If someone had told me years ago that I would be writing a blog, I would have fallen over laughing or shivered in terror.
While some may think that I’m an outgoing person, in reality, I’m intensely private. I value my alone time (or at least my alone time with my dogs) and all the things that come from going through life fairly anonymous – at least as much as one can be now.
As a private person, you can imagine my surprise when I discovered that I have something to say – about an entire topic even. This voice snuck up on me. I began volunteering for dog rescues after the death of my beloved dog Siska. She had a stroke one day and died. I couldn’t breathe. But worse than my own personal pain was watching my other dog, Sianne, search the house for her friend who was no longer with us. I resolved to foster and reached out to a dog rescue. I promptly “failed” as a foster and adopted my foster dog. This failure began my 7 + year love affair with rescue. The mission can be so magnetic I sometimes feel a physical pull drawing me in. It can become all consuming.
Despite our good work and intentions, never have I seen an institution so loved and hated at the same time. Rescue is criticized from the outside and from within. Rescue and rescue organizations are admitedly not perfect. There is always room for improvement. Unlike our charges, we are only human.
And this is where I surprisingly find my voice. I discovered that over the time I have volunteered and gone from a supporting to a more managerial role, I have considered our strengths and weaknesses as entities and as a community. Even more surpisingly it’s something I’d like to discuss – even if no one is listening or reading.