The good, the bad, and the incredibly frustrating parts of rescue are all often taking place behind the scenes. At SHUG we try very hard to share the first and to protect you from the other two. In our twelve years it has been our policy to never show the truly sad, painful, and horrifying images of dog rescue. We show the recovery, but hide the wounds. And that is true not just for the pain of our dogs, but for our volunteers, too.
Anyone who has volunteered with an animal rescue for any length of time has horror stories to tell. We don't share stories of our dogs' pain for two reasons. Firstly, we want SHUG's public presence (on the website, facebook, and instagram) to be a safe place for our supporters emotionally. Social media is full of painful images, day in and day out, and it takes a toll on our mental health. You won't find that here. The second reason is that it is part of SHUG's mission to help potential adopters understand that these dogs are not victims, they are survivors. We want you to accept a dog into your life as a member of your family. They are not a charity case and we do not want you to adopt out of pity. We want you to adopt one of our dogs because they will make your life better, and you can't imagine living without them.
But while we do not share the extent of our dogs' pain publicly, we're totally willing to expose our volunteers' angst! This has been a week of wild ups and downs behind the scenes at SHUG and I just wanted to take a moment to give thanks for the work of our volunteers--especially when a lot of that work is thankless and frustrating. But make no mistake, there was joy, too!
The good news is that we've had four (yes FOUR!) pups reserved to go to their forever homes this week. We are especially happy that our little IG couple Mark and Pandora have found a home. Their new family is traveling to get them in a few days and we are all so excited that they get to stay together.
We had several adopters apply for Mark or Pandora separately but as we got to know these two little dogs, we began to understand how important it was for them to stay together. We received a handful of applications from potential adopters interested in both pups. Some of those applications were "dead on arrival" and never made it past the first stage. Another was lovely--but not a good fit for these particular pups. There was one app that looked perfect and passed all of our checks...and then ghosted us. Then, finally, we found their family! After about 100 man hours of labor, but like childbirth, it's easy to forget about all of the work when you've got a happy baby in front of you.
Sometimes, though, all of that work results in empty arms.
SHUG receives calls and emails on a regular basis from dog owners who need to surrender their pets. One of the worst feelings is when we have to say no for whatever reason. Sometimes it's because we don't have a foster home available or sometimes it's a dog that we just aren't equipped to take. (So many beagles! Why??) But sometimes we move heaven and earth to be able to take a dog...and the owner has a change of heart at the 11th hour.
One of the most dangerous situations for any volunteer organization is when people try their hardest and still can't help a dog in need. When volunteers have changed their plans, cleared their schedule, and rearranged their lives to help a dog...and it all ends up being for nothing. It's a dangerous situation because that frustration poisons the fragile hope that every dog rescuer holds in their heart.
Next time, will they put in that much effort?
Hope is a fragile thing. Volunteers put literal blood, sweat, and tears into their work. They are the backbone of any rescue organization and I am constantly amazed at what they can accomplish. But when their hard work comes to nothing, it is hard.
So, to end this rambling post, let me just say that I see you. I see the work you put in for the dogs--even the dogs you may never get to meet in person. And I am so grateful.
