Dear Sandon—A testament to hope

While kind eyes had regularly spotted him, he became a fleeting shadow before help could be brought to hoof.

At barely a year old, Sandon had fought against impossible odds to survive. His compromised vision and cognitive struggles hinted of battles unseen, while his fleece, riddled with prickles and steely barbs that pierced his delicate, wrinkled Merino skin, bore silent witness to his suffering

“We’d all but given up hope of finding him,” Sandon’s rescuer shared. “But he is such a gentle lad, I’m so glad we did.”

And he is indeed a gentle soul, we have found.

Standing lighter, now freed from the heavy burden that was his fleece, we are working to gain his trust. His ravenous desire for Wheetbix treats is working on our side to achieve this, and so too his friendship with little Swagman.

Sometimes he sees us, and sometimes he does not. Sometimes he scoots away, and sometimes he stands quietly. And while the cause of his vision and cognitive impairment still eludes us all, his curious nature does not.

He sniffs our hands; this touches our hearts. “Come on little guy, you’re safe now, you’re at Edgar’s Mission,” we softly coo. Dust and dirt no longer fill his lungs, only the smell of sweet, golden straw and kindness does. His world has changed, as has ours. In seeing his vulnerability as he clings to the sanctity of his new buddy, Swagman, we see our own fragility mirrored in them both.

In their bond, these two gentle souls remind us that hope is never too far off. Sometimes it is as near as a heartbeat or a float ride away.

Dear Sandon, you have found your way home. We are so grateful you did. In doing so, you remind us all that, no matter how far we wander or how lost we feel, kindness and hope can always guide us back.