Many years ago, my husband and I witnessed a remarkable healing I’d like to share. We were living in New Jersey at the time and had traveled to celebrate the fourth of July in another town.

As we drove home in the wee hours of the night on a two lane road, my husband saw something on the berm. I was asleep, but after a few hundred yards, he turned back. An English Setter, possibly frightened by fireworks, had been hit by a car and left for dead. He had no collar on and his head was lying in a pool of blood.

He desperately needed help but growled when we attempted to move him. We had no phone. There were no other cars. After some moments, we noticed a building across the street with lights on. My husband went to seek help. A night watchman at the building agreed to call the animal control officer.

After what seemed an eternity, the officer arrived. He brusquely roped the dog and carried him off. During this whole episode, I was praying as best I knew how. But the officer’s manner made me sad, and there didn’t seem to be much hope.

The next day, my husband located the shelter where the dog had been deposited and visited him after work. He found him unresponsive; his tongue stuck to the rubber mat beneath his head. No one had reported him missing. My husband dipped his finger in some water and touched the dog’s tongue. He responded weakly.

I called an animal-loving friend who was a Christian Science practitioner to help us. She agreed to take the case. My husband drove back to the shelter, paid for the dog and brought him home. 

That first night, “Trooper”, as we’d named him, couldn’t stand. He couldn’t eat because his jaw seemed misaligned, and made a grating sound when attempting to. But he felt our love. Interestingly, during this time we had a large, un-neutered male German shepherd mix who was typically very protective of us. Yet he, too, could sense this fellow animal needed our aid and he was deferential of our attention to Trooper.

The practitioner continued praying with us. The dog’s jaw had aligned by the very next evening and he ate his first meal in days. He gained strength and responsiveness daily, but he still couldn’t stand. 

The following Sunday, a week after the incident, I woke up early and went into the kitchen where he had a makeshift bed. As if to say, “Look, Mom,” Trooper slowly and shakily began trying to stand on all fours until he stood completely upright. I burst into tears.

Progress was swift. He recovered steadily and completely, even going on runs with us. But a problem remained. Our tiny condominium had a 1-dog rule. Other home-owners (and our dog) had been patient during his recovery, but he couldn’t stay with us. In praying with the practitioner about this, she said, “He includes his home.”

That Labor Day, we made a 6-hour trip home for a family gathering, with both dogs. When we arrived, Trooper walked out onto the patio and rested his head right on the lap of my brother-in-law. My little nieces asked their dad if they could have a dog and take him home to Michigan. And, of course, the answer was YES! Trooper became their first dog and he lived many happy years with them.

This outstanding healing was a wonderful opportunity to witness the effectiveness of Christian Science treatment. I will always be grateful for the practitioner’s steadfast support as we learned step-by-step to trust Trooper to God’s care.