Operation for Elmo
Donation protected
TO ERR IS HUMAN, TO FORGIVE IS CANINE.
Told by: Nicole & Marcela
NICOLE:
Elmo (or Buster as some of you might know him) is not just a beagle. This tri-color, floppy-eared rescue and with all his odd quirks has managed to create a forever friendship. Ha creado una familia para siempre. I can count on one hand the number of people who have captured my heart. He is one. He is a role model for being alive.
His short life represents a series of chance circumstances that brought together two seemingly unrelated lives. Perhaps you’ve heard me tell his story without being able to wipe the smile off my face. If not, I encourage you to read it below. But what you may not know is that this ‘little man’ as we call him, as well as his Papo, Marcela, and Nucky have taught me forgiveness. They are truly compassionate, selfless people. And no family is more deserving of Elmo, than they are. I am forever grateful to have them in my life.
I am writing this because we (Nicole, Papo, Marcela, Nucky and Elmo) need your help!
Dogs’ lives are too short. It’s their only fault, really. This is true for Elmo. We are shocked to learn he has developed a mass on his spleen and needs emergency surgery. Without it, he won’t make it.
Right now, our “little man” is in pain. The mass is roughly the size of a grapefruit and could burst at any moment. It could be malignant or benign, we just don’t know until we operate. What we do know is that it MUST be removed and right away.
His operation will cost between $3,000 of $5,000. It will depend on whether he needs a costly blood transfusion, forcing him to stay in the hospital longer.
I’ve started this page to raise money for his operation. Any amount will help and is most appreciated.
Marcela:
Here, we reach out in hopes to help our family member Elmo feel better. He has brought so much love and happiness to many people. In my heart, I know Elmo has more time still on this Earth. I just want him to be healthy and happy for that remaining time. I don’t know how long it will be, but I know the “Little Man” still has time.
We reach out to all of you who have met Elmo, who know his story, who know Nicole, Mario, Nucky and myself. If you would like to help us financially, if you can help, in whatever manner possible, we GREATLY appreciate it. As with all donations, any amount is GREATLY appreciated and any amount helps. We are more than thankful to you and your generosity.
Elmo is now ten years old! But, he’s still our “Little Man”. Now, we are faced with a tough decision. My dad’s best friend is ill and unfortunately we cannot financially handle all the costs implicated with getting him better. Seeing your best friend, knowing he is in pain and not being able to financially cover the costs necessary to get him the care he needs is one of the worst feelings ever. Elmo’s connection to my dad is amazing. They breathe together! They were really made for each other, as is our friendship with Nicole. Veterinary costs are unfortunately one of the highest costs. But, our pets are our best friends and family members; so, we do everything we can.
NICOLE:
I’ll admit, many of the qualities that come so effortlessly to Elmo: loyalty, devotion, selflessness, unqualified love, forgiveness —can be elusive to me. I need more time with him to continue to learn not only from him, but from his family. Selfishly, I need more of their unyielding love and devotion in my life.
THANK YOU!
ELMO'S STORY
NICOLE:
As is often said, a dog is the only creature who loves you more than he loves himself. Nothing is more true of little Elmo. One of the happiest sights was NOT when I was reunited with my ‘little man,’ but when I first witnessed Elmo with his Papo. That is pure joy. Blessed is the person who has earned the love of an older dog. That’s when I knew it was meant to be.
But Elmo’s story began years earlier.
I was in a relationship when we adopted Elmo from the Washington Animal Rescue League. I first saw him on the website. The League named him ‘Elmo.’ In his photo, he was such a charming beagle, and even more so in person. After filling in the adoption paperwork, I called the League every day for an update on the process. I was sure many families were interested in adopting this good-looking ‘little man.’ Finally, the good news! It felt surreal. He was ours.
We quickly got to know each other. We re-named him Buster, Buster the beagle. We became a family and our bond grew. Though it quickly became noticeable that he experienced a rough start in life. Our charming ‘little man’ had many little quirks. Physically, he has a tear in one of his signature floppy ears. His front paws are extremely bow-legged, much like a bulldog. We also discovered his extreme fear of concrete floors and of large men. Men would approach him on the street and want to pet him. But he would shiver and back away in fear. He also, still today, cannot under any circumstance, be left alone. Signs of early abuse? Most likely. The League could only tell us he was found tied to a fence in West Virginia.
