FYI - Answering Questions

Since we moved, I have been asked by many people what my status is with PAWS Hancock, so here's the skinny.

The private rescue that my husband and I cared for could no longer afford to pay us. This had nothing to do with PAWS Hancock, as the work that I did for them was all volunteer. We were asked by a veterinarian to come back to Iowa and take care of his alpaca farm, so we accepted.

Am I doing rescue and rehab? Because we live on the farm in the home provided, we were allowed to bring the animals that we currently owned - horses, dogs, and cats. However, it is still not our home or our farm, and we are at the limit. Consequently, I am unable to foster any other animals at this time.

However, I am able to help out the local veterinary clinic which serves as an unofficial pound for the area by contacting rescue groups when their kennels are overflowing and adoptable dogs will have to be euthanized for space. I am able to post and crosspost for the shelters and rescues that I am acquainted with in an effort to draw attention and possible adopters to their animals whether it be canine, feline, or equine.

I still write the blog for PAWS Hancock and keep in touch with the staff there. We talk often about behavior problems, health problems, and anything else rescue related just as we did for five years prior.

Will I do rescue again? If possible, yes, definitely. We don't have a lot of income and I refuse to be someone who takes a lot of animals in and then can't take care of them properly. I'm picky. I want them to have clean, spacious surroundings, plenty of room to play and time to enjoy the outdoors and be dogs, good food, comfortable beds and time to spend with each and every one of them. I do not want to become someone who collects dogs and cats and takes in so many that there is no time to spend enjoying life. I certainly don't want to become someone who hoards animals - who takes them in and then convinces themselves that no one can care for them as well and won't let them go on to a new home, meanwhile collecting so many that often the quality of care seriously suffers. As a rescuer, I have seen this happen first hand, and it's not pretty.

I miss my work as a rescuer. I miss the rehab of the dogs. I miss going to the kill shelters and picking out as many of the adoptable as possible. I miss stopping at Taco Bell for lunch on those days. I miss the people at the kill shelters who called us and begged us to come save some of the dogs - as many as we could - because those folks really tried hard to find homes or rescues for the animals they took in. I miss the veterinarian and his staff that we worked with. They were always there for us. They taught me a lot, and they were good about giving straight answers when it was down to the hard decisions.

Would I do it again? You betcha! Of all the jobs I have had, and there have been quite a few, this has been by far the most rewarding - not the best paying job monetarily speaking - but the most rewarding in so many other ways.

Don't shop --- ADOPT!