A Christmas Miracle
A few weeks ago Josh was dog sitting for a good family friend when Lucy, a mixed breed mutt got out of the house and went missing in Burien, WA. Not only was Lucy a kind-hearted pup, but she was also one of the last links the family had to their daughter, who passed away three years prior. The family also lost their second dog to old age just weeks prior. News of Lucy’s disappearance was devastating to the family and was heart-wrenching for Josh.
With the family out of town, Josh put every ounce of his heart and soul into finding Lucy. He spent three days combing every inch of the area Lucy went missing. He plastered flyers with her name all over the streets. He went door to door knocking on houses, asking complete strangers for help. He trudged through woods and trails and stopped to check every playground or park.
Even after two days of searching, he refused to give up. Josh went as far as to get a recording of the owner’s voice and played it on a boom box as he was searching the area, in hopes Lucy might recognize the owner’s voice and come home. To Josh, during the three days Lucy was missing, work, health, and everything in between seemed trivial: There was nothing that mattered more to him than bringing Lucy home safely.
At the three-day mark, as he and the family were beginning to accept that Lucy may be gone, a fresh tip came from the local community! Josh received a message stating, “We think your dog is hiding in our bushes and has been there for two days.” Josh desperately raced over to the location they had given him. As it turned out, Lucy had found a little gated yard in the middle of Burien that had perfect bushes for her to hide in and stay insulated from the cold.
At first, Lucy was hesitant to come out but after some short coaxing, Lucy slowly protruded from the bushes and crawled into Josh’s arms. Josh immediately started crying and Lucy comforted him with kisses and by wagging her tail. After three days in the wild of Seattle, Lucy was unharmed and healthy and it was a true Christmas miracle.
Reflecting back on the emotional roller coaster that was those three days, Josh realized something. Despite all the stress, anxiety, and turmoil in the world right now, humankind was alive and well. Josh spent hours knocking on doors of strangers’ houses to ask if they had seen Lucy. He stopped people on the street and passed out flyers. Sometimes he was even caught trespassing or going through yards. But, instead of being met with anger, annoyance, or distrust, he found compassion, sympathy, and a kind-hearted willingness to help from almost everyone he met. The community was truly empathetic and comforting, offering emotional support with logistical assistance and information.
The last two years have been particularly tough for most people. Whether you like it or not the pandemic has impacted each one of us from careers and finances to health and well-being and everything in between. In the midst of all this, if we are willing to set it all aside in pursuit of a lost dog it’s important to remember that humankind’s love is alive and well, even if we don’t always display it to each other.
From the entire team at Akramoff, wishing you and your family a very happy holiday season. Be the Christmas miracle by showing love and supporting your fellow Humankind. 