But Buster was safe now. He was with us in his new home. I had committed to him. I loved him. I could go on into incredible detail about how much joy he brought into my life through his quirky and often silly habits, but any dog owner understands and has experienced this. Any attempt to explain would be futile.
A few years passed and my relationship ended. I can’t explain the emotions. I’ve found that when you are deeply troubled, there are things you get from the silent, devoted companionship of a dog that you can get from no other source. That was my Buster.
Our little family fell apart and caring for Buster became increasingly difficult. Days at doggie day care turned into weeks. A two-bedroom condo home for Buster turned into a small studio that he was forced to share with the cat. For a dog that hates to be left alone, you can only imagine what being left alone for nine hours a day in a studio with the cat is like. The guilt and stress affected me tremendously. I tried to find him a better home with no luck. He spent the weekend with a couple that wanted a second beagle (a companion I thought). But they left him alone (no human companionship) during the day and neighbors complained he cried all day.
As a last resort, I contacted the Washington Animal Rescue League. Per policy, if you’re unable to care for an animal you adopted, you must relinquish the animal back. Harsh words. I had committed to Buster and now I was giving up on him. I was one of those people I condemned. How could this be? Surely there was another solution.
Another week went past with Buster home alone in my studio. He would pee on the rug while home alone. I could hear him cry when I would leave the apartment.
Again I contacted the League. Again they reassured me they would find him a loving home. I was persistent and I wanted to know where he would end up. His new family MUST know about all his quirks and especially about his separation anxiety. He could NOT be left home alone. He had been abandoned twice. It was my fault and I could not let this happen again! “Not possible,’ the League said.
I was angry and very upset. At the time, my emotions clouded my rationale. I now understand this. We finally agreed that I would provide a ‘handbook’ as well as my contact information to his new family. I don’t remember much of what I wrote. I do remember writing that he likes cheese sprinkled on his food because he is perhaps the only “picky eater” Beagle you’ll ever meet. I also remember writing that he scratches his tummy on the carpet pretending he’s crawling under barbed wire like the soldiers.
It’s funny how you’re mind has a way of forgetting traumatic events. In what is perhaps one of the hardest things I’ve ever had to do, I packed up all of Buster’s things and brought him to the League. I don’t remember much of that either. All I know is that they didn’t have any place for him at the time, so he joined the staff in their office. They had a blanket ready for him and he immediately curled up and looked at me as if to say ‘are you going to join me?’ All I could think of was ‘oh good, he’s surrounded by people. He’s happy.’
Tears streaming down my face, I couldn’t look back once I turned around. But I always kept his picture hanging in my home.
There’s a saying ‘The greatest fear dogs know is the fear that you will not come back when you go out the door without them.’ I’m hoping my Buster never knew that I had left him behind.
MARCELA :
In 2011, my parents and I had to make a very difficult decision. We had to put our dog 17-year-old dog Canela (Cinnamon) to sleep. Years earlier we were forced to put her mother, “Mancha”, (meaning “Spot”) to sleep because of heart failure. Mother and daughter lived together, played together, ate together and brought so much joy to our family.
This was such a hard decision. We could have been selfish and had Canela live in pain or let her go. We knew she wanted to go, we could see it in her eyes. My father, mother and I went to Friendship Heights Animal Hospital on a Saturday night on an emergency trip. Canela’s heart was failing. Again, another hard decision had to be made. The next day, we lost Canela.
Fast forward, 1 month and a half. The three of us were devastated. The house felt empty. My dad was feeling very depressed and understandably so; he had lost another four-legged companion. I told my neighbour about our situation and he told me about Washington Animal Rescue League. I thought, well, why don’t I mention it to my dad first. I did and he seemed exited. We decided not to tell my mom yet. We went to WARL and looked at some dogs. We had to tell my mom the truth: we went to look for another dog! My dad went back to WARL and came back so excited! He said “I saw one! I saw THE one!” Immediately I went to meet him with my dad. I could tell, it was certainly “meant to be” between them. There was an indescribable connection between them. Was it in the eyes? No, it was in the HEART! It was “love at first sight”.
