I have no way to know the early beginnings of the dogs I
help. By the time I am involved there is so much life that has passed that only
the dog can know what he has lived. The information that is passed along with
the dog as it moved from one place to another, is often just a tiny little bit
of truth. As dogs live in the moment they do not have the ability to dwell on
the how’s, why’s or what for. Most folks just want to make themselves feel
better about abandoning their dog. Other just don’t care and know that many
rescues will not help them line their pockets by taking the left over breeding
stock they have no use for. Yes there are a very small percentage of people
that are not this way. In rescue I never
meet these people.
The decisions that rescues often must make are not always
the one we want to make. We want to save
them all, but this is not a possibility in real life. As we are a non-profit and funds are often just
not there to help dogs. I personally and
many of my fellow rescuers have given up many thing in our own privet lives to
save a dog. We put so much of our personal finances into what we do that we
never have left over for ourselves. But we do it because of our love for
dogs. But the mental toll can be
exhausting. I never want to say when it
is time for a life to stop. Directly or indirectly, just not having money to
help a dog can be the end for the dog. To say we are full and have no open
homes can be the determining factor that can end a life. Many rescues and
shelters work together to help the dogs but there is a limit to all we are able
to do. We share e-mail request for help to other rescue when we cannot help, we
use the social media to get the word out that there is more dogs than humanly
possible of helping. Making the “no”
room at the inn, a daily response. Adding to the emotional stress of knowing
that on an extremely regular basis we are making the decision that may end a
life.
Some want to help but have no idea the drain it can have and
do not last long making this a very fluid, ever changing environment. Then if
you add the folks who have their own personal agenda to why they want to be
involved in rescue, can make it more difficult to help animal and keep ones
sanity. There are no books no schools
that we go to and learn this. The folks that volunteer are just caring dog
lovers. As the breeding show dog world call us, pet people. There is a whole
area of prejudice that runs amuck through the dog world. Dog behavior is an interpretation of what
humans think is happening. Dogs cannot talk and even if they could I am not
sure we would still know how to help. We mostly cannot help the human
population and we can communicate. So we all have different views and beliefs
of what is best. I try hard to stay in the middle of the dog world but am not
successful. Yes I have my own beliefs
and try not to think mine is the correct one, it much easier to say than do.
The complexity of humans and their personal beliefs likes and dislikes can make
this all overwhelming. I use to think that it was about the dogs so the humans
needed to check their baggage at the door of rescue before entering. Now without the humans there cannot be a
rescue. I have to work with folks that
have very different personalities and beliefs than I do. I hate this part because I have to keep
everyone happy so no one takes their toys and goes home before the job is done.
The problem does not seem to get better is seems that daily there are more dogs
than the day before. My fellow rescue friends are all feeling the drain as I
am.
Many of us question our staying power as the vortex of
rescue sucks the life from us. We tell
each other to hang in there, to stay strong, take a breath and any other words
of encouragement to keep them going; as we know that when one folds that just
put more on us that are left.
I write to keep my sanity but I love to laugh and have fun
writing about the chaos I live in. As of
late I am having a very difficult time to find the humors side to life. I am
struggling and find that I have to just write even if it is not on the lighter
side. I start a blog and then delete as I struggle with this unhappiness that
is suffocating me. I will keep my dark
blog in another place and hope that writing can bring me back to a happier
place.
