“A rescue operation?” I echoed, struggling to grasp the situation.

He nodded, his eyes earnest. “People abandon these animals, and they have nowhere else to go. I started taking them in, one by one. It’s been my project for the past few months.”

The pieces began to fall into place. His sudden absences, the long hours at the country house. It was all for these creatures, each with a story of neglect or abandonment.

“I didn’t know how to tell you,” he continued, “I thought you might think I was crazy.”