John sent me this, He did not write it but it expresses his feelings about animals. He has 9 right now. He has rescued Corgis and Great Pyrenees. He has driven thousands of miles to help people rescue animals and I will tell you this I do not know of a finer man or Mason in the world. Bar none. He is the Creme de la creme. John is the one who told me about Hearts United Animal Rescue Shelter where I hope to visit when I am ready for a new friend.
John does not know I am mentioning him in this blog but I wrote and asked him about his current clan. He wrote the following and I am sharing it without telling him because he is modest and would not brag on himself. But when you read it you see his beautiful soul shining through.
Well, I've been down to only nine for a couple of years. I had 11 for a good while.
The present nine, in approximate age order are:
A Pembroke Corgi with an excellent pedigree whom I purchased from his breeder, a lady who's forgotten more about dogs than I'll ever know.
His half-sister, who was sold to what appeared to be a good home, and turned out to be a disaster. I don't know what this little girl went through, but I have a suspicion that there was human-on-human abuse going on in that household. The breeder called me, and I got this precious creature the hell OUT of there!
A wonderful Keeshond whom I helped to rescue from a puppy mill in southwestern Iowa. This wonderful dog was feral when he came to live with me. You should see him now! He'll never be a normal Keesie, because he received absolutely no socialization as a pup, but nonetheless...
Two more Pembroke Corgis I suspect are half-brother and -sister. They were imprisoned in a puppy mill for all of their lives—6+ years—before HUA got them.
A glorious long-haired miniature Dachshund, a former prisoner of the same mill as the previous two Corgis.
A sainted Great Pyrenees who was acquired as a guardian for a herd of goats in northern Kentucky. When the farmer switched to cattle, the dog was chained in the barn for three years without, I suspect, ever being unchained. Sometimes he had food and water, sometimes not. He is now my shadow. He's curled up by my chair as I write.
A Great Pyrenees x ?? who was bought as a purebred, but clearly is not. When the buyers' two-year-child pulled the puppy's tail while the puppy was eating, the dog growled. I would have growled too. But that was a clear signal that the dog was vicious, and they called the humane society who, thankfully, called me. She's the farthest thing from vicious I can imagine—not terribly bright, but wonderfully sweet.
A Cardigan Corgi x ??? x ??? from Texas. There's some terrier in there, I think. A VERY sweet, energetic boy who'd do ANYTHING to please me. He was sprung from a "kill shelter" by a Keeshond friend of mine, and railroaded from southern Texas to Iowa.
Col
by and Stacy are also friends who rescue dogs - They talk about it on their blog.
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| Liza |
My sister has a rescue dog also. Her dog has been with her for a couple of years and is just now beginning to show some signs of becoming a normal dog. She was kept in a kennel and not played with. Essentially just a place to breed puppies and then when she barked they scraped her vocal cords so that she can not bark normally. There is a special place in Hell for people who do to animals what was done to Ginny's dog. Anyway I hope you take the time to read this and think about what you can do to help - even just giving a donation to a shelter would be a step in the right direction.
I Am an Animal Rescuer
My job is to assist God's creatures. I was born with the drive to fulfill their needs. I take in helpless, unwanted, homeless creatures without planning or selection.
I have bought dog food with my last dime. I have patted a mangy head with a bare hand. I have hugged someone vicious and afraid. I have fallen in love a thousand times. And I have cried into the fur of a lifeless body too many times to count.
I have animal friends and friends who have animal friends. I don't often use the word "pet". I notice those lost at the roadside and my heart aches. I will hand-raise a field mouse and make friends with a vulture.
I know of no creature unworthy of my time. I want to live forever if there aren't animals in Heaven, but I believe there are. Why would God make something so perfect and leave it behind? Some may think I am master of the animals, but the animals have mastered themselves... something people still haven't learned. War and abuse make me hurt for the world, but a rescue that makes the news gives me hope for mankind.
I am a member of a quiet but determined army, and we are making a difference every day. There is nothing more necessary than warming an orphan, nothing more rewarding than saving a life, no higher recognition than watching them thrive. There is no greater joy than seeing a baby play who, only days ago, was too weak to eat. By the love of those who we've been privileged to rescue, we have been rescued. We know what true unconditional love really is, for we've seen it shining in the eyes of so many, grateful for so little.
A Rescuer's Creed
by Susan M. Pearson
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· I shall plead for their lives, campaign for their safety, and uphold their right to a natural death.
· I shall seek out the injured and the maimed, the unloved, and the abandoned, and tend to them in their last days.
· I shall not forget their place in the hierarchy of life, nor that we walk in each other's paths.
· I shall bear witness to the wonder they bring into our lives, and to the beauty they bestow upon our souls.
· I shall renew their spirits when they are waning, bind their wounds when they bleed, cradle them when they whimper, and comfort them when they mourn.
· I shall be near them in their hour of greatest need— a companion and friend when the time has come.
· I shall watch over them and console them and ask that the angels gather them in their arms.
· From the creatures of the earth I shall learn the fruits of compassion and undying love, and I shall be called the beloved of God.
· In their company I shall indeed be blessed.
Prayer of a Stray
Author Unknown
Great Master, please send me somebody who'll care,
I'm tired of running, I'm sick with despair.
My body is aching, it's so racked with pain,
And Great Master I pray as I run in the rain,
That someone will love me and give me a home,
A warm cozy bed and a big juicy bone.
My last owner tied me all day in the yard,
Sometimes with no water and that was so hard!
So I chewed through my leash and I ran away,
To rummage in garbage; and live as a stray.
But now Great Master I'm tired, hungry and cold,
And I'm so afraid I'll never grow old.
They've chased me with sticks, hit me with stones,
While I run in the streets just looking for bones.
I'm not really bad; please help if you can
For I have become just another "victim of man"!
I'm wormy, Great master , and ridden with fleas,
All I ever wanted was a owner to please.
If you find one for me, I'll try to be good
I won't chew their shoes, and I'll do as I should.
I'll love them, protect them, and try to obey
When they tell me sit, to lie down or to stay!
I don't think I'll make it too long on my own,
’Cause I'm getting so weak; and I'm, oh so alone.
Each night as I sleep in the bushes I cry,
’Cause I'm so afraid that I'm gonna die.
I've got so much love and devotion to give,
That I should be given a new chance to live.
So Great Master please, answer my prayer
And send me to somebody who will really care...
