This is a story about how a dog can really change the direction and quality of your own life when you least expect it. This is a picture of my beautiful girl, Coco Chanel. Coco was not always a happy girl. She was neglected and abused in her former life. My cousin's boyfriend found her thrown in a dumpster at a construction site and brought her home. My cousin could not have a dog where she lived. She decided to take her to my Grandma's house (where my kids were visiting) until she could find her a home. By the time I arrived to pick them up, they were in love. We reluctantly agreed to take her home until we could find her a good home. We didn't want an animal to complicate our lives. Little did I know she would become the thing that uncomplicated my life.
We all fell in love with Coco after just a few days. It was clear we would be keeping her, so we gave her a beautiful name to make her feel special. Coco Chanel was always a name I associated with glamour, so I choose it for this little "mutt" dog with the crooked teeth and squinty eyes - why not? She was a sweet girl and always wanted to be right under me every step I took. This was probably because she was afraid we would abandon her like her former owners. She quickly became "my dog" and crawled into my lap every chance she would get to snuggle. She was totally spoiled and happy & I was learning to love a dog for the first time.
Not long after we got Coco, she became deathly ill. She had contracted Parvo because (of course) her previous owner didn't get her proper shots. I felt like it was my fault she was going to die. I should have thought to take her to a vet to get checked out when we took her home. I did the only thing I could do for her that night. I wrapped her in a baby blanket and held her close to me until I could get her to the vet in the morning. Once we got to the vet, they treated her with fluids and told us she probably wouldn't survive the night. I sat on the couch for 2 days after that appointment, holding her waiting for her to die and the suffering to end. I couldn't stand the thought of her dying alone, so I never left her. We worked hard trying to keep her alive. My husband gave her droppers fulls of chicken broth to try to help her get some strength back so she could fight for her life. I think she knew she was dying. She seemed comforted by the blanket and being held in my arms. She needed me there and she was grateful. People say "it's just a dog" who have never had that moment when they look into their dog's eyes and see into their soul. I had that moment when she was dying and she trusted me to be there. I didn't let her down and I will never regret it. Those were two very scary days, but she did recover. It took a while for her to even be able to get off the couch because she was so weak, but she made a full recovery and she now has all her shots up to date.
Things were great for a few years and Coco was your typical lap dog. She went everywhere with our family. My daughter made her homemade organic dog treats and we bought her lots of clothes ( she loves clothes). Unfortunately, those times would not last. Both me and my husband lost our jobs without warning. We worked for the same company and that company was making cuts. Since we were subcontractors, we were left without unemployment benefits and with 4 children and a dog to raise. Giving Coco away like some people do when they fall on hard times, wasn't an option. She had found her forever home.We tried to find jobs, but it wasn't easy in a small town. We were evicted from our home a few months later. We decided to try to move to the city where jobs were plentiful. Coco came with us as we set out into the unknown without anything, except Faith and plan. It would now be Coco's opportunity to return the favor from when she almost died.
We would spend the next couple of months living in hotel rooms, family's extra bedroom, wherever we could stay together and survive until we could get out of our situation. Coco and my family was all I had left of "normal". She kept me company when times were hard. She snuggled up close to me when I would cry at night and would listen to the things I didn't want anyone to know I was feeling - because a mom always holds it together. She was my friend when I needed one most. She even learned a few new tricks. Some nights we stayed where she wasn't allowed. I would bring her inside and tell her she would have to stay quite if she wanted to stay. She would just lay beside me quietly all night. If anyone would come around, she would hide under the pillows and lay perfectly still and silent. I had not taught her any of these things, she was just that in tune with us. Some times she wouldn't be allowed in a house where we stayed. She would have to stay out in a fence at some places. She would always break out, but never run away. Instead, she would come to the front door and bark. She was checking on me because she knew I needed her during this struggle.Coco believed she was my protector and she wanted to play her role to the best of her ability, even if she had to keep breaking out and "saving" me.
When we finally got back on our feet, we started looking for a home to put our family back together. It took a while to find a home because we wouldn't go anywhere without Coco. On Christmas Eve of 2013, we moved into our new home with a big fenced in back yard for Coco to explore and a nice fireplace for her to lay next to and stay warm. She is still by my side all the time. She sits with me at night while everyone sleeps ( I work late nights as a bartender). She watches General Hospital with me and I tell her about my day. She understands, I have no doubt. She is not "just a dog", she is my "fur baby" and she will always have a place right here on my lap as long as she is alive.
What does this story have to do with my Vegan journey? I went vegetarian during all that struggle. I was tired of struggling with my health and my conscious. It was the times I cried and no one but Coco knew that I was broken, that made me realize that all animals have a soul. They all feel and react to love, sadness, joy just like we do. What separates my Coco from a cow or a pig? It is a fact that cows and pigs cry when their young are taken from them shortly after birth. They feel a bond to their children just like we do and it's heartbreaking for them. They are sentiment animals. They are different from us, but that doesn't mean we should treat them any differently. If this story was about my pet pig or chicken, would it had meant the same? I think the answer is "yes". All life is precious. All things deserve to live their best life. Life is a gift. Life means just as much to a cat or dog as it does to a pig or goat. The way Coco has loved me unconditionally has changed my life and thought process. This journey began with her influence.
I am glad she has shown me the value of animal life. My transition to vegan has come from knowledge. The more I learned about the deplorable treatment of animals, the more I can't imagine living my life any other way. How do some animals get to sit on our laps and be petted while others are tortured and slaughtered? That thought alone has moved me down this path. Dogs like Coco in China are killed for their meat & leather. (Why does it become appalling when it's a dog instead of a cow?) If you own a leather product from China, it may very well be dog, not cow leather. They are beat to death in open rooms where they can see death coming and then dipped in boiling oil to remove their fur - some times they are still living when this happens. You can watch any number of documentaries on Netflix about this subject, so I will stop before I sound too preachy. I'm not here to beat anyone up, just share my experience.
I have seen how beautiful an animal's life can be and what a blessing they are to us humans. This is why I choose to live my life Vegan - it's all outta love. I have said this before. Love for my body, love for the animals, & love for the planet. I made my choice because I felt it was the only one that made sense for me. I hope will help everyone to understand why I am here writing this Blog , heart on my sleeve style. Helping others to see that vegan food is beautiful and easy to make is just my little part in helping this world be a better place. It's that important to me and to the animals, like my beautiful Coco. Once you change your focus to LIFE, you will start to truly LIVE.
