GIVING YOUR LOVE TO MAN’S BEST FRIEND
By Dr. Bindu Mayi
One Saturday afternoon, Fort Lauderdale dentist Dr. Laura Evatt visited the home of Sachin Mayi, Founder of Share-A-Pet and narrated to him some basic facts on 101 dogs she had rescued. She was able to give him the background on each dog and when, where and how they were rescued. Sachin then talked this incredibly busy woman into sharing her stories with him and spent two years reconstructing them into amazing tales of rescue, as told by the rescued dogs themselves.
Dr. Evatt had left her dog rescue journal with Sachin, and he took the first story and started typing. It was about Alfalfa, Dr. Evatt’s first journal entry, written from Alfalfa’s perspective. When you realize that it is indeed the dog narrating the story, you actually begin seeing the dog clearly with every word. You are totally moved by Alfalfa’s selflessness as you read about him leaving his family, so that his mother has one less pup to worry about!
The dogs don’t hold back as they tell you their stories. You will be pleased and amused to meet Lance, the ‘Clint Eastwood’ of dogs! A loner like Clint, how does he manage to find a home and an owner who understands his “cowboy” ways? You will want to read about Bessie the Cocker Spaniel’s under cover sting operation with the FBI, which leads to her rescue. And what about Drew, the Shepherd mix whose address was the Publix Grocery store on the 17th St Causeway? You will want to hear from Attie, the Welsh Corgi mix, who was rescued from an attic right after Hurricane Katrina. You won’t be able to resist Bruiser, Cleopatra, or any of the other dogs as they pour their hearts out to you, sharing their past and present with you. Each narrative comes with the dog’s picture, which is a really nice touch to this compilation of stories. If you ask Sachin, he will tell you that the only words that came to him as he rewrote Laura’s journal entries into stories were words that “the dog was thinking as he was making his way through life.” Divine inspiration? Maybe!
Dr. Laura Evatt, when she is not mending broken teeth or endorsing perfect tooth health, spends every minute of her spare time rescuing dogs and paying for their health, well being and placement. She has spent over $113,000 of her own money for all the veterinary bills and sometimes bribe money so she could save a dog from an unfortunate situation! She shows tireless dedication to ensure that these beautiful souls, rejected by society for one reason or another, find homes where they are needed and loved – in the process, changing the lives of those who adopt them!
Reading Sachin’s book “101 Salvations” will totally redefined the way of thinking about rescues. His words breathe such a sense of ”humanity” into each dog story that it is difficult to see a separation between the stories and our lives. Yes, we live in a world of abandoned and neglected dogs. Yes, we live in a world where a wealthy woman leaves her entire estate to her dog. Yes, we live in a world where dogs ride around in chauffeured cars. We also live in a world where a family moves to a new home and leaves their dog in a crate at their old house, abandoned. That dog is Abbey, and you actually feel her pain as you hear her narrative in her story.
Reading about Yuri, a Siberian Husky chained to a fence and exposed to the merciless South Florida heat, opens our eyes a little wider and our hearts a lot wider to feel the pain and the anguish of being abandoned or hurt. And then there’s Daisy & Buddy, wandering the streets one Thanksgiving Day, and subsequently being rescued from Animal Control and given a loving home. Each dog has so much love to give. Each dog has so much love to soak up.
Sachin champions the case of each dog, as he makes his way from a desolate situation to one of love and hope. The stories highlight the plight of dogs that need that second or third chance at life again. The stories highlight the herculean efforts of Dr. Evatt, who dipping into her savings, always finds a way to give a safe home to the dogs she rescues. And she personally meets with the humans involved, so she can be sure she is adopting out the dog to a good home. And of course she has a policy of “return at any time, no questions asked.” That policy is a life-saver considering that one of the other options in some owners’ minds is to take the dog to Animal Control.
Since Sachin has written this book, Dr. Evatt has rescued over 200 dogs. In 2012, Dr. Evatt started her own non-profit called ‘Salvations Dog and Cat Rescue’ and was chosen as the premier rescue charity for a local Petco. These stories needed to be told. You will laugh as you read the accounts of the various rescues. You will cry. And you will change the way you think of dog rescue (for the better). His wife, Bindu, is Assistant Professor of Microbiology at Nova Southeastern University.
To get your copy of “101 Salvations” you can order directly from www.sachinmayi.com or you can get your e-book on Amazon.com. If you would like to adopt a rescue dog, please contact Dr. Evatt at info@salvationsrescue.org.
