Mark was holding his breath because he had never seen Storm jump into the sea that way. Actually, Storm typically didn’t like water at all. The dog swam away from the shore and dipped under the water. Was everything okay? Was he able to breathe? As the waves continued to grow, Mark’s heart stopped. When Storm came to the surface, Mark finally realized what was happening.
Dogs have the uncanny ability to be exceptional. Not only are they extremely intelligent creatures, but they’re also capable of showing other animals, and humans, an inconceivable amount of compassion. If you’ve ever doubted that, then check out this incredible story of Storm.
Mark Freeley had big dreams. He wasn’t the type to get drunk, and he wasn’t interested in having fun. After three years of working hard, he would have his law degree. As a child, he watched “12 Angry Men” and he was immediately drawn to law. Along with going to school, he had three jobs, but he couldn’t keep going on passion alone.
Mark felt alone. He figured that since he worked as a busboy at night, he waited tables in between classes, and he was a barista in the morning, that his days would go by fast. But they continued to drag on. As a student at Hofstra University School of law, he didn’t have to make friends, let alone start a relationship. He was able to function on only fours of sleep each night, but the pressure began to take a huge toll on his body and mind.
Mark was at the top of his class, but he was depleted of energy. He had nice classmates, but they weren’t interested in Mark. How could he do it? How was he able to have such impeccable self-control? Mark would wake up and fall asleep among students who were passed out on alcohol-covered floors, and they thought he was missing out on the college experience. But Mark had bigger dreams than that.
Mark lives in a one bedroom, 200-square foot studio. He slept on a mattress on the floor that had the perfect view of his cramped kitchen and living room. He spent five days a week doing all of the work that other lawyers hated doing, and he was consistently being joked about. He was starting to wonder if he was doing the right thing. New York wasn’t exactly what he expected it to be, but things had to look up eventually.
Going to school to become a lawyer is enough to keep anyone busy, let alone working three jobs on top of that. It’s not surprising that Mark was getting lonely. Would he be able to add some social engagements to his life? Would something give? Or would he continue living a life of solitude?
Luckily, Mark began to socialize with others. He even made a friend that lived in his building and Mark would go over to his apartment for a beer every once in a while. On the weekends, they would watch football and order Chinese. Mark’s apartment was five times smaller than his friends, but there was one thing, in particular, that caused Mark to feel envy.
His neighbor was lucky enough to have a constant canine companion. Mark had always wanted a dog to call his own. He made a promise to himself that once he was in a more stable position, he would adopt a dog to share his life with. Unfortunately, even after all of the time he’s spent studying, working, and trying to keep his mind right, he didn’t think he could take care of himself, let alone a dog. Rent was expensive, and he was living on pasta. That’s when something unbelievable happened.
Mark was finally being noticed at work. He was given a couple easy cases but he was able to turn them into huge wins. Things were finally turning around and he didn’t feel as small in such a big city anymore. And he was being invited for drinks after work to talk gossip about the bigwigs at work. Soon enough, he was getting promotions. Finally, Mark was fitting in, but he still felt like he needed something else.
How could he still be lonely? Mark was sitting on top of the world! Things were going great at work, he was getting promotions, and he was finally making friends. What was missing from his life?
It took a year, but Mark was finally able to save up enough money to move into a downtown loft. Finally, he could have more room to live in his own place. What could he do with all of this new space? One day, Mark was waiting on his steps for a delivery when a short man passed by with a basket of puppies. “20 bucks. Sir?”Mark looked down at the basket. Maybe he was ready for this responsibility. Was this a sign? For the first time, Mark was ready to take a leap of faith.
Bringing home a new puppy can be exhausting. Having a puppy is just like having a baby. You have to be willing to be patient and give it plenty of attention and exercise. Was Mark really ready for this commitment? Would he have enough time to care for the puppy the way it deserved? Time would surely tell.
