HARLINGEN — One viral post exceeded the expectations of two Harlingen women wanting to help.
Melinda Cavazos met Jody and her dog Edna about a week ago while she was going shopping. Jody was outside a store with her dog and Cavazos offered to help her. Days later Cavazos spotted Jody again when the temperatures began to fall. Cavazos said it was already drizzling and saw her outside a store.
“I was like, oh my god what is she doing out here in the rain. Her dog was trembling so much and did not want to walk,” Cavazos said.
She went back to look for her but was not able to. Cavazos wrote a post on a Harlingen lost and found pets group about Jody and asked if anyone had seen her.
Once Cavazos posted, Jenny Ibanez commented she had been able to spot Jody. Soon after the comment section of the post was filled with comments asking how to help, where to donate, so Jody and Edna could find a proper place to sleep for the next few days.
Because she did not want to leave her dog, Jody was not able to stay at a local shelter since most do not accept pets.
“She will not give up her dog and I don’t blame her. I have a dog and I would not give him up for anything,” Cavazos said.
Ibanez saw the post since she is in most of the animal pages in Harlingen. On Sunday, Ibanez went out to buy groceries and ran into Jody and Edna. Ibanez commented on the post she had seen her and people began responding asking if they could help to pay for a night at a hotel for Jody and Edna.
“I was more than happy to take her anywhere, as I was reading the messages everyone started responding and asking to send donations,” Ibanez said.
“I introduced myself and told her what the community wanted to do for her and she said she was worried about the temperatures,” she said.
Ibanez explained to her how people wanted to help both Edna and her, she accepted and was taken to a hotel.
“I called which ones accepted pets and finally we were able to find one and I made sure they had a room and we made our way over here,” Ibanez said.
The idea was to keep her warm during the cold temperatures but Ibanez said donations surpassed expectations and were enough to keep them in the hotel until Saturday.
Ibanez said donations were over $700.
“People donated food for things for Edna the dog, people have been responding well and I am very humbled and blessed I was able to be a part of this experience,” she said.
“It is all thanks to that one post Melinda made and brought awareness to everybody,” Ibanez said.
Both Ibanez and Cavazos agreed it had been outstanding to see the community unite to help someone else in times of need.
“As a community everyone has been awesome. I cannot believe it has gone viral the way it has, She is all in awe too, she did not expect everybody coming to her aid,” Cavazos said.
“I am thankful everyone has come forward and the city of Harlingen and surrounding cities that have helped. I wish I could do more,” Cavazos said.
