It started with one. One dog. One promise.
She came into my life in 1983 after having been found wandering the streets, eating food from broken glass jars. She was terrified. Life for her had been nothing but fear and a struggle to survive. In her few, short months here on Earth, she had already learned the cruelties of the human race.
She became known as Bandit and I didn't know it at the time but the name became so very appropriate for this girl who stole the hearts of everyone she met.
Her confidence grew but only because her trust grew. She learned that life wasn't so bad and that people could be trusted. It took so very long for her to get to that place but I kept promising her it was worth it. For some reason she believed in me and I believed in her.
She began to reach out to kids that I was working with and showed them that it could be ok. Life could be ok. She touched all she met. She made us laugh and helped heal my heart after losing my beloved grandfather. We became an inseparable team and Bandit was my life blood, my Pookey Bear, my best friend, my inspiration.
As she lay dying in my arms in 1992 I made one last promise to Bandit. That promise was to help other animals just like her find permanent, loving homes. It didn't matter where they came from, but it mattered greatly where they went and I promised her that I would keep working to help these animals for as long as Ilived.
Since then, Bandit's Place has helped place thousands (yes, thousands) of pets fin those permanent, loving homes. Thanks to local television stations who believed in my promise, I was able to work that mission for over 25 years.
In 2020, we branched out into both wildlife rehabilitation and farm animal rescue as well. Even though we've added different critters, the promise has stayed the same. I promise to do what I can to help the animals in need.
I invite you to join me in my mission. It's been an amazing road that continues to wind. I'm not sure where it will end but I am sure it will be worth it.
I promise.
