It’s been a hot minute since I’ve written on this blog. Life has been moving at high speed and I cannot believe that it’s almost the end of 2019. People always used to tell me that as you get older, time goes by much quicker. I can definitely agree with that.
It’s been just under two months now of having Spirit, and he’s still been the most amazing dog. People always say that there’s one dog in your life who is a “once in a lifetime dog” and I think that may be Spirit. He’s the perfect mix of adventure, cuddles and comedy. He sleeps curled up right beside me and around 3am will often inch closer and put his head on my chest and continue to sleep. He loves the snow more than any dog I’ve ever met, I wish I could say I shared that enthusiasm for the snow and cold. Spirit is also half way done his basic obedience class and is a rockstar at everything we’ve learned so far. Treats and positive praise are his two favourite things so he learns pretty darn quick.
Since getting Spirit I’ve slowed down a bit at the shelter mainly due to having a never ending flu, and to make sure I’m not leaving Spir alone too much but I’ve been back in the routine of my weekly sessions. There’s so many amazing dogs that come through those doors and not a shift goes by where I don’t fall in love with at least ten of them. Unfortunately volunteering isn’t always a walk in the park, sometimes it’s emotionally draining, challenging and heartbreaking. This last year has been the first full year of me being involved with AARCS and there has been numerous animals that have touched my heart, and unfortunately some of them have passed away due to illnesses.
When we lose an animal, it touches every single person within the rescue community. The vets and staff who spend long nights and days working hard to keep these animals happy and healthy, to find them the right home so they’ll never be back on the streets. The team who goes out to rescue these animals and bring them back to Safe Haven, and of course the volunteer caregivers who work to make sure the animals are fed, medicated, walked and taken care of.
It’s challenging when so many animals seem to pass away. It’s sometimes hard to find the motivation to go in and help out because it seems like every week there’s bad news coming in, but with all the bad comes so many amazing things. Eli from a few of my earlier blog posts has spent his life in AARCS care, he was adopted for a brief time and then returned where he spent more time at the shelter and being shifted from foster to foster. Well Mr. Eli found himself a forever home and seems to be doing amazing. There’s so many animals that have been brought in that had an incredibly rough start to life but because of the care and love from AARCS they will have a brand new life.
So as we wrap up 2019 it’s important to not dwell on the negatives or the challenges that we have faced. There are weeks when it feels like there’s more bad news than good, but there will always be weeks that follow filled with positive and uplifting news. So in honour of 2019 being a year filled with amazing people, dogs, and adventures, here are some pictures of a few who have touched my heart.
Lessons From the Shelter 