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When Casey Fisher befriended a homeless man and offered to take him out to eat, she had no idea that the conversation they were going to have would change her life forever.
Here Comes Casey
Casey was young and in love. She had a perfect life, a beautiful relationship, and an incredible little girl. One day, when she was walking to a donut shop with her daughter, she met someone very special.
The Man on the Street
Casey walked past a homeless man on her way to the donut shop. He was passed out on the curb, and he seemed dirty and hungry. Casey decided that she was going to grab him a bagel from the shop, wake him up, and go about her day…
Searching for Anything
When Casey returned from the shop, she found the homeless man had woken up and was scrounging in the gutter for coins, recyclables, anything that could get him a couple of dollars for the day.
Meeting the Man
Casey approached him with the bagel, he was incredibly grateful and he invited her to sit on the curb with him. He told her that his name was Chris and that people weren’t so kind to him. Casey had made his day, then, Casey asked him why he was on the streets…
Deeply Troubled
Chris revealed that he had a perfectly normal life before he ended up homeless when an injury led to an opioid addiction that completely took him over.
Terrible Sadness
Chris had nobody to lean on. His father was never around when he was young and needed the help, and his mother had died of leukemia several years before he ended up on the street. The only thing he wanted to do in his life was to make his mother proud, and now that she was gone, she felt like there was nothing that he could hope for…
Finding Common Ground
The duo spoke for hours, Chris was highly intelligent and curious about Casey’s life as well. Casey noticed, hours into the conversation, that Chris was holding a crumpled piece of paper in his hands the entire time.
She Almost Missed It
When Casey wasn’t paying attention, Chris scribbled something onto the piece of paper and left it on the ground. What that note said, would change Casey’s life forever…
Holding Onto Something Special
Chris asked Casey to pick up the note, but he asked her not to read it until she was on her way home. When Casey left, this is what she read.
Wow, Just Wow
Casey walked to class with tears in her eyes after she read the note. Her experience with Chris made her feel whole, and she couldn’t wait to share his story with her friends…
Posting it Out There
Casey turned to Facebook to share Chris’s story. Before she knew it, her inbox was flooded with messages, asking where to find the man.
A Worldwide Problem
Casey was shocked to see that a lot of the people that were commenting had previously been homeless. She realized that homelessness was not just a result of poor personal decisions, in fact, it’s much more than that…
Talking to Pete
One of the commenters that stuck out to Casey was a man named Pete Buchmann. Pete had to adopt homelessness after an injury caused him to lose his job as a construction worker.
The Only Thing
Pete had a dog named Buster, he was his best friend. They camped together and begged for money, barely scraping by…
Buster was Sick
Buster was an old dog, he struggled with arthritis and he wasn’t able to get the help he needed. A vet clinic in Deleware was able to help him at a low cost, but it was still too much for Pete to spend…
He Knew What He Had to Do
Buster was too sick for Pete to take care of, and Pete couldn’t afford to keep him healthy. Pete had to give Buster over to a shelter, and he checked himself into a shelter…
The Connection Stayed
Pete would leave the shelter to walk and see Buster every single day. He even started making friends with some people who worked at the animal shelter.
Giving His Day
Pete started volunteering at the shelter, taking care of the other dogs, but spending a significant amount of his time with his beloved Buster. From here, Pete’s story got a little more interesting…
Word Travels Fast
The employees shared Pete’s story with the press, and members of the community started a fundraiser to give Pete the help he needed to get back up on his feet.
Community Kindness
Pete was given a truck, $32,000, a house with 6-months of rent covered, and he was offered a job at a fire security company. Pete’s life was shaping up tremendously until something tragic happened…
RIP
Buster was old and sick, and amidst the happiness, Buster passed away. Pete knew that without Buster, none of this would have happened the way it did.
Baby Steps
Pete was torn apart about Buster’s death. He was, however, incredibly grateful for the animal shelter for providing Buster with a wonderful life before he passed.
Missing Him
Inspired by Buster’s passing, Pete decided to foster a dog that was considered “unadoptable.” Pete wanted to give to another dog what he couldn’t give to Buster.
The Newest Member of the Family
Pete’s new dog was named Matteo. Matteo was badly abused during his life, and because of that, he was particularly skittish.
Big Buddy
Matteo was a softie at heart but he was considered to be at health risk becuase he was so fat. Additionally, Matteo really only seemed to be nice to women.
What a Sweetie
Matteo came from a house of six abused dogs. His former owner was very mentally ill and took poor care of and abused his pups.
Cool New Dad
After a few weeks of being uncomfortable, Matteo started warming up to Pete. So much so, that the shelter let Pete take Matteo home for a weekend.
Starting Fresh
Matteo started off poorly, using the bathroom on the floor, and destroying furniture when he was nervous. But, after a while, Matteo calmed down massively.
Finally at Ease
Once Matteo started to calm down, his relationship with Pete blossomed. Matteo finally felt safe in his new home.
Flashback
Pete couldn’t be more grateful for what he was given. Thanks to his kindness and loving nature to his dog Buster, nothing like this would have ever happened. Pete knows that, and he wants everyone else who might be in his situation to know that with hard work and love, anything is possible.