Some of our most important volunteers
...
These are
the members of our rescue that mean the most, without them we couldn't help our rescues find the perfect homes.
Our kids have been raised with animals and have been taught to respect them and treat them with kindness.
| The Kids |
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| Chrysta (14), AJ (10) and Josh (5) - Fall of 2006 |
Our daughter, Chrysta, falls in love
with each and everyone of them. She also helps out with clean up, basic obedience and leash training. Our son AJ
loves to play with the dogs, he helps out with teaching some of the more neglected ones how to play with
toys. He also enjoys teaching them basic commands in sign language (he is deaf). Our youngest, Josh, is a cuddler
... he loves to snuggle and love on them all. You can usually find him cuddled up on the couch with at least one
of our rescues. His favorite thing is to play Superman and Superdog ... he'll loop a towel or small blanket
into their collar so they can both wear capes ... one of these days I swear I will get a picture!!!
Payton, Andrea's son, does a wonderful job of helping some of our older, smaller rescues
to learn to except children. He loves each foster as if it were his own pup and allows us to evaluate each new rescue with
kids. Payton is a very important part of our rescue along with any other kids in our rescue foster homes by helping his mom
take care and prepare each foster dog for his or her new home.
The dogs and
the cats help with socialization to other pets. Everyone in our house contributes to the rescue in
some way and I couldn't ask for a better family. Be assured, when you adopt from Dirty Paws your new family
member will understand what it is like to be in a family and loved!!
What does it take to do rescue?
Your rescue "kit"
should include:
o A heart of gold to accept those creatures
that don't measure up as "perfect" in the eyes of the rest of the world.
o The people skills of a salesperson. .
. to convince those that are looking for perfection that they will find it in a rescue dog if they are willing to look a little
deeper.
o A heart of steel to be able to say no when there just isn't any more
room for just one more dog.
o The knowledge that you can't save
them all.
o The ability to smile and speak rationally when the 10th
person for the day says "I don't want this stupid dog anymore. . . take him or I am gonna shoot him."
o Some medical knowledge. . . or your rescue vet bill will be bigger than the national
debt.
o The fine art of fund raising. . . so your vet bill can be reduced to just
under the size of the national debt.
o Patience for: breeders who don't
care, won't help, turn their backs and say it's not their problem.
o Patience for: dogs that were incorrectly
placed and come to rescue with so much excess baggage that you think they will never be adoptable.
o Patience for: owners who want a
quick fix.
o Patience for: a world that no longer looks at life as a
gift and the lives that we create as breeders as nothing short of miracles.
o A sense of humor. . . because sometimes
a smile on your face is the only way to hide the agony and turmoil in your heart.
o A husband with housekeeping skills
that are so outstanding that they could be highlighted in Good Housekeeping Magazine. . . so you can devote your time to all
the rescues and be secure in the knowledge that the local Board of Health will not condemn your house.
o Personal dogs that will tolerate the never ending stream of four legged orphans, waifs and street
urchins that will start arriving the moment you say. . . "I have room."
o Children that like being the "token"
child to socialize every dog that comes thru the door. . . being able to say "good with kids" is a real selling
point.
o Magician skills so you can change anything that comes thru the door, from
black tri male to long tail and brown eyes, into blue merle female, good with kids, housebroke, crate trained and obedience
trained.
o The ability to face the paperwork head-on and deal with
it. . . or someone you can send it to and say. . . "Here, do something with this mess!"
o Grooming skills for those ugly
ducklings waiting for their chance to be a swan. . . with a little help from you.
I could go on but you probably get the picture.
. . . None of us have all of these things but we all know that the business of rescue is a team effort. Each of us contribute
what we can as a team member. Some of us cannot handle the dogs [or cats or birds or horses or rabbits or . . . ], but . .
. there are other things that must be done.
Some only want to work with the dogs [themselves, or
the cats or . . . ] . . . so. . . leave the paperwork to those that like it. No matter what your situation is. . .
it is your willingness to help that is important. ~
[Author Unknown]
