Sunday, June 23, 2013

Weekly Wrap-Up ~ Working With The Humane Society

This has been another crazy week, work,  adult health clinical, the free health clinic, and the humane society pet adoption day. Exhausted but bless is how I describe my life. 
 
Because my life is crazy with school I usually do not attend pet adoptions days - I also do not attend because I cry and want to bring home the dogs that are not chosen.  This week the Big Man and I decided to help out - it was an emotional day, but this time in a good way. 

“Saving one dog will not change the world, but surely for that one dog, the world will change forever” (author unknown).
 
The Blytheville Humane Society changed the life of 5 dogs and 2 cats on Saturday. 
A group of dedicated humane society volunteers took several dogs and cats to Petco in Jonesboro (60 miles away).  The humane society’s participation in adoption days at Petco will assist the humane society in becoming eligible for Petco Foundation grants and gives the animals an opportunity to show their personalities to the public.
On Saturday the world changed not only for the animals but also for the loving families that opted to adopt a shelter dog. 
Sinbad a sweet young adult, Cairn terrier/Shih Tzu Mix whose owner surrender him because, they no longer wanted a dog, found a home.  His family had spent the morning looking for a dog, they decided to stop by Petco just to see if any of the local rescue groups where at the store.  It was love at first sight, Sinbad was taking it easy in a volunteers lap when his new family spotted him.  He immediately perked his ears and almost smiled.   
Harmony, a terrier/pug mix had been previously adopted and was a very good girl.  Sadly, one of the children in the house was allergic to dog dander and Harmony was returned to the humane society.  Harmony spotted her forever Dad the minute he sat down with the dogs, she could not get in his lap fast enough – she left walking tall on her new leash.
Caleb, a young shy chiweenie (dachshund / Chihuahua mix) who was found starved & abandoned in a storage facility, picked his new family while the family was playing with the other dogs.  As the volunteers watched a young family play with the dogs, Caleb sat in the corner watching the family. The minute the lap of the child in the family was empty, Caleb sprinted across the space and jumped in the child’s lap, as if to say, yep you are my forever family. 
Courtney, a Chihuahua/Fox Terrier Mix found her forever home. She went home with a young lady who was all smiles as they left, the volunteers wonder if Courtney’s little feet will ever touch the ground.

Isabelle a very sweet 2 year old who is  great with kids and other dogs, was the last dog on Saturday to get her forever home.  Remember Caleb the chiweenie that picked out his family, the family had really thought Isabelle was the dog they wanted, but Caleb won.  The family felt they might know the perfect home for Isabelle, a grandparent’s home.  Before they left with Caleb they sent their grandparents a picture of Isabelle.  As the day came to an end the volunteer started backing up to bring those who did not find their forever homes back to the shelter – Isabelle was placed in a vehicle and started home. The young family came rushing back to the store for Isabelle, the grandparents thought she was perfect and wanted to be her forever home.  The volunteers could not have worked faster – they called the volunteer driving Isabelle to the shelter, she turned around and drove back to Jonesboro.
The volunteers will do anything to help an animal find a forever home.  After a few tears were shed, Isabelle left headed to her forever home. 
The packing up to go home continued slowly, because during the time the volunteers were waiting on Isabelle to return, a very sweet lady found her forever cat.  Suki, Siamese cat who had been in the shelter for over a year.    
Saturday was an emotional day for the volunteers and the animals, but in the end, life was changed for 5 lucky dogs, 2 cats, 7 special families who opened their homes to a shelter pet and for me - I realize I can not save them all - but I can make a difference.
~  Connie ~
 

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