Why I do rescue
Everything I know I
didn't learn in Kindergarten, a lot of what I know, especially about the love of
God, I learned from the Aussies and Border Collies who’ve been such a large
part of my life from the beginning. I thought I did rescue to give back to these
breeds just a little of what they have given to me. But then…..
Friend and fellow rescuer
Corinne said "I'm driven", and she is right: I am driven by their
love, devotion, faithfulness & kindness; by the pain I feel when one is
discarded; by the anger when I see the unjust treatment some receive by their
intended caretaker; by the fear and sadness I see in their eyes while looking at
me through the mesh door of a Shelter; by the disgust I feel when I see
irresponsible breeding; by the sadness that overwhelms me when I see them being
treated as livestock or objects used to stroke someone’s ego instead of being
the treasured companions and helpmates they deserve to be; by the rage I feel
when the welfare of the dogs is secondary to the making of money off of them;
the heartache that causes me to cry for miles, and even now,
because I gave up a Skippy that I so desperately wanted so he could have
the child he needed; the sheer pain that grips my heart when I have to say no to
one, or put to rest one I couldn't fix; the elation I feel when a dog like
Eeoorree, who was yellow with urine from the shelter urine trough and took over
3 months to relax enough around us to even allow a leash to be put to his
collar, walks into a Parade of Rescue and receives his ribbon and awards for his
agility and obedience titles; the awe I feel when a dog like Tess, so terrified
of people and a leash that she would fall to the ground and go catatonic, makes
people go quiet and watch as she gives her all to her Mom working sheep, and
win’s the coveted Working Trial Championship; the pleasure of seeing a young
disabled child find meaning and confidence from Kibo, her new dog; the gratitude
I feel when I see a dog called Fred, destined to die, become a cherished partner
out busting the drug dealers; the joy in seeing Bridger, a stray, in a service
harness helping give her owner more independence and security; the thrill from
reports of dreams being met, lives being enriched and changed, loneliness
vanishing, old loves being rediscovered; by the comfort in knowing Patches was
next to Don on his bed as he had requested, when he went home to meet his maker;
and by the gladness in my heart when I see others take up the dream and start
helping save them one by one.
I don't know how much longer I can do this, life has a way of trying to stop me, and when that time comes it will only be because I have no choice and I will mourn the loss of what more I could have done.
Mary Ann Lindsay