We brought my mom to meet Elmo and it was a done deal! Just fill out the paperwork and he can go home with us! We had done everything by the book, EXCEPT for one thing! We had failed to look through all the paperwork that WARL had given us carefully. It was May and I remember knowing that Elmo’s birthday was around May. So, I went into his paperwork to check the date and to my surprise, I found a letter Nicole had written! She wrote all about Elmo’s anxiety, his history and her story with him. I cried while reading it, happy tears, trust me. What else could you expect from an actress? Ha! I looked for her information and didn’t know whether to email her or call her. I was so nervous. What was I supposed to say? What was I supposed to write? Would she be angry that I wrote to her? Would she think I was “weird” for reaching out? Well, she didn’t! She responded! She said she also had happy tears streaming down her face.
NICOLE:
The only piece of information the League could tell me is that Buster was immediately adopted by an older couple who owned a theatre in DC. I googled ‘theatre DC’ and ‘beagle’ and every combination thereof, with no luck.
Months passed and no word. I had basically settled on the idea that I would never hear anything. I assumed they wanted no contact with me. After all, I had given up on him and I couldn’t blame them for not reaching out. I would feel the same way.
One day at work, I got the email. Marcela Ferlito Walder. She was Elmo’s new family!! Was it true? She and her parents have a Spanish-language theatre in Petworth. How could I not have found this in my exhaustive Google searches?!? I’m a journalist after all! I called my mother and took a walk around the block because I couldn’t contain my happiness. It felt surreal.
I’m not sure the sequence of events. I believe she added me on Facebook and I saw my little man. There he was. So happy and so healthy. He was my bow-legged beagle with the tear in his ear, but he had a new family that loved him. That was immediately clear in the pictures.
The League had given him his original name back. I learned Elmo goes to the theatre every day, is surrounded by people and is NEVER alone. Can it get any better for ‘Little man’? Yes. The story gets better.
Marcela offered to meet me with Elmo. I was so nervous. How would they react to someone who had relinquished Elmo back to the shelter? Would they be angry with me? Would ‘little man’ still recognize me?
MARCELA:
Well, days later, we met! My parents and I walked Elmo down Georgia Avenue where we would meet with Elmo. It was such a GORGEOUS reunion. Filled with tears, but happy tears. Since then, Nicole has kindly offered to take care of Elmo on numerous occasions when we have been busy and unable to stay with him.
NICOLE
That day, Marcela left me alone for a few minutes with Elmo. She trusted me and that means the world to me. I knew she would be a friend for life. I whispered to Elmo that I was sorry I abandoned him, but that I would never do it again. There are times when dogs are better than we are because they know but do not tell.
Marcela is just a couple years younger than I am. Her parents are the same age as mine. We have many things in common that I won’t divulge here, but that I feel grateful to know her and call her my friend. I can’t imagine my life without her in it. I have the deepest respect for her, her parents and the work that they do. Without Elmo, I would have never known them and for that, I forever grateful for my ‘little man.’
But this second chapter of my life with Buster-turned-Elmo is based on one basic concept ‘forgiveness.’ I truly believe Elmo recognized me that day during our reunion. Maybe not right away, but eventually. But more importantly Marcela and her parents, Papo and Nucky, forgave me. And they trusted me.
I know Papo will never desert his Elmo like I did. And Elmo will never leave his Papo. He’ll use every ounce of strength to stay with us. He’s already doing that. But we need your help! Please. As I mentioned at the beginning of this story, one of the happiest sights was NOT when I was reunited with my ‘little man,’ but when I first witnessed Elmo with his Papo. That is pure joy. The one absolutely unselfish friend that man can have in this selfish world, the one that never deserts him, the one that never proves ungrateful, is his dog.
We all try to do our little bit of good from where we are. At least I do. It’s those little bits of good, that when brought together, can make an overwhelming difference. Please consider contributing to Elmo’s surgery and consider the enormous effect it will have on the lives’ of others.
THANK YOU!
Please enjoy a mere fraction of the countless photos that exist of little Elmo.
