Bongsoon

I wanted to share an anecdote that hopefully inspires you to be a positive influence in your day to day.

I was out for a walk yesterday, on a phone call with my buddy when I saw a dog bolting across Yonge St through the traffic. By the grace of God, a woman driving an SUV hit the brakes just in time to avoid an accident. The Jindo (that’s the breed) narrowly avoided a collision and continued to sprint down Yonge and onto the residential side streets.

I realized that the dog was unattended. Without thinking, I hung up the phone and started sprinting after it (Glad I wore my ugly blue running shoes on this occasion). People on the street were asking “Is that YOUR dog!?” while I ran by. “Nope!” I shouted. A couple of minutes of chasing (cardio 😬) later I had managed to pursue the dog to a small parkette where she finally decided to catch her breath in the shade under a bench. I enlisted the help of a concerned bystander (“Is that your dog!?”) to run to the nearby Veterinary Clinic and ask for assistance.

In the meantime, I posted on the local Facebook group that we had found a dog. The bystander (Kirsten 🙏) returned saying the vet was closed. We called 311. Kirsten’s mom (Robin 🙏) arrived with a leash and some water. We waited on hold.

Eventually we got in touch with the owner called “Y”. The dog (“Bongsoon” 🐶) had escaped from a friend’s backyard and Y had been in hysterics for an hour trying to track her down.

Eventually, Y arrived at the parkette. Bongsoon was pleased to see her mom, wagging her tail, none the wiser to the trouble she had caused. Y on the other hand broke down in relief. It was an incredibly powerful and genuine display of emotion. “She’s like a daughter to me” she said through tears. With the family reunited, we all said goodbye and went our separate ways. Quite the lunch break!

Later on, Y reached out with a heartfelt thank you message. This saga was so impactful for her.

So my point: don’t be afraid to run into the fire (or at least towards it) when something ignites. Be a helper. Watch out for lost dogs. Remember that your small actions can make a big difference in people’s lives. Kindness Counts.