Rescue @ MindSay

I rescued a human today.

Her eyes met mine as she walked down the corridor peering apprehensively into the kennels. I felt her need instantly and knew I had to help her. I wagged my tail, not too exuberantly, so she wouldn't be afraid.

As she stopped at my kennel I blocked her view from a little accident I had in the back of my cage. I didn't want her to know that I hadn't been walked today.Sometimes the shelter keepers get too busy and I didn't want her to think poorly of them.

As she read my kennel card I hoped that she wouldn't feel sad about my past. I only have the future to look forward to and want to make a difference in someone's life. She got down on her knees and made little kissy sounds at me. I shoved my shoulder and side of my head up against the bars to comfort her.

Gentle fingertips caressed my neck; she was desperate for companionship. A tear fell down her cheek and I raised my paw to assure her that all would be well.

Soon my kennel door opened and her smile was so bright that I instantly jumped into her arms. I would promise to keep her safe. I would promise to always be by her side. I would promise to do everything I could to see that radiant smile and sparkle in her eyes.

I was so fortunate that she came down my corridor. So many more are out there who haven't walked the corridors. So many more to be saved. At least I could save one.

I rescued a human today.

 

-Author unknown

 

 

iFeel:  indescribable

iTunes: "The Girl with the Flaxen Hair," Claude Debussy

 

This letter should be posted (in big text!) outside the door of every shelter and rescue in the world.

 

KNOWING ALL OF THIS

by Molly, a rescuer

 

(There are legitimate life changing events that require one to have to re-home the family pet, but they are few and far between; most are just poor excuses.)

I have rescued dogs for most of my life, from dragging stray country dogs home on the end of my jump rope to co-ordinating a German Shepherd Rescue that is operated with input and much help from family and friends.

I have learned many things over the years; life lessons like humility come quickly when cleaning up after 7 - 9 dogs every day or cleaning bloody wounds; I have learned how to cook chicken and rice perfectly for the dog that is so starved it cannot digest much of anything else; and I have learned how to tell a dog, "NO! NOT on the bed" and mean it for at least five minutes.

There are other things that I have learned that keep me awake many nights thinking about life and my place in this world. My phone rings constantly with people wanting to just give away their life-long companion and I often do not have the words for the sorrow in my heart - so if you are contemplating giving away your truest friend here are some things that I know:

The dog that you have outgrown HAS NOT outgrown you. I have been in shelters and [have] actually seen dogs cry at the touch of a kind hand, and I wonder how the person that shared this marvelous life could have just thrown it away. Please do not fool yourself, because it is selfish to believe that your dog will find a good home at the local pound. Most dogs are euthanized because there are not enough homes already and almost all owner surrender animals are the first to be killed because the strays are protected by law for 5 days. Space is space.

I have seen dogs mourn for months for the Master that has dumped them by the side of the road.

I have seen dogs starved to nothing more than skin and bone want to lick my hand because I gave them a bowl of water.

 

I know that dogs understand much more than humans want to admit because, if we did, we could not treat them the way we do.

I have seen dogs crawl back to the owner that has just abused them to lick their hand in forgiveness.

I have seen more true love reflected in the eyes of a dog than I have [in] most people.

If you are looking to relinquish a senior dog, please know that these dogs are special in the hearts of all of who know and love dogs but there is little space for them in the rescue world. Everyone that is looking for a dog wants a young, perfect puppy. Look deep into your own heart and ask yourself how you would feel if your spouse asked for a divorce because you are getting old and aren't perfect. Your senior dog has little chance of adoption - he has already given you the very best years of his life - he has loved, cared for and protected you - now it is REALLY your turn to care for him. Is a perfectly clean home and perfect slippers or door frame really equal to the love and care you have been given over the years? Is it really that hard to look at the situation and try to figure out a way to keep your loving friend in the only home he has ever known? Can you live with the fact that after you give your friend away you will never know how he ended his days - if it was with love or alone and scared.

If you consider yourself religious do you think your maker will care more about a clean heart or a clean floor?

If after knowing all of this you still want to give up your dog we will do everything we can to help your dog find another home because he deserves to end his days in a home where he is loved, but know this - as hard as we try and as careful as we may be there is ABSOLUTELY NO GUARANTEE that the home you give your dog to will be a good home, NO GUARANTEE that your dog will not be given away again and again, and ABSOLUTELY NO GUARANTEE that your dog will not die scared and alone in a gassing chamber or at the stick of a needle in his beating heart in a cold dark shelter.

If after knowing all of this you still want to give up your dog you may call us.

 

 

 

In an article from the Drudge Report, Alan Fram and Eileen Putman, writers for the Associated Press, write about how Americans, more and more, feel that things are spinning out of control.  The journalists chronicle recent natural disasters such as hurricanes, tornados and floods and how the prices of fuel, air fare, college tuition, health care and food are skyrocketing.  They mention disappointing sports heroes and disappointing politicians.

The article ends with this:

“Why the vulnerability?  After all, this is the 21st century, not a more primitive past when little in life was assured.  Surely people know how to fix problems now.

Maybe.  And maybe this will be what the 21st century is about--a great unraveling of some things long taken for granted.”

You and I can speculate about the causes for this unraveling.  However, what caught my attention was the authors’ perception of our vulnerability and that we might not be able to “fix” things like we once thought we could.

We should feel vulnerable.  We are.  We are in need of a God of love and rescue.  And often, we must be pressed in order to know how vulnerable, how needy we are.

Here’s the link to the article.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080621/ap_on_re_us/out_of_control

Their food may be pure crap in a bag (uhhh, can you say corn and wheat as top ingredients?), but Pedigree's dedication to dog adoption and rescue is to be commended.

The commercials tug at the heartstrings. After all, who could say "no" to Echo's smiling face, or to the sad eyes that say, "I know how to sit, how to fetch, and how to roll over. What I don't know is how I ended up in here. But I know that I am a good dog. And I just want to go home." Ugh, someone pass me a tissue.

And it's great that they celebrate the mutts just as much as the purebreds.

Thank you for raising awareness of the need to adopt and rescue the millions of shelter dogs in this country, Pedigree. Now go work on your dog food ingredients. I mean, corn as the first ingredient? Seriously?

Oooh, the Terrier group is up on the Westminster Dog Show. *cheers for the AmStaff and Staffy Bull*


iFeel: woof
iTunes: bark

As reported earlier in the week by iliketiedye  . . . geocaching was credited with saving the lives of a couple of lost mountain climbers on Mt. Hood.  The story is fascinating and the dialogue on the geocaching site is informative. 

  A CNN video link to this story
or
  This text story link

Here is a link to the geocache that they happened upon.  How interesting that it was placed as one in the Pacific Northwest Search and Rescue Association's Land Navigation Course.  The final sentence in their description of the cache warns "don't get lost or we will have to come and find you!"

Waypoint  GCRZCP

Here is another story where geocaching is the reason for a fortunate rescue- this one in New Jersey.  Turns out that the person who is able to call for help is in the midst of logging a cache that was placed by the husband of the woman who was in need of help!  The log for the cache tells the story, as well...

The story:  "Woman Becomes Dog's Best Friend"


Here is the cache log site GC12NX      ". . . . . . For Life"

What a fun time to be venturing out in this newly emerging hobby.... a time when people go "geocache?  what's that?"