under contract with another buyer . Over the protests of the listing agent , who seemed exceptionally certain the purchase would go through , she put in a backup offer . Ten days later , at 9:30 at night , she got the call . The other buyer had backed out . The home she knew was meant to be hers , was hers indeed .
So began a period of time that was full of hard work , but that , in hindsight , Wendy describes as perfect . She ran her law firm . She renovated her dream home . She took care of her animals : dogs , cats , goats . One goat , Mo , was something of a medical miracle . He ’ d lost the ability to walk , but with Wendy ’ s advocacy and Tufts Veterinary Hospital ’ s medical skill , he ’ d had spinal surgery and careful rehabilitation . He walked again , but just once .
The day after Mo took his first post-rehab steps brought the call that changed everything for Wendy . While she was on the road , headed to work , her home caught fire . Nine animals — companions she loved dearly , two dogs , six cats and Mo — perished .
There is a shift as Wendy tells me this story : in her posture , her voice , her facial expression . She has told this story countless times over the years ( her TedX Newport talk , “ Capsized ,” is an amazing presentation on reacting to the circumstances life hands us ), and I watch as she works to regain the composure with which she habitually tells this tale . Because this is it : the genesis of West Place Animal Sanctuary , the lynchpin on which her life turned completely . This is her
58 RHODE ISLAND MONTHLY l FEBRUARY 2021