They were living parallel lives—the man incarcerated and the dog at the animal shelter—yet the two were connected in ways many never have the opportunity to experience.
Tipper, a pit bull mix, was doing time. He didn’t get along well with other dogs, and when his owner, Chaun Young, found himself behind bars, Tipper needed a place to go. Young’s neighbor took Tipper in for a while but had to take Tipper to the Habersham County Animal Shelter when she couldn’t keep him any longer.
“There is something about dogs that are considered ‘bad’ or those that don’t ‘fit’ in well that steals my heart,” Brittany Brown said of Tipper.
A volunteer’s compassion
Brittany is a daily volunteer at the Animal Shelter. Helping those with nowhere else to go seems to be her passion, and she loves with a vengeance of sorts those who others do not accept.
“When Tipper was first brought in, I searched for his owner and found him on Facebook. It is something we do to see what the dog or cat’s situation is. It was more than evident how much his owner loved this dog by the posts and pictures,” Brittany explained. “Then I learned Chaun had been incarcerated.”
Through a series of bad choices, Young found himself in prison. “It was one of those situations where I was at the wrong place at the wrong time. My best friend in all the world, Tipper, would have to suffer for it.”
No stranger to the shelter
Madi Nix, Director of Habersham County Animal Care and Control, began as a volunteer for the shelter and worked her way up to director. She laughed when she spoke about Tipper.
The dog was no stranger to the shelter. Nix knew him well. “I first met Tipper on a call in 2016. Tipper had a knack for getting into trouble. Whenever he landed here, Chaun would come and pick him up.”
With little contact from the outside world, Chaun talked about his concerns for Tipper. “I didn’t know what would happen to him, so I prayed for my dog every day while I was incarcerated.”
Faith and prayer stand strong within Chaun, despite his choices or where he landed. Chaun says his belief in Jesus Christ centers on him, and that is how he made it through the eight months behind bars. Unfailingly, his love and concern for Tipper gave him the added reassurance that someone waited for him on the outside with four legs and a heart that surpassed anyone or anything Chaun knew other than God. “Some people find God in prison. I took Him with me and knowing Him sustained me every minute I was in there.”
“Being in the Word kept me grounded,” Chaun said of the term he served. “It also equipped me to bring other people to the Lord.”
Little did Chaun know that God was working on the outside as well for the tan and white creature who loved Chaun as much as Chaun loved him.
A scary diagnosis
“We did everything possible to keep Tipper. Sometimes, the stars just line up right, and it works out. This was the case for Tipper here,” Nix said of the ability to have Tipper living at the Animal Shelter.
Brittany, the mother of three little ones, brings her children to the shelter frequently. She wants to instill in them the responsibility of loving the unwanted and the outcasted. It could be the motive behind her relentless fight for a dog not her own.
“I have eight dogs, and if I could’ve taken him in, I would have, but he doesn’t get along with other dogs,” she says of Tipper.
Shortly after Tipper found himself at the shelter, he was diagnosed with cancer. “He was losing weight and we were trying to figure out what was going on. Madi thought he might have an allergy to the food. We just didn’t know,” Brittany said. A vet determined Tipper needed treatment. “We were able to have a fundraiser for Tipper and get him help.”
She took care of Tipper personally on many levels -finding ways to let Chaun know that his dog was doing well, and also being the support Tipper needed to know he wasn’t abandoned. “I wanted Tipper to know that Chaun loved him and would return for him as soon as he could. I was at the shelter every day to make sure Tipper was walked outside. Fresh air is so important for these animals. My kids joined in to help.”
Unconditional love
Like Nix, Brittany demonstrates a gentle, compassionate nature outlined with a toughness that shows the reality of where she works. “Unfortunately, we have a high-kill shelter. Euthanization happens and it is hard. I did everything I could to make sure Tipper made it,” Brittany added.
And that day came. The day Chaun served his time and came with leash in hand to pick up his best friend. On that day, the world seemed right again.
“God was so faithful to me. I am tremendously blessed and grateful for all who helped Tipper and because they joined together to help Tipper, helped me,” Chaun said.
For Tipper, it didn’t matter where his owner had been or that he’d been without him for a period of time. When Chaun stepped into the Shelter, Tipper knew he was going home.
“Unconditional love is about loving in the darkness and the light. It’s about giving when you have nothing to give and showing kindness when you have every reason not to,” Chaun said. “I am so blessed, and I know what has been done to help my dog, who I call my child, and me.”
The two reunited and life will never be the same for either one because they’ve experienced a season that taught them there is nothing more important than the friendship of a man, a dog, and time together.
