Every month The Story Post mail club helps to support animal rescue by donating a portion of the proceeds. For the May mailing month of The Story Post, I donated $187 to The Seattle Humane Society, the shelter that brought Lily into my life.
This donation came from a portion of the May mailing month profits, and it feels especially meaningful to send it to the place where I met the little dog who would become one of the greatest loves of my life.
Why I Chose Seattle Humane Society
I adopted Lily from the Seattle Humane Society many years ago, though her name was Dottie on her adoption papers.
I always assumed they named her Dottie because she was white with big black dots on her skin and fur. It suited her, but the moment she came home with me, she became Lily Belle.
Her story began long before she became mine.
Lily was rescued from California during the Great Recession, when so many animals were being surrendered, abandoned, or left in overcrowded shelters. She was brought to the Seattle Humane Society as part of a coordinated rescue effort to help animals who needed a safer place and a second chance.
I think about that often.
The volunteers, the shelter workers, the people arranging transport, the people making room when there was not enough room, the people who looked at her and decided her life mattered. So many small and big decisions had to happen before she ever made it to me.
And because of all of those people, I got to love her, give her a home, and life full of adventure.
The Day I Met Lily
I had been looking for a new dog for a while.
It had been three years since my dog Dillon passed away, and I finally felt ready to open my heart again. I was looking through adoptable dogs on the Seattle Humane Society website when I saw her.
I do not know how to explain it, but I knew.
I just knew.
I went to meet her, and they put us in one of those little rooms where you can spend time with the dog and make sure it feels like a good fit.
When they let Lily into the room, she immediately ran over to me, jumped into my lap, and tucked her little head against my neck. She rested there on my shoulder and made this soft little cooing sound.
That was it.
It felt like fate.
We picked each other.
My Soul Dog
Lily was my soul dog. I don't know any other way to explain it. I never had human children, but I loved this girl like I birthed her myself.
She was sweet, gentle, funny, loyal, and so deeply connected to me. We traveled everywhere together. She loved riding in cars and RVs, loved a good hike, and was always up for whatever adventure we were on.
She even went paddleboarding with me for the very first time in the Outer Banks of North Carolina.
She was the kind of dog who made every place feel like home because she was there.
Lily has since passed away from lung cancer in 2022, and I still miss her every day. There are some animals who never really leave you. They become part of your story, part of your rhythm, part of the way you remember whole seasons of your life.
Lily was that for me and I will never forget her and the joy she brought into my life.
Why This Work Matters
Animal rescue organizations and humane societies do such important work, and I do not think it can be overstated.
They are often the bridge between fear and safety.
Between overcrowded shelters and loving homes.
Between animals being overlooked and animals being seen.
They provide care, medical attention, shelter, food, safety, and a chance for animals to be matched with the people who need them just as much as they need us.
I know Lily changed my life. But before she could change mine, someone had to save hers.
That is why this donation matters so much to me.
It is not just about giving money. It is about honoring the work that made Lily’s life possible. It is about helping another animal get the chance she got. It is about saying thank you to the people who do the hard, emotional, often unseen work of rescue.
Thank You
To everyone who subscribed to The Story Post during the May mailing month, thank you.
Your support made this donation possible.
Because of you, $187 was donated to the Seattle Humane Society in honor of Lily, in gratitude for the place that brought us together, and in support of the animals still waiting for their person.
I will forever be thankful for every decision, every volunteer, every shelter worker, every transport, and every moment that led Lily to me.
She was my girl.
And I will love and miss her always.
Join The Story Post Snail Mail Club - It's a fun way to get a unique art print that I create, a personal letter by me, slow living prompt card, recipe card, and a few extras each month.
