And although at times like Christmas, seeing something like this is especially hard, since sensitivity and humanity seem to be on the surface, it should touch us deep in our hearts at any time and circumstance of the year.
Jenine-Lacette DShazer was driving through the streets of Fresno, California, when a touching image caught her attention.
It was a man cradling a little dog.
It was a particularly cold day a few days before Christmas Eve, and from a distance you could tell that they were having a hard time warming up.
Jenine-Lacette brought them a blanket, cat food and a roll of toilet paper, which was the only thing she had in her car at the time.
The man’s name was Clifford James Herbert;and his dog, Baby . The first thing she did for the poor homeless person was to greatly appreciate the attention the woman had given them.
Jenine-Lacette wanted to know more about him so she could help him and what she heard tore her heart.
He was sitting on the sidewalk struggling to cover and shelter the dog he had in his arms with his body.
Previously, Clifford was a farm worker and mechanic shop owner, as well as a golden guitarist.
However, in 2006 he lost everything he had due to a complication in heart surgery, from which he became disabled.
Because of that, he was forced to use a tracheostomy where a tube is placed so that air can reach his lungs, so his voice became almost imperceptible.
It didn’t take long for him to become a homeless man, but that wasn’t all. He had been diagnosed with cancer and only had a few weeks to live.
Her biggest concern in life was, without a doubt, her beloved Baby, she wanted to find her a family and not have her be another helpless dog on the streets.
“She is my whole world,” he said in an interview. “Next to her I feel safe and comfortable.”
Clifford had saved Baby from an abusive owner who mistreated her , since then they both helped each other.
The dying wanderer made a last wish for his beloved Baby before leaving.
That’s when Jenine-Lacette started a donation account on GoFundMe. Thanks to that brilliant initiative, with the money raised, the first week Clifford was able to feed the dog and rent a room at the Crossland, where he would spend the last weeks of his life.
Their last days together, Clifford sweetly played guitar for Baby