Stuffed Animal Rescue 911

Driving deep into the mountains, strange and inexplicable things are often found. Such was the case this weekend when, after driving 20 miles into the Mt. Hood National Forest and then another 5 or 6 miles along a dirt road, we came upon a scene of pure carnage. Horrible was that which we saw before us--a scene of pure innocence lost forever. As we rounded the bend, strewn along the roadway and trapped in the low-lying tree branches were poor, abandoned, abused, and rejected stuffed animals. They were wet, cold, dirty, and wounded. As we slowed the car to take it all in, Grant said, "We can't just leave them there! Can we save them?" And so, the rescue began...


Bravely, Dad saved them from the cold, dark forest; a shaggy white dog, several teddy bears, a duckie and a caterpiller. He even rescued a puppy dog who hung from a tree branch, skewered through his hip, and a monkey hanging high above. Several had wounds from their torturous time in the forest where they were used as target practice. Wet and dirty, they shivered in the car all the way home. Mom insisted we wait to comfort them until they were washed and inspected by the Stuffed Animal Medical Doctor.

Sadly, some didn't make it. Their wounds were too deep to heal and so we laid them to rest. Others, though, bravely suffered through the rigorous cleaning and disinfection process of the washer and dryer and made it through to the other side. The children were elated to see them survive and recover. We gave them a chance at a new life.

After our day of rescuing and rehabilitating, everyone snuggled down with their new-found friends to rest. It was a truly rewarding day. Who ever gets the chance to save so many lives?