There are Amazing Days

Some days make you believe in others, make you happy to be shaken on by a wet dog with fleas, and make you so grateful to know the people you do.  Coming off a high from the day prior that volunteers, rescues, and adoptive parents had found homes for all 43 of the dogs that had been on the euthanasia list, I refocused on the dogs that remain, because there will always be more dogs a the shelter.

I started the morning with a noise at the front door; our door handle was being turned.  Slinking out of bed and tip toeing over to it, I rose up on tiptoe to look out the peephole.  No one there, so I turned the handle and opened the door to find a brown bag full of home made cookies with a note “For the volunteers.”  My ‘Hallmark’ neighbors had struck again.  (Insert pleasant smile as I return to the bedroom, and get dressed to go to the shelter).

At the shelter, I see Sam who finally answers the question I’d been asking for weeks.  “Are you the volunteer coordinator?”  “Yes.”  This is awesome because SAM is awesome.  She’s headed to an adoption event, where we’ll have a great representative there to spread the name of the shelter and hopefully get a dog or two adopted.

Turn around and I see Britton, on her birthday, giving orientation to a new group of volunteers.  To anyone who volunteers their time, seeing more hands to help, is always a welcome sign.  Seeing one of the core volunteers there on a day other women might be pampering themselves with manicures and pedicures (NOT that there’s anything wrong with that ;0) is inspiring and helps you realize how amazing the people around you are.

Getting organized and ready to give a number of dogs baths and shaves I run into Barb, who agreed to wash dogs with me, and she’s getting organized as well.  I ask, “How long do you have?” expecting two or maybe three hours of her Saturday and she replies “As long as you need.”  (Insert relieved smile as I so look forward to working with someone on this exhausting task).

While bathing the dogs, one of us washes, one of us dries and walks, and we make excellent progress.  For the first time, we meet a dog that allows us to shave her matted ears and rear while she’s still awake.  This is RARE at a shelter since so many dogs come here never having experienced real care, let alone grooming.  Because we don’t have to anesthetize this pup, we have more time to bathe more pups.  Excellent!

The only hiccup in this day, when Barb and I prepare to wash one of two dogs housed in the same kennel (because they came in together) and talk about how we’ll try to address their mattes, their long nails, their dirt and their fleas, occurred when one of the staff leads a ‘owner’ back to our area who nearly freaks out that we are washing ‘her dogs.’  She is here to reclaim one of six dogs taken from her home for neglect and being over the limit for KC of four pets. 

When I turn to her and say, “That dog still needs a bath, and has fleas, and the dog I’m washing now has mattes…” she interrupts me to say, “I’m a groomer!”  Well, obviously not.  Mattes, fleas, and long nails are something a groomer would not allow.  YOU, are simply a liar - or delusional.  She took back one of the dogs, relinquished several others, and left one there.  Not much of an owner, absolutely not a groomer.  I hope I see her again because Barb and I thought of all the things we wished we had said, so next time…

Not allowing that to slow our progress, the next visitor to the spa for the day, was one of the neighbors that also gave the cookies.  This time he had so many paper towels to donate he had to bring them in his car because they’d be too much for mine.  Not waiting for thanks, he just wanted to know where they should go.  Nice.

At the end of day Barb and I got to all but one dog we planned to bathe, and that little girl is on my list for Monday.  She’s a senior chow, Shelley, who came in so matted for a whole week we considered her ‘Sheldon.’  Now that her Kennel Cough is better, washing her will be ok so we don’t chill her too much.

Working the full day, when I’d only planned a few hours, I headed home damp, exhausted, smelly, but feeling really good.  A quick stop at Lowe’s to get an attachment for the hose so washing dogs in the future will be easier, and I’m verklempt as the extremely helpful man in plumbing, noticed my shirt, asked where I was working, and said “Keep up the good work.  I got a dog from there once”  It feels pretty good to be recognized for doing this work, and wonderful to know he's smart enough to save a dog rather than shop for one.  (Insert exhausted smile and tears at corner of eyes).

Approaching our door I find more paper towels from another neighbor, and a plate of brownies.  More treats for the volunteers and more recognition that people support and care about what we are doing.

Crossing our threshold I walk down our long hallway, hoping hubby just started slicing, peeling, and prepping for our Mexican dinner at home.  What I found, sitting brilliantly on our granite counter, was a literal PILE of supplies for the shelter with a handmade sign taped to the tower of paper towels “Happy Anniversary, Love Mike”.  I cried.  That was not only the cap to an amazing day, where hope and accomplishment reigned supreme, but also absolutely the best anniversary gift I could ever receive.  I can hardly wait to get to the shelter again and deposit the puppy food, scissors, clipboards, peroxide, bleach, peanut butter, collars and puppy toys (to name only some of the treasure) to the others.  I’m pretty sure they will be almost as excited as I am.

So, there are amazing days.  :0)