Redemption - How The Story of a Lost Border Dog Revives The Humanity in All of Us

It’s a black night with rain coming down in sheets. The steady flow of migrant traffic along the Southwest Border is on a temporary hiatus due to the atrocious weather. The only sound aside from the rain is the occasional chatter from the vehicle mounted Border Patrol Radio. A lone Agent sits in the vehicle partially enjoying the reprieve while unable to completely detach from the daunting reality that is his world day in and day out. A rustle from underneath the vehicle brings the Agent back to his guard. Curled up in the muddy undercarriage is a dog. To get out of the pounding rain the small creature was so desperate that he approached the strange vehicle in the middle of the South Texas scrub. I’ve studied dog behavior for a good portion of my life. When a dog is willing to put himself in this situation with blatant disregard for his own safety, he is communicating one thing…I’m done. 

Many things come to mind when the issue of the Southern Border is raised. Dogs are typically not high on the list. Party politics combined with an unhealthy dose of sensational media coverage has largely eroded the reality that exists on the ground in these areas. But the dogs do not lie. In fact, they are quite incapable of deception. Mischief, of course but deception on a grand scale no. 

Dogs have coexisted with humans for the better part of the last 15,000 years. Loyal companions throughout the ages indeed, they have always lacked the capacity to understand our crusades, politics, empires, and bouts of incredible selfish individualism. However, they have always been extremely adept at piercing the veil of our unnatural pursuits and imagined realities. The dog says I am stressed, hungry, and tired. So much so that I’m willing to crawl up underneath a strange running vehicle in the middle of the woods. He does not understand red, blue, Mexican, or American. He does however contemplate emotion and suffering. And as one dog shows us, there is much suffering in this region. 

Hope is never lost. Goose is a story of redemption not despair. With attention, resources, and a little TLC from one Agent he was able to flourish…thrive. Just as they have been alongside us and our human shortcomings for the past 15,000 years, here they are in tow for the blunder of our generation. This is not about us versus them. It’s not about Democrat or Republican. The origins of this crisis are deeply rooted in history. Oppression and degradation of populations outside of the Elite circles is a de facto chapter in human existence. There has always been and always will be those on the consequential end of Elitist policies and agendas. 

When I investigated further, it turns out that a band of Border Patrol Agents created an impromptu dog trade. One Agent joked that he thinks 90% of the Agents that work on the Texas border have dogs that are rescued from the Rio Grand River area. The same Agent also told me that they regularly rescue and ship dogs all over Texas to folks that are willing to take them in. 

The irony is not lost that in the most inhospitable and desperate corners of the globe is often where we find the greatest examples of humanity. It can’t be found in the halls of the Capitols, on yachts, or in Penthouse suites. This is what Mother Theresa, Ghandhi, and Mandela knew. It’s found on the front lines, among the untouchables, the suffering, and the lost. We are uniquely seated in history to recognize this inalienable fact and to act upon it. The dogs cut through the core of humanity. Agents routinely risking and sometimes giving their lives for a mission that they are grossly understaffed, undertrained, and philosophically not designed for. A Migrant population fleeing suffering, poverty, and persecution on a grand scale sometimes giving their lives in the process. In the middle you have the dogs that serve as a barometer for the greater natural powers at work. The suffering of the Agents and Migrants alike is easily dismissed. Humans are excellent at justifying the suffering of others so long as it doesn’t disrupt the bottom line. The dog, however, can bear no fault for the poor environmental, political, or humanitarian policies that have been put in place. As previously stated, they do not participate in ideological, religious, or monetary conquests. Rather, they reflect the state of things as they are. That’s an awful lot of stock to put into a story about one dog. That’s just the issue, it’s not one dog there are hundreds or possibly thousands of others just like Goose. They show us the way. It’s not about votes, immigration laws, or regional politics. It’s about the suffering of both man and his ancient companion side by side. The powers that be have the luxury of ignoring the suffering of the people. But it’s the suffering of the dogs that they cannot escape. They cannot explain away the suffering of a creature that takes no part in the overall design of the system. In fact, one could argue that the only contribution that dogs make is for the greater good. At present, they are stripping away the excuses of global powers that wish to turn a blind eye to one of the greatest humanitarian failures of modern history.