When Zach Skow crossed path with Tug, Marley, and Buddy from an animal and wildlife rescue center, he took them home thinking how much of a difference he’s making in their life. Unbeknownst to the young man, it was the other way around…
Zach was only 16 years old and with all of the problems he faced, he always tried to resolve them with drinking. Thus years later, at the young age of 28 years old, he had developed a severe liver disease.
His liver was so damaged that his doctors only gave him three months to live if he would not be able to get a transplant.
There was another problem though, Zach could not get a transplant unless he could do away with drinking for at least 6 months. It was during at his darkest days that he met the three dogs who inspired him to be a better man.
Zach met Tug, Marley, and Buddy in a rescue shelter and decided to take them home. Little did he know that his decision would give his life a new purpose.
Every animal lovers know that getting a pet is a big responsibility. Thus, no matter how Zach felt like giving up on life, Tug, Marley, and Buddy would remind him that they need him.
His life is important because they depend on him. These thoughts gave Zach the motivation he needed back then to continue living.
“My dogs were all looking at me like I was the sexiest man alive,” Zach recalled with fondness. “They didn’t see the desperation, they just saw the person that they love. They were looking forward to a future.”
Zach took his fur-parent role by heart. He did not only nourished the three adorable dogs with food and water. He also spent time with them. He often took the dogs out for their exercising needs as well.
Months later, Zach found himself eating healthier food as well. He took regular blood tests and noticed how the doctors kept looking at him with confusion and amazement in their eyes.
As unbelievable as it sounds, because of Tug, Marley, and Buddy, Zach was able to become a better and healthier version of himself. He was able to turn his life around to the point that he no longer needed a liver transplant to live!
“My kidney function had improved,” Zach recalled happily. “The doctor told me I didn’t have cirrhosis any more.”
Since that fateful day, Zach now calls himself as a professional dog rescuer and people saver. In addition, he founded Marley’s Mutts, a non-profit organization aiming to rescue, an animal and wildlife rescue center to rehabilitate, train, and find homes for dogs saved from a high-kill shelter in California’s Central Valley.
Since the day it has been established, Marley’s Mutts saved more than 5,000 dogs from being euthanized.
Marley’s Mutts also educates people about the health benefits we can enjoy from owning pets. In line with this, the people behind Marley’s Mutts bring their rescued dogs to visit veterans, hospital patients, and people with disability to let them experience the therapeutic magic of owning a dog or a pet.
The rescued dogs also get to be paired with inmates. This way, their likelihood of finding a new home increases and at the same time, they also help inmates feel a sense of belonging.
Robinson, for example, has been incarcerated since he was a kid. He spent almost 10 years in prison though he is just 27 years old. Thanks to Tyson, the adorable and loving Yorkshire, Robinson was able to transform into a young man with a promising future.
Truly, the best therapist in the world has a fur and four legs! Thanks to Tug, Marley, and Buddy, Zach was able to turn his life around and rebuild himself.
Not only that, but he has also inspired numerous people to realize that, in saving a dog’s life, one saves his own as well! In reality we need our loving pets more, if not as much, than they need us. If you have an animal and wildlife rescue center near you please support them.
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Watch Zach’ story below.