Told by: Nicole & Marcela
NICOLE:
Elmo (or Buster as some of you might know him) is not just a beagle. This tri-color, floppy-eared rescue and with all his odd quirks has managed to create a forever friendship. Ha creado una familia para siempre. I can count on one hand the number of people who have captured my heart. He is one. He is a role model for being alive.
His short life represents a series of chance circumstances that brought together two seemingly unrelated lives. Perhaps you’ve heard me tell his story without being able to wipe the smile off my face. If not, I encourage you to read it below. But what you may not know is that this ‘little man’ as we call him, as well as his Papo, Marcela, and Nucky have taught me forgiveness. They are truly compassionate, selfless people. And no family is more deserving of Elmo, than they are. I am forever grateful to have them in my life.
I am writing this because we (Nicole, Papo, Marcela, Nucky and Elmo) need your help!
Dogs’ lives are too short. It’s their only fault, really. This is true for Elmo. We are shocked to learn he has developed a mass on his spleen and needs emergency surgery. Without it, he won’t make it.
Right now, our “little man” is in pain. The mass is roughly the size of a grapefruit and could burst at any moment. It could be malignant or benign, we just don’t know until we operate. What we do know is that it MUST be removed and right away.
His operation will cost between $3,000 of $5,000. It will depend on whether he needs a costly blood transfusion, forcing him to stay in the hospital longer.
I’ve started this page to raise money for his operation. Any amount will help and is most appreciated.
Marcela:
Here, we reach out in hopes to help our family member Elmo feel better. He has brought so much love and happiness to many people. In my heart, I know Elmo has more time still on this Earth. I just want him to be healthy and happy for that remaining time. I don’t know how long it will be, but I know the “Little Man” still has time.
We reach out to all of you who have met Elmo, who know his story, who know Nicole, Mario, Nucky and myself. If you would like to help us financially, if you can help, in whatever manner possible, we GREATLY appreciate it. As with all donations, any amount is GREATLY appreciated and any amount helps. We are more than thankful to you and your generosity.
Elmo is now ten years old! But, he’s still our “Little Man”. Now, we are faced with a tough decision. My dad’s best friend is ill and unfortunately we cannot financially handle all the costs implicated with getting him better. Seeing your best friend, knowing he is in pain and not being able to financially cover the costs necessary to get him the care he needs is one of the worst feelings ever. Elmo’s connection to my dad is amazing. They breathe together! They were really made for each other, as is our friendship with Nicole. Veterinary costs are unfortunately one of the highest costs. But, our pets are our best friends and family members; so, we do everything we can.
NICOLE:
I’ll admit, many of the qualities that come so effortlessly to Elmo: loyalty, devotion, selflessness, unqualified love, forgiveness —can be elusive to me. I need more time with him to continue to learn not only from him, but from his family. Selfishly, I need more of their unyielding love and devotion in my life.
THANK YOU!
ELMO'S STORY
NICOLE:
As is often said, a dog is the only creature who loves you more than he loves himself. Nothing is more true of little Elmo. One of the happiest sights was NOT when I was reunited with my ‘little man,’ but when I first witnessed Elmo with his Papo. That is pure joy. Blessed is the person who has earned the love of an older dog. That’s when I knew it was meant to be.
But Elmo’s story began years earlier.
I was in a relationship when we adopted Elmo from the Washington Animal Rescue League. I first saw him on the website. The League named him ‘Elmo.’ In his photo, he was such a charming beagle, and even more so in person. After filling in the adoption paperwork, I called the League every day for an update on the process. I was sure many families were interested in adopting this good-looking ‘little man.’ Finally, the good news! It felt surreal. He was ours.
We quickly got to know each other. We re-named him Buster, Buster the beagle. We became a family and our bond grew. Though it quickly became noticeable that he experienced a rough start in life. Our charming ‘little man’ had many little quirks. Physically, he has a tear in one of his signature floppy ears. His front paws are extremely bow-legged, much like a bulldog. We also discovered his extreme fear of concrete floors and of large men. Men would approach him on the street and want to pet him. But he would shiver and back away in fear. He also, still today, cannot under any circumstance, be left alone. Signs of early abuse? Most likely. The League could only tell us he was found tied to a fence in West Virginia.
