We were asked to announce some very sad news that was written from the viewpoint of an incredible dog named Amazing Grace.

“In 2004 I was born into this cruel world as an unwanted, thrown away puppy like the other millions who never make it past their puppyhood. I didn’t have a name. I wasn’t loved and I had no family. I just existed in rural America before I was found as a stray and brought to a high-kill animal control. Shortly after my legal stray hold, my time expired. At the time, the form of euthanasia was a gas chamber.

I was stuffed in a metal basket with other dogs and the people wheeled the crate into an airtight box, and turned on the carbon monoxide. They couldn’t stand to hear the dogs scream as they are being gassed, so they leave for lunch as they always do. It only takes about 15 minutes for a dog or a human to die in

a very painful manner. After the Liberty County Animal Control staff came back from lunch some 30 minutes later they discovered something they were not prepared for. Even after being in the chamber for THIRTY MINUTES, I was still alive, still conscious, salivating, shivering in terror and covered in feces from the dead dogs above me. I was then taken to a vet’s office. My life should have ended that very day. My life was JUST beginning at that very moment. My story gained national attention and a very kind man named Phil Draughon from Chicago (as well as Georgia) took notice to my story and sent donations to help me recover. I was given a name. I was getting attention and love from everyone who met me. My new name was Grace.

As fate would have it, the kind man from Chicago was chosen to be my daddy. He flew to Georgia to pick me up and from that moment on, my life was incredible.

I had no voice and Daddy Phil became that voice for me. A whole team of animal advocates and politicians came together to write a bill which would eventually ban the use of gas chamber euthanasia in the state of Georgia. The law was passed and became effective on Dec 31, 2010.”

No other unwanted animals ever had to suffer again in a gas chamber. In fact Grace inspired a national rescue/relocation movement that to date has rescued over 27,000 unwanted animals from the very same place she almost lost her life.

“My purpose in life had been fulfilled and I lived the best life ever. I traveled all over. I became a mascot for an animal rescue organization. I had a caravan named after me, and I became known as “AMAZING GRACE.”

As I got older, I started to get sick but my daddy constantly did everything in his power to make sure I got better over and over again. As hard as it is on our human parents’ our lives are NEVER as long as theirs. I like to believe we are put here with a purpose to fulfill and we accomplish that goal much sooner than humans. As I got sicker and sicker, my daddy gave me the ultimate gift. The most selfless act of compassion was to sit with me and allow me to finally be free of all the illness and pain I had begun to feel. He held my paw and caressed me while I gently left this world at 5:17 pm on July 9, 2019. I am at peace now. I left this world with a name and I was loved. My wish for every other companion animal is to be blessed enough to have that unconditional love and be in a home.

I will be waiting for everyone at the Bridge.

Love,

Amazing Grace.”