Hello, Hive Pet caregivers!
I want to share an anecdote you all surely will love because, for the time it lasted, it was one of the most beautiful and emotional experiences I’ve had in life. I was living in Barcelona, Spain, struggling through my third very hot summer in the city since moving from Berlin, Germany. During a telephone call with my family, I decided to visit them, a visit long overdue, delayed by work and personal responsibilities. I bought a plane ticket and flew over an ocean of remorse, unsure if the life I had built would remain as I left it. What I didn’t expect was the condition waiting for me at home: my mother’s. She was ill and had aged considerably in such a short time. It was clear what I had to do. I stayed. Days passed, then weeks, until one day I realized that a decade had quietly slipped away. What follows is the story of what happened.
Where to begin? It started with the inevitable. Three years ago, I had to embrace a moment that we all face sooner or later. My mother passed away. She was gone, and with her departure, I inherited an empty house, a place where I had spent much of my life, a space that had witnessed the most significant changes and moments that shaped me into who I am today. The house was vast, overflowing with memories and far too much space. Once alive with joy, it now stood quiet and hollow. Each corner had its own flashback, its personal touch of emotion. The atmosphere was heavy, a mixture of too much nostalgia and melancholy blending into a fused sorrow I had never known before.
Months later, while scrolling idly through Facebook, wasting hours with nothing truly meaningful, I came across something entirely different: a group of animal rescuers I knew absolutely nothing about. It wasn’t just a surprise, it was an impact. This group was struggling, desperately short of resources to give shelter to the animals they rescued, and their need for help was urgent.
They were looking for a temporary home for a poor, lovely dog named Luz (Light). She needed a place to stay while her treatment could be carried out, a peaceful spot where she could rest and recover. The thought that crossed my mind was absurdly logical: I could give her that transit. I had an empty house, one that could be more than a sanctuary for memories; it could become a sanctuary for stray souls.
Without hesitation, I posted my offer. They didn’t waste a minute. The first guests were a litter of six malnourished, parasite-ridden puppies, barely surviving. They were about a month old, weak, hungry, and living in the basement of a hotel, scavenging for anything to eat, desperate for warmth and shelter. Shortly after, I took in Luna (Moon), another young dog, not as sick, but lost, dirty, and navigating the dangers of heavy traffic on the streets.
In just a few weeks, my home, once an empty shell echoing life, became filled with wagging tails, purrs in all tones and gratitude, the purest, most heartfelt kind of gratitude there is. At one point, I cared for 26 dogs and few kitties (the first ones of many) all needing attention, love, and care. It was a huge responsibility, one that I shouldered almost entirely on my own. While I received some help from collaborators and friends, the heavy lifting, both physically and emotionally, was mine to bear.
It’s hard to put into words what this experience meant to me. The peace I felt during those moments, whether while sleeping or immersed in the daily tasks of care, was extraordinary. It wasn’t without its hardships, especially with the chaos and scarcity left in the wake of the COVID pandemic. It was an odyssey, one that felt like it came straight out of the pages of an unforgettable story. In the end, we called it “Shelter Project EAC” (Espíritu Animal Cuba, spanish for Animal Spirit Cuba, the name of the community on socials).
Together, we saved over 100 stray dogs and same amount of cats in less than a year, and we facilitated the adoption of nearly as many. My doors were always open to give second, third, and fourth chances to those who desperately needed them.
Today, three winters after that fateful Facebook session, the project has come to an end. The economic crisis didn’t relent, it only deepened, forcing us into a corner. Despite this, I continued rescuing animals, though now just one or two at a time. With society collapsing alongside the country’s infrastructures, I made a decision that I really don't wanted to make, and it is selling the house and leave the country. This isn’t the happy ending you might have hoped for. Yet, in a way, it is still a happy ending, a different kind of happy. Luz and Luna, my first and third rescues, stayed with me. They are now my loyal companions, grateful and loving beyond measure. I want to bring them with me on my travel across the ocean once more, but this time, the waters will carry no waves of remorse, only peace.
Page of the project:
facebook.com/Proyecto.Refugio.EAC
Page of the group:
facebook.com/groups/3061855623838088
