In one corner of the room stood a large whiteboard, covered in scribbles and diagrams. My husband had written things like “feeding schedule” and “vet contacts,” alongside detailed notes about each animal’s condition. It was clear that this was no impulsive endeavor; he had been meticulously planning and managing this operation for quite some time.

I stumbled back, trying to process what I was seeing. As I moved, I accidentally knocked over a stack of papers, and as they scattered on the floor, I noticed they were adoption forms, along with letters from various animal welfare organizations. My husband was secretly running a rescue operation.