Where did you serve and what did you do?
Vietnam for two plus tours as a Navy Interior Communications Electrician
How are you #StillServing?
A Community Comes Together For a “Special Rose”
Our story begins with a telephone call from a world-renowned drummer and his wife to VFW 7041 Post Service Officer Art Haeussler. The couple explains that one of their relatives has an immediate need to give away one of their family pets. Although this beginning might sound like a million other foster pet stories, this one is about a very timid 8 month old Cane Corso puppy named Sage. Sage had come from a breeder in Los Angeles, but little other information was known. The family had to find Sage a new home more appropriate for its breed. The dog already weighed 100 pounds and still a puppy.
Later that day, the Cucuys Motorcycle Club was performing a benefit event at VFW Post 7041 in Vista California. For Art Haeussler the last couple of years had many unpleasant and challenging calls due to COVID, veteran deaths and many more veterans looking for help with the VA System. This morning’s call certainly began a story of great community pride.
During the Cucuys Motorcycle event, Art mentioned the call he had received. As he began to describe the puppy, one of the guests engaged in the conversation. Their family had been searching for two years to find a Cane Corso puppy that was both a female and grey in color. Amazing as this was the exact characteristics of the puppy needing a new home. Shannon and her daughter Rose had been extremely curious as to how they could have an opportunity to meet the puppy, so Art contacted the donor and a meeting was scheduled for the next Monday. Rose, by the way, is an 18 year old disabled teenager who has suffered since childbirth due to a diagnosis of Cerebral Palsy Spastic Diaplexia. Rose had just celebrated he graduation from High School!
The puppy was very timid, tired, and would barely come out of her pet crate, but Shannon and Rose knew this was the dog for their family. So, they brought the puppy home with them. It’s been a couple of weeks now and the entire family fell in love with this puppy, which is slowly coming out of its timid shell and Rose could not be happier.
The story doesn’t end there.
The next day Aaron Cross, a Marine Veteran contacted Art about Nick Burns, coworker. Nick’s uncle had recently passed away and the family wanted to donate a fairly new quadriplegic wheelchair and asked if Art could assist and that there must not be any charge to the recipient. Art immediately asked the donor to hold the wheelchair for a “Special Rose”. Shannon and her daughter were in disbelief that they now also had an opportunity for Rose to have improved mobility. A second chapter begins as Nick Burns volunteers to drive to Palm Desert and bring the wheelchair back to Valley Center. Nick never asked for money nor about the hours of time it would take him to deliver the chair to the family in Valley Center. Along the way, Nick’s trailer lost a wheel in a deserted part of route 76. It took him hours to fix and continue on his journey to Rose’s family. After Nick completes his mission, the family starts charging the wheelchair batteries. The next day Rose gets to try out her new mobility chair and the second she starts the chair it goes faster than anything she had ever had the opportunity to own. Her exacts comments were “how fast this thing moves!”
A few days later the new puppy has a bed next to Rose’s and the bonding begins. The puppy does need some training but is slowly improving with each new day. Sage has now become the guardian and angel for Rose. This is a great story to be able to write because we’ve come from such a difficult time during Covid, and now to finally have a bright light shine through with kindness and support, most of it originating through the Cucuys Motorcycle Club!
Without their event, without two donors and without the numerous people involved, none of this would have happened. There are many key players in all of this, it wasn’t just a simple task. We had numerous people on the phone with arranging trucks and vehicles and trailers in time to get this all done all with the same motive, just to see that smile from Rose and Sage!
Written with Honor,
Art Haeussler
VFW Post 7041,
Post Service Officer
Vista, CA
Why do you do it?
To continue my service to our veterans, their families, our community and this Great Nation