08/03/2026
“Love is a song that never ends.”
Those are the words in the opening song from Disney’s Bambi. They remind us that while life can be fleeting, love isn’t.
Every now and then, a dog’s story settles a little deeper into our hearts.
Last week, that dog was Chona.
We’d never met a dog as scared and shut down as her. She seemed more like a feral dog than an owner surrender. Still, we knew we had to save her.
Then, the perfect foster came along.
After several conversations, she said, “I can honestly say I want her to come home to our pack.”
Later, she told us she had sent Chona’s picture to a friend, asking what she should rename her.
He said, “Those aren’t dog ears, they’re fawn ears. She should be named Bambi.”
And so, Chona became Bambi.
In the 4 days after Bambi left the shelter, we’d celebrate every little victory along the way. And on the 5th day her foster expressed her desire to adopt Bambi.
Two days later, everything changed.
Bambi became ill and passed away on the way to the emergency hospital.
A lifetime of neglect had taken an unimaginable toll on her body.
And perhaps even more heartbreaking than her physical condition was her emotional one.
Severe neglect and backyard breeding, whether intentional or through irresponsible ownership, continue to fuel the animal welfare crisis we face every single day.
We need change. Not just on a legislative level but as a society. Dogs are treated as disposable things vs sentient beings.
They feel fear and pain.
But they also feel joy.
They know kindness.
And they know when they are loved.
We find peace in knowing that Bambi’s final week was everything the rest of her life should have been.
She knew love and that she mattered. And above all, she had a family. A real family.
Bambi’s life was far too short, but maybe that’s what “Love is a song that never ends” really means.
Our love for Bambi doesn’t end with her. It echoes forward in every dog we’ll continue to fight for because of stories like hers.
Endless gratitude to Christine for saving AND loving Bambi.
Run free, sweet angel. 🪽🌈
Our love for you is a song that will never end.
