“How Do You Do It?”

People often tell us that they admire our dedication toward the many deserving animals that cross our paths, the countless hours we spend helping them, the way we open our homes to them, how we can look beyond the ill or disfigured animals we find to be able to see the happy animal they will become, and the money we spend to make these wonderful creatures whole again. Then they will ask, incredulously, “How do you do it?”

In truth, what they really mean is, “WHY do you do it?”, because they couldn’t or wouldn’t. Quite simply because it doesn’t merit the rescuer a bonus or raise at work (in fact, it sometimes takes time away from our jobs!), it doesn’t garner praise and accolades from politicians or other important people, it certainly doesn’t render one capable of keeping the cleanest house or car, and it doesn’t put money one’s pockets or food on one’s table…

Honestly, in some of my rare moments of clarity, I wonder what I think I’m accomplishing with rescue when, for every dog I find safely ensconced into their new home, another one in worse shape is just around the next corner. I grieve being counted among a human race that seems incapable of understanding its obligations to those other equally important sentient beings that we share this planet with.

Every once in a while we meet an Angel in Disguise who already knows why we do it and who is so socially evolved that they are light years beyond the rest of the human race. An Angel who, in their own way, helps us to keep fighting the good fight of rescue when we sometimes think we just can’t do it anymore. Here’s an email recently received from one of those Angels that just made all of us who volunteer at rescue weep in appreciation:

“Subject: Valentine Donations

Hello!!

My name is Kristen. I am a 24 year old Graphic Designer that works at (a large Corporation). I am writing to you because I am a huge animal lover, and although I would love to take in every pet that needs a home and love it forever, reality sinks in and I know that I can't. However, I realized that I can do my small part to help organizations like yours. I wanted to let you know that I ran a Pet Supply Drive for a month within my department to help support your wonderful organization. Through the generosity of not only the people in my department, but various others that heard about what I was doing, I collected a Valentine's gift to help the animals in need that you are fostering. This gift includes food, toys, beds, treats, etc... along with a monetary collection.

Also, I am sure you are wondering why I picked Ayou? Well, I decided that I am going to pick one organization monthly and take collections to help support their cause. I was reading through the list of shelters and organizations in this area and I came across your web site. You do wonderful things for animals in need and one story in particular tugged on my heart strings, Emily, the Golden Retriever's. See... I grew up with Goldens. My Family had one named Shawnie when I was a baby, he became sick with congestive heart failure when he was only 4 years old. My Parents kept him alive through weekly out of state trips to specialized Vets, along with a lot of medication and most of all lots of love. They eventually had to put him to sleep when he was 7 because he was just getting too bad. Then when I was 12 we got another Golden named Barnie. I loved him dearly, he was my Fuzzy Brother for 10.5 years. We lost Barnie in December of 2006 after a 3 month battle with cancer. It was one of the hardest things that I have ever had to go through. Then, a year later my Family got Willie, the crazy Golden puppy. Willie was My Little Man. I loved him so much. He was only one year old when he suddenly passed early one Saturday morning. The Vet said that he had something lodged in his throat, however he had not eaten yet that day nor was even awake long enough to get into anything before my Parents found him on their bedroom floor. We were hardly over the loss of our Barnie when we found ourselves having to endure the same pain once again. So to get to the reason why I picked All Star is because you gave Emily a chance at life, and that is a gift that can never have a price tag attached to it.

I would like to say THANK YOU from the bottom of my heart for helping all of the animals that you do on a daily basis. It is extremely heartwarming to know that there are people and organizations out there that care for those with out a voice.
Once again, THANK YOU!
Kind Regards,
Kristen”


No, Kristen…. Thank YOU (and the others you inspired) for being an Angel to our rescued Pets!!!