My mothers dog is dying. Maddy is a boxer. She has cancer. She will not survive the month. My mother is beside herself. Inconsolable. But I tend to think of things in a different way, I suppose. My mother adopted Maddy from a woman who specializes in Boxer rescue. My mother rescued Maddy, but it was Maddy who rescued my family. When my mother adopted Maddy, my family was not united. We were awash with anger and bitterness. We fought each other. We hurt each other. We spent weeks seething in anger before exploding at one another. We agreed on only one thing; we loved that dog. If a physical fight broke out, it was likely that someone, if not everyone, what going to get scratched and bitten by a dog that wasnt sure who exactly to protect, and who to attack. We eventually quieted our rage and put aside our anger. Maddy still cant always discern a hug from a frontal attack., but it makes us laugh. All animals deserve a second chance. Maddy spent the first two years of her life tied to a tree. She spent the next year being reluctantly carried out the back door by my mother, who had to stand outside, assuring Maddy that she did not leave dogs out in the cold. Maddy had many funny habits. She spun in tight circles when she was excited, and more than once managed to whack her head on the kitchen cabinets. When she saw someone she loved, she would nearly turn herself inside out with happiness. Her butt (she had no tail, of course) wagged uncontrollably when she was pleased and she howled and chuffed in your face to get attention. Maddy is a treasure; a dog that was shown little or no love in the beginning of her life but was capable of bringing joy to everyone who knew her. She is a testament to the power of second chances. She was too aggressive with other dogs. She couldnt be let off a leash. She used her front feet during play and scratched you up. But she also loved to kiss children. She lay on the floor with her feet straight in the air, like a dead mule, hoping that someone would come by and pet her belly. She could bring a smile to your face just by cocking an eyebrow at you. We will miss her terribly. A second chance is like a gift from heaven to an animal that has been abused or mistreated. And they will repay you ten thousand times over, if you just stop to listen to them.