ODESSA, Texas — Pets become part of our families, and they can bring with them so much more. One Odessa family has experienced that firsthand. The Galindo's grew earlier this year when they welcomed in a stray dog, but what has followed will last a lifetime.
There dog Fifi was once a stray and alone.
“Well, I kind of didn’t like seeing how she didn’t have anybody," said Logan Galindo, Fifi's Dog Dad.
Now, she has support from many, and from no one more than Logan.
“After we brought Fifi home…then I just sat on the couch with Fifi and she just slept in my lap, and then after that we were already bonded," said Logan.
That bond runs deep, as Fifi was abused before she was found, and Logan has gone through pain of his own.
“We lost our blue healer about a year-and-a-half prior to finding her, and he was really sad," said Sasha Galindo, Logan's Mom. "He kept pictures of Max in his room, and so it was kind of nice to see him bond with a different animal. At the same time, she was really scared of people in general – everybody, anybody – so it was really nice to see them both kind of just come out of their shells and bond at the same time.”
As Sasha watched the bond between her son and his dog grow, Logan faced an unexpected situation.
“It was like one of my worst nightmares that could have happened," said Logan. "I had blood all over my shirt, I was like, just traumatized.”
Fifi had cut her arm and needed surgery. She’s recovering now, but Logan needed to make some money after the operation.
“I was probably going to mow lawns and walk dogs, but we raised enough money to pay for the surgery and the wound care all with the lemonade stand," said Logan.
The community came out to help through Logan's lemonade stand.
“We’re very grateful for all the support," said Sasha. "We’re very shocked, like I said, we weren’t expecting any of this. The support’s been more than I could imagine.”
Once just a lonely stray, Fifi has given Logan quite the experience.
“We wanted him to learn about being a responsible Dog Dad, but instead he kind of learned about the goodness of people, and kindness and about doing well – being a good person and good things come back to you...," said Sasha.
It's a life lesson for Logan as a difficult sequence was turned into an inspiring outcome.
“Even though some people are rude, like very rude, there [are] still a whole lot of good people left in this world," said Logan.
Sasha mentioned that they actually made some extra money at the lemonade stand that they hope to give back to the ER veterinarian for others who need it for animal surgeries. Logan shared his gratitude for the support as well, noting that it has allowed him to spend more time with Fifi and care for her.