10/24/2026
I looked at this picture today and I just started to cry. Not because I was sad, but because my heart was so full of happiness that I couldn’t hold back the tears. There’s something about seeing this little girl playing with her dogs, so happy and carefree, that touched me in a place I can’t even begin to explain. And then I looked at Josie, formerly known as Marley, one of our rescue dogs, and it hit me. I helped make this happen. This beautiful little soul is now part of someone’s family, someone’s childhood, someone’s memories. She is loved, she belongs, and she gets to experience a life that every dog deserves. Sometimes it’s hard to put into words what rescue does to your heart. There is so much sadness, heartbreak, sacrifice, and worry that comes with saving these innocent little lives. Sometimes you get so caught up in everything that needs to be done that you forget to stop and appreciate what you’ve actually accomplished. And then a picture like this comes along and reminds you exactly why you started. It’s not just about saving a dog’s life. It’s about giving that dog a life filled with love, happiness, security, and belonging. It’s about knowing that somewhere out there, a family is making beautiful memories with a little soul you once held in your hands and promised a better life. I think about all the dogs we’ve saved over the years and all the families whose lives they’ve become part of. What an incredible privilege it has been to be part of those stories. I am so thankful that I was given the opportunity to do this in my lifetime. No matter how difficult this journey has been, moments like this remind me that every sacrifice, every sleepless night, and every tear has meant something. Seeing these dogs happy, loved, and living the lives they deserve fills a part of my heart that I can’t even begin to describe. One day this little girl will be grown, and I hope she’ll look back on pictures like this and remember how much she loved her dogs and how much happiness they brought into her childhood. She may never know the journey that brought Josie into her life, or the love and tears that went into getting her there. And that’s okay. Because I know. I know that a little dog who once needed someone to fight for her is now living a beautiful life, making memories with a little girl who loves her. And when I think about what I’ve done with my life, I don’t think there could be a greater gift than knowing I helped make that possible. I’ve always told Colin that one day I’m going to die with a tiny heart. Not a broken heart, but a tiny one. Because every single time a dog leaves my rescue and goes home to their forever family, a little piece of my heart goes with them. I’ve said that for years, and I’ve always meant it. Every goodbye takes a little piece of me, but I give it willingly because I know where that piece of my heart is going. It’s going into a home where that dog will be loved, cherished, and given the life they deserve. And when I see pictures like this, I realize something. Those little pieces of my heart aren’t really gone. They’re scattered across countless homes, living in the happiness of the dogs I’ve loved and the families who now love them. So if I leave this world one day with the tiniest heart imaginable, I hope it’s because I’ve given every last piece of it away to the dogs who needed me. I can’t imagine a more beautiful way to have lived my life.
Belinda Morrison
Founder CB Rescue
