Working with these dogs changes you

Working with these dogs changes you. We repeat that mantra often here at Kindness Ranch because it’s the truth.

I think I was asked to author this blog partly because I represent the layperson at Kindness Ranch whose entrée into the world of rescue was sudden and not through career aspirations or a history of experience, but rather through a relationship with a rescued pet.   (https://kindnessranch.org/blogs/news/the-henry-in-henry-s-landing).

Suddenly, dogs, cats, pigs, goats and every other animal become so much more than objects placed here for our enjoyment. They become unique, individual, sentient beings with their own personalities, their own emotions and their own developmental “nurture vs. nature” issues. We become their coaches, caretakers and biggest cheerleaders facilitating them into an independent and confident life. As rewarding as this work is, it is also an eye-opener to the way animals are viewed and treated by society.

That is why sometimes, when I’m surrounded by furry friends at the ranch, I get sad. I walk into a yurt and am greeted by overly excited, sometimes barking beagles who just must climb all over me and be seen, and I smile and laugh from a place of deep joy at being in their company. 

Then, sometimes, I feel a deep, profound sadness for what they have lived through. This past week, in sub-zero temps and just days after many of them had been spayed and treated for other ailments resulting from being kept in a holding facility until they were transported to Wyoming, I was surrounded by some exhausted pups. There was no problem keeping them indoors in the cold because, it seemed, all they wanted to do was rest. And rest they did. Snuggled together, they caught up on their much-needed tranquility in a safe place.

Then I came home to my sad, empty house after the loss a month ago of my own dog, Butters, and I frantically, impulsively and emotionally started scrolling social media for opportunities to foster, simultaneously completing applications for all the rescues in Colorado so that I could jump in and answer the multitude of urgent pleas that fill my feed. I drove to my local shelter where I found an elderly dog and put in my name to foster him. I reached out to a local rescue that I volunteer for and was presented with a dog that will need a home at the end of the week. All this while still expecting to bring home a beagle from Kindness Ranch at some point.

Today, I am taking a step back from the frenzy because the truth is, there are too many dogs out there who need saving, and one person can only do so much. There are reputable and non-reputable shelters and rescues and the work that one person would need to do in order to make the best, most informed choice for the dog is overwhelming.

Which brings me back to the entire point of this blog entry which is to sing the praises of Kindness Ranch. I have hitched my wagon to one of the most incredibly ethical, well-managed and KIND organizations on the planet, and I am grateful for them and for all the time that I am a guest at their sanctuary. The behind-the-scenes work that goes into meeting the highest of standards to ensure each and every animal is cared for cannot be fully appreciated without spending time there and bearing witness to the place.

I have a new task which I will add onto my unofficial job responsibility of spreading the word about Kindness Ranch and recruiting people into the community, and that is to get every person who runs a shelter or a rescue to spend time there. In the meantime, I am taking the proverbial "chill pill" and keeping my home sadly empty of dogs until the right situation is created. I am available to dog sit and when the time comes, it will come, and I will open my home to as many dogs in need as I possibly can. 

- Jean Unger