When Laurie Webster and her family arrived in Cancun, Mexico for a relaxing holiday at the beach two years ago, they hadn’t expected that they would be saving a life.
Just outside of their resort, as they walked out on their first night to head to dinner, Laurie and her family spotted a lonely dog, missing large portions of her fur, and curled up into a ball. Laurie’s daughter immediately said they had to help the pup – and Laurie couldn’t agree more. As a family who has always been active in the rescue and foster scene back home in Illinois, they knew what had to be done – but in an unfamiliar place, they weren’t sure who to turn to.
But that wouldn’t stop them from trying. Laurie’s daughter carried the pup to shelter, and the family began to make some calls. Rescue centers and shelters weren’t common, and being late on a Sunday, few vet centers were open, but they finally found a 24-hour one in downtown Cancun that would help.
The vet was Dr. Antonio Ortuño, but his office wasn’t what Laurie expected. It was a small space inside the man’s own family apartment. But while it didn’t have many facilities, it did have heart, love, and dedication. Ortuño revealed that the pup had mange and other conditions, and he offered to look after the pup while the Websters searched for a next move.
They could not get the pup to fly back to the states with them while she was so ill and had so many health problems, so Laurie arranged to pay Ortuño for his continued services until the pup was well enough to make the trip back. A fundraiser was set up to raise funds for the cause. Suddenly, the whole vacation became about helping the pup, named Rosie.
Laurie and her family eventually headed back home, but kept in contact with Ortuño. She had skin issues and heartworms, but a few months later, she improved and was suddenly like a brand new dog! But Rosie would never make the flight back to the US – because Ortuño and his family fell in love with her and decided to keep her!
But this year, two years later, Laurie and her family took a trip back to Cancun to visit Rosie and for another vacation. And guess what? The moment Rosie saw them, she started going crazy and jumped all over them! It’s as though she remembered them from all those years ago! And she thanked them with lots of kisses and hugs for her new, happy life!
Images & Feature Image Source: Laurie Webster