Mountain Views News          Saturday, January 12, 2013

10

JUST FOR BEST FRIENDS

 Mountain Views News Saturday, January 12, 2013 


A LITTLE FAITH GOES A LONG WAY

Just before Christmas of 2002, a guard 
dog named Princess gave birth to a 
litter of puppies behind the fence of 
the Oklahoma City flea market that 
she’d been raised to protect. One of 
the puppies in her litter was born with 
only three legs, and her single front 
leg was grossly deformed, making it difficult to contend with her siblings in order 
to suckle and gain strength. When the puppy was about 3 weeks old, the momma 
dog apparently realized how weak she was and assumed she stood little chance of 
surviving, so, led by her instincts, the mother tried to smother her little pup by sitting 
on top of her. Fortunately, a young man named Reuben Stringfellow came along and 
rescued the little dog, saving it’s life just in the nick of time.

When Reuben brought the puppy home to meet his family, they all agreed to do 
whatever they could to help her survive. They took her to the vet, who advised them 
to put the puppy to sleep because if she continued to drag herself around on the 
ground, she would eventually wear the skin off her belly and chin. To some people, 
the situation may have seemed rather hopeless, but in spite of the challenges at hand, 
the Stringfellows kept hope in their hearts and refused to give up on that little dog. 
They had the puppy’s deformed front leg removed and continued to nurture her by 
hand-feeding her and giving her lots of love and attention. They took turns spending 
hours of each day caring for her and trying various techniques to get her to stand 
on her two back legs. They used peanut butter and other tempting treats to coax her 
upright, hoping she would learn to walk using the only two feet that she had. After 
months of tenacious training and kind encouragement, the Stringfellows were elated 
when that little dog finally learned to walk upright and even hop in order to get 
where she wanted to go! It was then that they decided the most appropriate name for 
their new furry friend would be, “Faith”.

Through lots of encouragement and determination on the part of her human family and herself, Faith succeeded in overcoming some 
serious life-threatening obstacles to be what many now call “a miracle”. When Faith became a certified therapy dog she began visiting 
injured and distressed soldiers in the US armed forces, many of whom have physical disabilities similar to her own. She’s paid visits 
to patients at Walter Reed and several other military base hospitals, and remarkably enough she was even given the honorary title of 
E-5 Sergeant in the United States Army. Faith’s determination to walk in spite of her unique challenges has allowed her to become an 
inspiration to all who meet her, and as an advocate for perseverance, she’s had a remarkable impact on numerous people in the US various 
other countries as well. Countless individuals who may have found themselves at the end of their rope, lost their hope and may have even 
wanted to give up completely, changed their minds after meeting Faith and being inspired by her amazing inner strength and love for life.

When word got out that a would-be cripple puppy had been given a second chance and proved strong enough to beat the odds in order 
to move forward and encourage others to do the same, Faith’s story eventually made it’s way to the media and she became an overnight 
sensation. She has made guest appearances on several national television shows such as Oprah, Montel, Animal Planet, Ricky Lake, Maury, 
and The Today Show as well as more than 80 local television programs including Orlando’s The Buzz, and Indianapolis’ Indy Style. She has 
also accompanied her human “mom” & author, Jude Stringfellow on several inspirational speaking engagements throughout the US and 
abroad. Needless to say, Faith has not only lived up to her name, but she has also shared the true meaning of her name with the many folks 
who‘ve come across her path, and I’d say that really is quite a miracle, especially considering how she got started on this earth!

In December of 2012, Faith turned 10 years old and she is now in the process of retiring from her typically very demanding schedule 
of traveling the globe to spread her message of hope and perseverance, but I imagine she’ll never really retire from inspiring people in 
her daily walk of life. Jude Stringfellow has written 3 books about her dog, Faith: Faith Walks (Sep. 2011), Faith Alone (Feb 2007) and 
With a Little Faith (May 2005) and she is currently planning a military base book-signing tour for 2013. If you feel personally inspired 
by Faith’s story and her example of perseverance, and are interested in 
supporting Jude in kick-starting her nation-wide book signing tour, 
go to http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/faithwalks/faith-walks-
book-tour-2013 and make a donation for this very worthy cause. Even 
a donation as small as a single dollar can help make a difference. You 
can also read more about Faith’s journey and view several videos and 
photos of her on her official website: www.faiththedog.info.

I am personally very thankful to the Stringfellows for being hopeful 
and giving little Faith a second chance at life. Their refusal to give up 
on that little dog even when the challenges seemed insurmountable, 
resulted in a miracle that has inspired thousands of people. After 
all, who can’t use a little more faith and inspiration in this life? And, 
what better way to be inspired than by one of God’s most wonderful 
creations; the dog!


Happy Tails

by Chris Leclerc

PET OF THE WEEK 

ROSE BUD: #A4134671

Meet the very beautiful 
and poised Rose Bud! 
Rose Bud is a well-
socialized one and a half 
year old fawn and white 
spayed female Dachshund 
mix. Rosie is calm, cool, 
mellow, quiet, cuddly, 
and intelligent -- all the 
things you would love 
about a well-rounded 
pup. She is great at 
entertaining people with 
her dance moves, as she 
loves standing up on her two hind legs for treats. Weighing 
eight pounds, Rosie is a well-behaved girl who walks very well 
on the leash and is undoubtedly housebroken. She knows basic 
commands, and with those commands that she does not know, 
she seems to intuitively understand and respond well to volume 
and tone. Good with other dogs and good with cats as well, Rose 
Bud would be great company for any family. Little Rosie is a 
playful, smart and affectionate girl who will be the ideal indoor 
pet for anyone in any living situation at all. To watch a video of 
Rose Bud please visit this link: http://youtu.be/zmNXfV4qQQ4

Rose Bud is currently in foster care but urgently needs to find a 
home. She is currently available now. To meet Rosie in person, for 
any inquiries on her, or for more information about the adoption 
process, please contact United Hope for Animals Volunteer 
Adoption Coordinator Samantha at Samantha@hope4animals.
org. To learn more about the United Hope for Animals rescue 
organization, as well as the many dogs of all breeds, ages, and 
sizes available for adoption in local shelters, visit http://www.
unitedhope4animals.org/about-us/shelter-support-program/.


Support Rhae Rhae's Rescue 
Train and Marina Sanctuary 
Buy raffle tickets for an Avon gift bas-
ket, donated by Lisa Samaniego 
The value of the gift basket exceeds $50 
Purchase tickets by mail by cash/check to 
P O Box 971 
South Pasadena, CA 91031 
Include note with name and phone number so we can 
contact you if you win. Prices are $1 each 
6 for $5 
20 for $10 
50 for $20 
We will also be selling tickets in the Monrovia/Duarte 
area, with the prize basket available for viewing. 
Email us for location information, or with questions: 
DAVIDLUVS2ACT@GMAIL.COM 
DRAWING IS FEBRUARY 7th, in time for Valentine's 
Day!!! Winner needn't be present to win. If you buy 
some raffle tickets, YOU WILL SAVE LIVES!