's heart had been moved
Although death was the obvious opition one person wouldn't say die. So with joy in our hearts Piper Sue headed home, to give life another try.
The kennel staff hugged her and kissed her good-bye and gave her a last farwell glance, and then turned and went back to the kennels to find another that needed a chance.
You ask me how I can love them and work here day after day I ask you how you can say you care when you turn and walk away.
There are days of sadness,grief and despair, anger and rage, it's true. But I work here for the days we can help the ones like Piper Sue
Despite ongoing veterinary care and the love and care of a real home, Piper Sue could not overcome her poor start in life, and died of medical complications a week after leaving the shelter.
To Piper Sue
