As you walk down the aisles of animal shelters across the nation, it is hard to remember that everything happens for a reason. That everything and everyone has a purpose. Cage upon cage filled with sad, questioning eyes. Pets wondering where their families went, scared by the unfamiliar sights, smells and sounds , longing for someone to love and cherish them.
Rows upon rows of discarded pets, lost pets, pets who have lived their whold lives being abused or neglected yet willing to give unconditional love. I was reading an article the other day which calculated the number of dogs in the United States and the number of households. If every dog were given a home, each home would have 24 dogs in it. Looking at the big picture it seems like an impossible situation. It seem easier to walk away than to invest yourself emotionally and have your heart broken as you walk out of the shelter knowing those animals will die without the comfort of a loving family.
Taking the easy way out, is not always the most rewarding. Every one of us has a calling, a purpose for our lives. That calling can stay the same throughout our lives or it can change depending on our circumstances and the paths our lives take.
Our calling changed ever so gradually starting with one single day. That calling now encompasses our life. This one day started with the decision that our son’s dog had become older and could no longer endure the long walks, runs and playtime that a 10 year old boy requires. We decided that his golden retriever Roxy would become a family dog. She had earned the right to sun herself, play in streams and not have to chase butterflies and frogs hour after hour. That decision led us to the County dog pound in search of a dog with endless energy. This day changed our lives, our path and our calling. Our eyes were opened, our hearts saddened and our brains demanded that we take action. Any action, as long as it meant something was being done to help these dogs.
Healthy young abandoned, sad hopeful dogs peered out from inside wire kennels with concrete floors. Dogs who either found a home or they would be euthanized. One at a time we began pulling dogs, working through any issues they had, attending to their medical needs, spaying, neutering and microchipping them all in an effort to prepare them for a new home. Once outside of the confines of their cages, these dogs personalities blossomed, they gave love, received love, they learned manners and best of all they found families who would love and cherish them.
After trying traditional training methods, we opted to head down the road of positive reinforcement. We were introduced to clicker training, which seemed really funny to use a child’s toy to train dogs. The results we saw, changed our minds and training methods permanently. With clicker training we could train these once discarded dogs to be useful members of society. They could learn to turn lights on, close doors, retrieve items, pick up toys and laundry all using positive reinforcement.
While rescuing dogs was very rewarding, we found the lessons we learned through the dogs to be even more rewarding. Each dog we rescued taught us valuable life lessons.
· Jack the yellow lab who couldn’t be adopted out to any house with a man in it learned over time to trust men and in turn he found a great home. His fear of one man had be generalized over time to include all men. He taught us that sometimes our own fears become generalized and that with love and patience we can all learn to trust again.
· Minnie, the white german shepherd with ears way too big for her head spent three hours outside our house the first night in below zero temperatures. Her fear of new surroundings and new people made her choose to endure conditions that weren’t comfortable. Patience and love brought her inside, but her ability to unconditionally love and accept gave her a new home. How many of us endure conditions that aren’t right for us because of our own fears?
· Eric, the Shepherd, Rottweiler mix was on the table twice to be euthanized but each time the staff member couldn’t follow through. Eric didn’t know that he was big and that his teeth that had once been small and puppy like had grown. He was never taught manners or to keep his teeth off of people’s skin. He learned that manners, a closed mouth and sitting quietly in front of a ten year old with a plate of cake payed well in crumbs and frosting. Good things come to those who wait.
· Bella the plot hound lay quietly in a room for two months. She had to be woken up to eat and use the bathroom. She had lost all interest in life and was apathetic and unresponsive. No amount of play, affection, attention or love seemed to reach her. Or so we thought. Weeks went by, a month turned into two months and then at 2am one morning hope and life returned to Bella in the form of one loud, straight from the belly howl. We got up and there sitting on the couch was one dog ready to live again. Now at 2am we were ready to be sleeping again, so we turned on the cartoon channel and Bella sat happy and content to watch cartoons until late the next morning. Today she is loved and cherished by a family with two children and yes she still loves her cartoons!
· It is easy to blame the county pound, its workers and the fact that it is a kill facility However, we all have jobs to do, and sometimes the job requirements conflict with our hearts desires. The people who work at the county pound love and cherish these dogs. Unfortunately, they sometimes are forced to end the very lives of the dogs they love and cherish. Their compassion was more than evident with Sir Forest The Duke of Hycliff. Forest was a young german shepherd who was abandoned in the Hycliff housing. Forest was chased off of porches, out of garbage bags and was unwelcome anywhere he went. He developed a fear of humans which made all efforts to catch him unsuccessful. After 100 days on the run in the dead of winter, Forest could no longer walk, he lost all his muscle tone and he cried whenever he moved his head. Dog control nursed him for over sixty days. The employees spent their own time and money to try and help him. Realizing his rehabilitation would take longer than time would allow, they called and asked us to consider taking Forest. He came to us able to walk three steps before falling down, his back legs were bloody from dragging them behind him and he still cried when he moved his head. After receiving a diagnosis of lyme disease and the appropriate medication, Forest began the long road to recovery. He took an interest in chasing a dog toy called a Kong. After months of love, good food and plenty of time chasing his kong, Forest could walk, move his head without crying and express affection towards people. He still walks with a sway in his back end, falls down occasionally and is afraid of new people but he has taught us that nothing is impossible to overcome with love, determination and support.
· Yesterday, Roxy was buried. Roxy inadvertently led us to the path that would be our calling. She gave us so much more than we could ever give her. She taught us grace when she accepted a new puppy playing with her boy. She showed us tolerance when the new dog bumped and bounced off of her. Roxy showed us unconditional tail wagging love even when she was tired and sick. We buried a friend yesterday but the lessons she taught will forever be part of our lives.
· Our calling is to rescue dogs, one paw at a time but those dogs in turn have taught us, reminded us and counseled us on being human, loving those around us, having compassion, patience and grace even when we don’t feel like it. It is those qualities that make life worth living and make the world the kind of place that we all want to live in. Everyone has a purpose and a calling, it is each person’s decision to have the courage and faith to decide to pursue it.
Alyson Rice