But Buster was safe now. He was with us in his new home. I had committed to him. I loved him. I could go on into incredible detail about how much joy he brought into my life through his quirky and often silly habits, but any dog owner understands and has experienced this. Any attempt to explain would be futile.
A few years passed and my relationship ended. I can’t explain the emotions. I’ve found that when you are deeply troubled, there are things you get from the silent, devoted companionship of a dog that you can get from no other source. That was my Buster.
Our little family fell apart and caring for Buster became increasingly difficult. Days at doggie day care turned into weeks. A two-bedroom condo home for Buster turned into a small studio that he was forced to share with the cat. For a dog that hates to be left alone, you can only imagine what being left alone for nine hours a day in a studio with the cat is like. The guilt and stress affected me tremendously. I tried to find him a better home with no luck. He spent the weekend with a couple that wanted a second beagle (a companion I thought). But they left him alone (no human companionship) during the day and neighbors complained he cried all day.
As a last resort, I contacted the Washington Animal Rescue League. Per policy, if you’re unable to care for an animal you adopted, you must relinquish the animal back. Harsh words. I had committed to Buster and now I was giving up on him. I was one of those people I condemned. How could this be? Surely there was another solution.
Another week went past with Buster home alone in my studio. He would pee on the rug while home alone. I could hear him cry when I would leave the apartment.
Again I contacted the League. Again they reassured me they would find him a loving home. I was persistent and I wanted to know where he would end up. His new family MUST know about all his quirks and especially about his separation anxiety. He could NOT be left home alone. He had been abandoned twice. It was my fault and I could not let this happen again! “Not possible,’ the League said.
I was angry and very upset. At the time, my emotions clouded my rationale. I now understand this. We finally agreed that I would provide a ‘handbook’ as well as my contact information to his new family. I don’t remember much of what I wrote. I do remember writing that he likes cheese sprinkled on his food because he is perhaps the only “picky eater” Beagle you’ll ever meet. I also remember writing that he scratches his tummy on the carpet pretending he’s crawling under barbed wire like the soldiers.
It’s funny how you’re mind has a way of forgetting traumatic events. In what is perhaps one of the hardest things I’ve ever had to do, I packed up all of Buster’s things and brought him to the League. I don’t remember much of that either. All I know is that they didn’t have any place for him at the time, so he joined the staff in their office. They had a blanket ready for him and he immediately curled up and looked at me as if to say ‘are you going to join me?’ All I could think of was ‘oh good, he’s surrounded by people. He’s happy.’
Tears streaming down my face, I couldn’t look back once I turned around. But I always kept his picture hanging in my home.
There’s a saying ‘The greatest fear dogs know is the fear that you will not come back when you go out the door without them.’ I’m hoping my Buster never knew that I had left him behind.
MARCELA :
In 2011, my parents and I had to make a very difficult decision. We had to put our dog 17-year-old dog Canela (Cinnamon) to sleep. Years earlier we were forced to put her mother, “Mancha”, (meaning “Spot”) to sleep because of heart failure. Mother and daughter lived together, played together, ate together and brought so much joy to our family.
This was such a hard decision. We could have been selfish and had Canela live in pain or let her go. We knew she wanted to go, we could see it in her eyes. My father, mother and I went to Friendship Heights Animal Hospital on a Saturday night on an emergency trip. Canela’s heart was failing. Again, another hard decision had to be made. The next day, we lost Canela.
Fast forward, 1 month and a half. The three of us were devastated. The house felt empty. My dad was feeling very depressed and understandably so; he had lost another four-legged companion. I told my neighbour about our situation and he told me about Washington Animal Rescue League. I thought, well, why don’t I mention it to my dad first. I did and he seemed exited. We decided not to tell my mom yet. We went to WARL and looked at some dogs. We had to tell my mom the truth: we went to look for another dog! My dad went back to WARL and came back so excited! He said “I saw one! I saw THE one!” Immediately I went to meet him with my dad. I could tell, it was certainly “meant to be” between them. There was an indescribable connection between them. Was it in the eyes? No, it was in the HEART! It was “love at first sight”.
