So fellow travelers, one small downside to the extended trips we take to the Left Coast each summer is I miss all the action for a couple of weeks at the local dog rescue where I volunteer. ‘Cuse me, are my people here yet? Going into my sixth year of volunteering (I started seven years …
Deborah H Rahalski
Sunday’s at the Rescue: Scarlet
So fellow travelers, I was at the rescue one afternoon a few weeks ago when it happened again. That magical experience of watching a “gotcha” moment unfold. With several new dogs transferred in from local shelters and the St Patrick’s Parade committee putting the final touches on the float for Saturday’s Parade, Friday afternoon was busy, …
Deborah H Rahalski
Sunday’s at the Rescue : Transport Day
So fellow travelers, the past two weekends have featured Transport Days at the local dog rescue where I volunteer. The calm before the (well-0rganized) chaos Whenever I write about transports I know there will be questions regarding this aspect of the operations at Helping Hounds and I always welcome the chance to help people understand …
Deborah H Rahalski
Sunday’s at the Rescue: the Kiss
So fellow travelers, I spent some quality time with my rescue friends, both the 2 and 4 legged variety, yesterday. Our volunteer photo ninja, Caroline Booth Murphy has an eye for capturing the heart and soul of the dogs, as well as the great team of humans who work with them. This haiku came from …
Deborah H Rahalski
Sunday’s at the Rescue: the revolving door
So fellow travelers, it has been an unusually long stretch for me to be away from my volunteer dog walking. Freckles asking me “Hey Crazy Dog Lady where have ya been?” Changes in schedules as well as being down to just one vehicle for the foreseeable future has been challenging. The round trip drive …
Deborah H Rahalski
Sunday’s at the Rescue: The Hometown Pack
So fellow travelers, time to pay a visit to the rescue. I am often asked why the dog rescue where I volunteer brings dogs in on transport when “so many local dogs” need homes. It took a few years for Helping Hounds to establish strong, working relationships with local shelters and other rescues. The …
Deborah H Rahalski
Sunday’s at the Rescue: Bama
So fellow travelers, Janet Rath, the amazing vet tech at the rescue where I volunteer posted this great shot of Bama, a stunning long legged beauty whom so many of us love to walk and play with. Bama is a wonderful dog with two strikes against her. She’s black and she’s big. Imagine the backlash …
Deborah H Rahalski
Sunday’s at the Rescue: an Angel gets her wings.
So fellow travelers, yesterday was one of those days when the stars aligned to make an impossible schedule suddenly possible. A slight change in the crew schedule for this week’s Drumline competition allowed me to head out to the rescue first thing in the morning to honor the memory of a rescue angel who gained …
Continue reading Sunday’s at the Rescue: an Angel gets her wings.
Deborah H Rahalski
Sunday’s at the Rescue : Making Friends
So fellow travelers, I came across this wonderful painting called Just The Two of Us by artist Joe Hawthorn. Dogs are frequent characters in his work and naturally, as a volunteer dog walker and rescue dog “mom” those always catch my eye. Here is what Joe had to say about Just The Two of Us: “JUST THE …
Deborah H Rahalski
What a Difference a Year Makes- conclusion
So blessed readers the story of my journey as a rescue volunteer continues. As previously noted, rescue work is a volatile and fractured topic to write about. Proceed with caution. No one looks back at the past with unclouded vision. While time often brings insight which helps us understand what has occurred, it also tempers …