I was out for a walk with our dog and Schmoo and I was just really trying to take it all in. The fresh air (it was so incredibly windy), the little openings of sun and of course just to be able to see and maybe interact with people. I needed the mental seperation from my day to day grind as I do think it is creeping in just a little.
Just like every new beginning I was so excited to help out all these animals. I loved what I thought was a positive source of community that I was so longing for. When you have a baby your whole life changes. Your friends change, what you are prepared to sacrifice for in order to provide the happiest, welcoming, environments for my son. The excitement of being a new mom and all the responsibilities kept a good head space between my shoulders. I had drive I had focus I had determination. It was fun to care so deeply about something that the only benefit I got from helping was the look of peace that an animal gives you when they know they have been saved.
Knowing all this I also knew that there are lots of different people in the world. There are the animal people and the people people. Those are really the only two types of people that come together in the shelter world. To me I thought of course everybody would come together for the sake of the animals. Wouldn’t that be nice. Just like in every world the on-line community that has evolved to help these animals is actually hurting them. I see personal attacks being taken out on each other and spills over to how individuals care for dogs. Not knowing that they in fact are only hurting the dogs that all these volunteers are trying to save.
I have seen first hand what the lack of community support does to those working on the front lines. If you were to consider what it means to work on the front lines of being a police officer or even a paramedic you can pretty much say that these volunteers have seen worse and have felt worse. A first responder has chosen that job out of a love for helping others. This is no different to our volunteers and they get zero compensation. In fact most times it is these volunteers that work all hours of the night, who will spend their last dime to feed an animal in need and in the all too common side effect their health. We do have a few government funding shelters in our communities that are doing very well. I encourage you to take a look at the smaller shelters as well. They are just as full if not more so as they have even less volunteers and fosters to meet with their demand.
Then the online slander of an impatient “adopter?/Volunteer?/Foster? I don’t even know. Shaking my head in disgust I just can’t even imagine the thought process that goes into that. To publicly humiliate anybody you have a problem with just goes to show who really has the issue. Matters that could erupt in heat should always happen behind closed doors.
I am so very passionate about helping as many shelters as I can. That is why I have given so much of my time to starting my own non-profit. There is a need for somebody to come in and raise funds for these shelters especially when they are at max capacity. I have jumped through all the hoops that have been coming my way and there sure has been alot of them. I am constantly telling myself that it is ok that not anybody wants to get involved yet. They don’t even know who you are but you have to keep trying. These days I am so much in my head. I have to constantly remind myself to be positive, think crazy and dream big. My assumption that everybody would want to help and give back was very unbiased. I have to keep digging and keep looking for the link to have the community want to get involved. I have 20 years right to look back and decide if I wasted my time on this. I want to be the change that I want to see in the world and I guess even if I don’t hit the high goals I set for myself I just can’t give up. If these men and women can get up and see what they see then I know I can get up and put a smile on and get to know my neighbours. This is my community and I can control the way I look at it.