The dog, who Mark named Storm, was a Golden Retriever. Soon enough, Mark forgot about being lonely. Mark’s sofa was covered in Storm’s hair, but he loved her. He was grateful that he didn’t have to go home to an empty house anymore. As time passed, Mark began to excel in his career. He had more energy and his passion was returning. A year passed and Mark brought Sarah home. Sarah was a lab-mix and fit in immediately. Everything was finally falling into place. But certain things were out of Mark’s control.
Sarah and Storm were able to help Mark stay mentally and physically fit. When Mark wanted to stay in bed and sleep all day, the dogs dragged him to the door for their walk. Two hours a day was enough walking for Mark, but Storm wanted more. Everything seemed normal that morning. Mark finished his coffee and grabbed Storm’s leash. It would do them a bit of good to take a nic,e long walk along Long Island Beach, but he never expected this to happen.
Storm immediately ran to the water and began to swim like a fish in Pirate’s Cove. Mark had only ever seen Storm run for hamburgers! What was up with him? He went underneath the water and appeared by a brown pile in the water. Was it a mound of dirt? Maybe seaweed? As Storm continued to the shore, Mark couldn’t believe what he carried.
Watching your dog dive underwater is typically normal for pet owners, but when your dog doesn’t like water, it can be nervewracking. Mark must have been going crazy watching Storm dive in like that, but it had to have been for a good reason. Right?
Once Storm reached the shore, Mark took out his phone. Storm didn’t have a bunch of seaweed in his mouth, he had a fawn. It must have fallen into the water and dragged away by the current. Storm allowed the fawn to fall out of his mouth and onto the ground, but it wasn’t moving. Had Storm done something?
The fawn was understandably exhausted from trying to survive among the waves. Mark couldn’t believe it. How was it able to tread water? And how long was it out there? Considering how far the fawn was from the shore, how did Storm even know that it was out there?
The small fawn had almost no chance of escaping. If it wasn’t for Storm, the fawn most certainly would have died. As if the fawn was Storm’s puppy, Storm picked the fawn up by its neck. But it still wasn’t able to move. Mark couldn’t see its mother and he didn’t know what he should do. As Mark got on the phone with animal rescue, something astonishing happened.
Storm pulled on the fawn’s ears. Soon enough, the fawn began to open its eyes. Storm laid down, hoping the fawn would get up. As soon as the fawn stood up, it took a few steps and fell once again. Storm immediately jumped up and began to use his nose to rub the fawn’s belly. Then Storm began to pull the fawn’s leg. Mark didn’t think that things were looking too good for the fawn, but he was going to be pleasantly surprised.
Eventually, the fawn was able to stand up and walk. Mark couldn’t believe it. Did his dog just encourage the fawn to try again? He was speechless. He immediately shared the video with social media and it received 2 million views! “He only knows love and care and attention, and I swear, that’s part of his personality,” shared Mark. But this wasn’t Mark’s first time seeing Storm show off his loving personality!
Mark had shared in the post that they had been fostering two pups that week, as well. Storm was only six, but the puppies treated him like one of their own, biting his tail and pulling his ears. “They were tormenting him,” said Mark. But it didn’t bother Storm at all. He quietly sat at the pups used him as a jungle gym. “This dog has never given me a day of grief,” explained Mark. What was he doing right?
Storm is seven years old now and he’s still the best animal, which allows Mark to give advice to other pet owners. “When you’re training from your dog, it’s all about positive reinforcement and love. I’ve never had to raise my voice,” explained Mark. It just goes to show that a secure and loving environment is the best way to teach a dog to be caring and calm. But would Storm stay this way forever?
If you’ve never had a relationship with a dog, then you can never truly know how much joy they can bring to someone’s life. Any time you feel lonely, anxious, or sad, they’re there to brighten up your day. If you’ve never experienced unconditional love with a pup, and you’re ready for a commitment, then head to your local animal shelter to find your new best friend!