When Kimber, a German Shepherd, was rescued along the side of the road I bet no one knew the impact she would have on so many human lives.
She was found in rough shape, severely malnourished and covered in mange and secondary skin infections. There was one deep seeded aversion she had towards men. Volunteers noticed every time a man would come close to her she would shake and cower.
Until the day she met Steve Hall, they had a special connection instantly even though Steve was a man Kimber wasn’t afraid of him. Hall was suffering with PTSD after serving three tours in Iraq and Afganistan. He would have flashbacks and nightmares and Kimber seemed to sense this about him. She eventually became his therapy dog and gave him the much needed love and support he needed.
In March of 2017 Steve agreed to allow Kimber to participate in the Charleston Animal Society’s annual fundraiser. The fundraiser happened to be a calendar and Kimber was paired up with another special man, Rob Tackett.
When the two were paired up for the photo shoot they immediately bonded. I don’t think it had anything to do with Tackett’s 6 pack of abs that won Kimber’s heart. It was something deeper than that which made Kimber fall in love with him.
Tackett and Hall to become fast friends during that time. Tackett was an army veteran too and could relate to Hall and what he had been through. Not to mention that Hall could see that Kimber saw something special in the man. Kimber was an exceptional judge of character.
Hall found out that he would need to have neck and back surgery and knew he wouldn’t be able to care for Kimber during his recovery. He asked Tackett for help.
“Unfortunately, his illness and condition prevented him from caring for Kimber the way he felt she deserved. So with a heavy heart, he decided that it would be best for Kimber to be with someone that would be able to care for her,” Tackett wrote on his Facebook page once Hall asked Tackett to formally adopt Kimber. “Knowing how special Kimber was, he reached out to me asking if I would be able to permanently adopt her.”
“I often wonder, when little Kimber was brought to the Charleston Animal Society – abandoned and plagued by mange – if the volunteers knew what an impact she would have on the lives of soldiers throughout Charleston, SC,” his post continued. “I wonder if they could tell that she was one of those dogs, blessed by God, to see through tragedy, straight to the vulnerable parts of all of us – the parts we so aptly hide from one another.
“I wonder if the donors, the calendar sponsors, the men and women who buy the Charleston Firefighter Calendars and the CAS staff knew that she would minister to the lives of so many. I am not sure if anyone knew of her life’s purpose, but I do know they cared enough to save her life, and I know they were able to do so through the generosity of our community and the fundraising made possible by the CAS Charleston Firefighter Calendar.”
“It is because of these acts and the overwhelming generosity, and support, of our community, that I have had the privilege of watching one special German Shepherd provide so much joy to our soldiers. Now, I wonder – how many more incredible souls, like Kimber, might we save? If you haven’t already, please donate, or purchase one of these Calendars. I have personally seen the effect it has not only on the animals but on the lives these animals touch.”