A Little Bit Of Love Goes A Long Way

Nobody wanted him. That was the bottom line. Suffering with anxiety and depression most of his life, Lee trusted no one. A misunderstanding with his boss caused him to lose his job. His frustrated family simply did not know what to do with him, or how to deal with him.

Cashing out his savings, Lee got in his car and left his home state of Pennsylvania, drifting toward Radford, Virginia. But he didn't leave by himself. There was only one other he trusted implicitly and loved with all his heart, and that was Little Bit, his dog, a Welsh-Corgi-Pitbull mix.

Little Bit was Lee's whole life. When everyone else had given up on him, Little Bit still looked at Lee with adoring eyes. She didn't care if they no longer had a home to live in, or if the car no longer ran. Little Bit didn't care if they were homeless. Her home was with Lee.

Lee's ability to reason through difficult situations might have been flawed, but his love for Little Bit was perfect. As they drifted farther and farther from home, Lee did what he always did, he just kept moving.

By the time the pair got to Radford, Virginia, Lee knew something was wrong with Little Bit. He could feel a lump under her fur, and she wasn't as active as she used to be. At times, her breathing seemed shallow. Lee reasoned that Little Bit would feel better tomorrow. The lump would go away. Life would not take the only reason for him to keep living.

As Providence would have it, Lee walked into a Sheetz station in Radford to buy food. There he met a couple that would change both his life and Little Bit's. Members of the Christiansburg Baptist Church, they talked with Lee about his situation.

Lee didn't think much about their chance meeting, and went on his way. But a couple of days later, the husband found him and told him that their church wanted to help. Lee was skeptical, but he knew Little Bit needed medical attention. "He offered to take my dog to the vet, help me with some expenses and find a way home (to Pennsylvania)," Lee said.

Although Lee didn't trust anyone, for some reason he liked Thelma, one of the church members, and allowed her to take a look at Little Bit. Thelma had the same concerns about her that Lee did.

The church helped Lee find temporary housing. And they set up a vet appointment for Little Bit. The news was not good. Little Bit was diagnosed at the Radford Animal Hospital with heartworms, whipworms, hookworms, Lyme disease, and a tumor.

"We were saddened when we first met Little Bit," Mandy Martinez, practice manager of The Radford Animal Hospital, said. "But we were glad that we were able to start to get her on the path to good health."

Everyone knew that Little Bit would need a lot of veterinary care. That's when Thelma called The Mosby Foundation to ask for help. She told us that Little Bit's health was not good, and that she was the only reason Lee had for living. Little Bit was the only stability Lee had, the only kindness he showed anyone. Without Little Bit, Lee could easily lose himself to despair.

Of course, we offered our assistance. The Radford Animal Hospital did their part, too. They were so taken with Little Bit's plight that they discounted some of their services. We made sure that Little Bit's surgery, spay and heartworm treatment were all paid for. Any money left over was earmarked to help keep Little Bit in heartworm and flea prevention medication and good food. The Mosby Foundation even had a donor donate 6 months of both flea and heartworm preventatives for Little Bit.

Lee gladly agreed. Little Bit was "daddy's little girl." His only thought was of her welfare. The vet immediately began treating all the worms she had. But heartworms are more serious and a separate treatment was arranged for those. At the time of this writing, eight-year-old Little Bit only weighed 50 pounds. She would need some time to get her strength back before she could be spayed and have the surgery to remove her tumor.

The church was also working to get Little Bit certified as a service/therapy dog so she can stay with Lee. It is very difficult to find subsidized housing that will allow pets. And Lee is adamant that Little Bit must go wherever he goes.

In the meantime, the church helped Lee find a job. They will continue to monitor Lee's situation, administering the monies he receives after all the vet bills have been met. They will make sure checks are written only for rent, utilities and food. Lee's goal is still to return to Pennsylvania, but until then the church will keep him under their wing.

Lee never expected anyone to help, never believed such a thing was possible. But he loved his dog. And it was that love that brought Lee's life to a whole new place. We were honored to be a part of the community that helped Lee tentatively reach out to others. Lee found that there are people who want the best for him and are willing to help him get it. Now Lee has good people in his life to provide him with structure, accountability and guidance.

Thelma's gentle presence encouraged Lee to believe in hope. The church offered a loving embrace of a man who lost faith, the animal hospital committed to restoring a dog's lost health, and The Mosby Foundation provided funds to help both Lee and Little Bit enjoy their new life together.

Communities working together-that's how we think it should be. Just ask Lee and Little Bit.