We brought my mom to meet Elmo and it was a done deal! Just fill out the paperwork and he can go home with us! We had done everything by the book, EXCEPT for one thing! We had failed to look through all the paperwork that WARL had given us carefully. It was May and I remember knowing that Elmo’s birthday was around May. So, I went into his paperwork to check the date and to my surprise, I found a letter Nicole had written! She wrote all about Elmo’s anxiety, his history and her story with him. I cried while reading it, happy tears, trust me. What else could you expect from an actress? Ha! I looked for her information and didn’t know whether to email her or call her. I was so nervous. What was I supposed to say? What was I supposed to write? Would she be angry that I wrote to her? Would she think I was “weird” for reaching out? Well, she didn’t! She responded! She said she also had happy tears streaming down her face.
NICOLE:
The only piece of information the League could tell me is that Buster was immediately adopted by an older couple who owned a theatre in DC. I googled ‘theatre DC’ and ‘beagle’ and every combination thereof, with no luck.
Months passed and no word. I had basically settled on the idea that I would never hear anything. I assumed they wanted no contact with me. After all, I had given up on him and I couldn’t blame them for not reaching out. I would feel the same way.
One day at work, I got the email. Marcela Ferlito Walder. She was Elmo’s new family!! Was it true? She and her parents have a Spanish-language theatre in Petworth. How could I not have found this in my exhaustive Google searches?!? I’m a journalist after all! I called my mother and took a walk around the block because I couldn’t contain my happiness. It felt surreal.
I’m not sure the sequence of events. I believe she added me on Facebook and I saw my little man. There he was. So happy and so healthy. He was my bow-legged beagle with the tear in his ear, but he had a new family that loved him. That was immediately clear in the pictures.
The League had given him his original name back. I learned Elmo goes to the theatre every day, is surrounded by people and is NEVER alone. Can it get any better for ‘Little man’? Yes. The story gets better.
Marcela offered to meet me with Elmo. I was so nervous. How would they react to someone who had relinquished Elmo back to the shelter? Would they be angry with me? Would ‘little man’ still recognize me?
MARCELA:
Well, days later, we met! My parents and I walked Elmo down Georgia Avenue where we would meet with Elmo. It was such a GORGEOUS reunion. Filled with tears, but happy tears. Since then, Nicole has kindly offered to take care of Elmo on numerous occasions when we have been busy and unable to stay with him.
NICOLE
That day, Marcela left me alone for a few minutes with Elmo. She trusted me and that means the world to me. I knew she would be a friend for life. I whispered to Elmo that I was sorry I abandoned him, but that I would never do it again. There are times when dogs are better than we are because they know but do not tell.
Marcela is just a couple years younger than I am. Her parents are the same age as mine. We have many things in common that I won’t divulge here, but that I feel grateful to know her and call her my friend. I can’t imagine my life without her in it. I have the deepest respect for her, her parents and the work that they do. Without Elmo, I would have never known them and for that, I forever grateful for my ‘little man.’
But this second chapter of my life with Buster-turned-Elmo is based on one basic concept ‘forgiveness.’ I truly believe Elmo recognized me that day during our reunion. Maybe not right away, but eventually. But more importantly Marcela and her parents, Papo and Nucky, forgave me. And they trusted me.
I know Papo will never desert his Elmo like I did. And Elmo will never leave his Papo. He’ll use every ounce of strength to stay with us. He’s already doing that. But we need your help! Please. As I mentioned at the beginning of this story, one of the happiest sights was NOT when I was reunited with my ‘little man,’ but when I first witnessed Elmo with his Papo. That is pure joy. The one absolutely unselfish friend that man can have in this selfish world, the one that never deserts him, the one that never proves ungrateful, is his dog.
We all try to do our little bit of good from where we are. At least I do. It’s those little bits of good, that when brought together, can make an overwhelming difference. Please consider contributing to Elmo’s surgery and consider the enormous effect it will have on the lives’ of others.
THANK YOU!
Please enjoy a mere fraction of the countless photos that exist of little Elmo.
Organizer and beneficiary
Nicole Grether
Organizer
Washington D.C., DC
Marcela Ferlito Walder
Beneficiary