A Saturday Gone to the Dogs…

October 12, 2008 at 12:16 am (Story of My Life...)
Tags: adoption, charity, community, dogs, puppy mill

My very first blog entry, how exciting! There is no better way to start a blog than by adorable animals, used knick-knacks, community bonding, and a worthy cause. Today, I spent the entire day volunteering for the TLC Dog Shelter. The community held a rummage sale at a local veterinary clinic, complete with lunch, and the opportunity to pamper the pooches with some beauty care. All the proceeds went to the shelter. People and dogs came from all over the area in support of this great cause. As a volunteer for the shelter, I and the rest of the team brought along some of the shelter dogs who thrived under all the attention. It was a great success!

I am continuously surprised at the extreme binary of power within the human spirit. The dogs at this particular shelter have had horrible pasts, pasts that would have anybody bawling. Many of them had been victims of puppy mills, either as a sort of prime DNA harvesting (forcing a dog to have litter after litter after litter due to a dog’s “good genes”), or as those innocent young puppies crammed into a small kennel with twenty-five others. I will not delve into the evils of puppy mills. The reality comes as the results show up at the shelter. Not all the dogs at the shelter are from puppy mills though. Some were found abandoned. Some were surrendered by abusive owners. Some owners just didn’t have space, or time, or even love for their pet anymore. These are the canines that find their way to the TLC shelter. The TLC Dog Shelter is a no-kill shelter, so for many of these animals, it is their new permanent home.

While the human spirit has the power to ruin these innocent animals, the human spirit also has the great power of charity. Just think what it took for this event alone. Generous people gave up their gently-used items (clothes, shoes, toys, decor, pet supplies, crafts, etc. etc.) to be sold to benefit these animals. Several people were generous enough to help sponsor the event. The veterinary clinic, the canine beauty care company, and the food all donated their time and money for the cause. People gave up their Saturday, brought the family (including dear Fido), and hung out together. By halfway through the sale, the tables were beginning to look patchy. I, myself, came away with a small lamp, a new purse, a pair of black shoes, charms, two vases, and a unique contraption for my boyfriend. This is such a tremendous goodness, and these dogs know it. Tails that years before would have been broken and low, now wagged as a child fed bits of a hotdog. The power of the human spirit: to either destroy or rebuild. It is amazing.

Many people from all over the U.S. have come to this shelter to either adopt a dog, foster a dog, or financially assist in their well-being. If you are curious to see who I spent my day with today, see the dogs available at the TLC Dog Shelter!