Even when he is on vacation, Henry Friedman is always eager to provide a helping hand to a dog that is in need of assistance…
Finn, a stray dog rescued from the streets of Puerto Rico who ended up as Friedman’s permanent companion after the canine’s initial adoption plans fell through, is the son of the animal rescue champion.
Finn was rescued from the streets of Puerto Rico and adopted by Friedman after his initial adoption plans fell through. Friedman is Finn’s father, and he is also a passionate animal rescue advocate.
Friedman adopted Finn in 2018 as a consequence of the adopters’ choice to change their minds, and the two have been traveling the country in Friedman’s van ever since. Friedman acquired Finn in 2018, and while transporting the dog to his new home and documenting the dog’s “freedom voyage” for The Dogist, Friedman adopted Finn…
“As part of our monthly road excursions around the United States, we cooperate with local animal welfare organizations to raise awareness of and celebrate the wonderful work they do on behalf of animals and humans in their communities.
We also provide a significant contribution to their work with a large grant made possible by the #teamfinn community, which now amounts to more than $21,000 per month! Except for the fact that we contribute 100% of the money we raise each month, we raise money using the Patreon platform.
We do not retain any of the money we earn.” In regards to the duo’s attempts to aid other animals, Friedman tells PEOPLE that “that’s a major part of it.” Their efforts are documented on their Instagram account, @KeepingFinn…
Despite the fact that Finn and Friedman spend the most of their time traveling to help animals, they nevertheless look forward to holidays with their families. Even on their personal road trips, though, animals in need manage to hunt down and capture the couple’s attention.
While on a recent vacation, Friedman stopped at a deserted beach on the Baja Peninsula of Mexico to check out potential camping spots. As a result, he encountered three adult dogs and three little puppies that were dirty, alone, and desperate to be caressed.
“I had a strong impression that they were asking for help. They hounded us all across the campsite, chasing us down every path. Every night, we discovered them sleeping in front of our vehicles, and they were there to greet us as soon as we walked through the door in the morning.
Personally, I would be unable to live with myself if we didn’t make a concerted attempt to resolve the situation “Friedman uses his own words to convey himself…
As a consequence of his relationships in the rescue community, Friedman was able to contact the rescue groups The Animal Pad and Los Adoptables and arrange for the dogs to be put in their care.
Unfortunately, the rescuers arrived on the scene after Friedman had already left the coast, and they were only able to collect two of the puppies he had abandoned. When Friedman couldn’t shake the visions of the dogs that had accompanied him on vacation, he went back to the beach to seek some fresh air.
It took him a few minutes to collect up the four remaining canines and carry them in his vehicle.
In the circumstances in which Friedman found the dogs, he remembers that “all of the dogs were pretty hungry and covered with ticks, and they were first quite afraid and wary of people.”
“It seemed that these dogs were probably only fed once or twice a week by the occasional camper who happened to be spent the night at the campsite, according to my observations. The fact that they were on that beach for such an extended period of time leads me to assume that they would have died.”
After all, Friedman’s rescue occurred at an even better moment than he expected, as two of the four canines were found to be pregnant less than 24 hours after Friedman picked them up and transported them to The Animal Pad in San Diego…
“Some people believe that they were merely waiting for the appropriate opportunity to feel safe and protected. A total of 16 puppies were born to them between the two of them, which was a new record for them.” Friedman recalls the incident as “amazing” in his own words.
“A lot of things were reinforced for me as a result of the timing of everything. The sacrifices we had made to help these dogs had proven to be beneficial, and we were able to witness the fruits of our labors.” He went on to mention a few more things.
“These dogs not only need our support, but they have also demonstrated a desire for our assistance, which has strengthened my belief. Many unpleasant and distressing things come up in the course of our work in the area of animal care.
Consequently, it is vital to keep stories and conclusions like this one as reminders of why we embark on this work in the first place and why it is always good to experiment with new tactics and procedures in the first place. This was unquestionably one of those instances.”
They were taken in by compassionate Animal Pad foster families and adopted out when they reached the age of eight weeks. All of the other dogs Friedman aided in saving have also found permanent homes, with two of the beach puppies spending some time in the vehicle with Friedman and Finn — who helped the pups brush up on their social skills — before finding their permanent homes.
“It is not necessary to have money or access to a social networking site in order to help an animal. All you need is a little sympathy and the will to make an effort. A mountain climb may be something you’re interested in learning how to do. Take things one step at a time and you’ll be OK “When it comes to what people will take away from this amazing tale, Friedman states his hopes.
“Similarly, when it comes to aiding animals, the same holds true. Despite the fact that the crisis is massive, it continues to unfold one dog at a time. Alternately, one cat at a time is OK. And I can guarantee you that even if you are able to rescue only one animal, it will always be beneficial to do so!”
