Displaced Beachbums

It’s been a wacky week, with a lot going on but nothing specific. That’s my only excuse for not blogging.  FG and I have settled into a nice routine.  She’s enjoying school and I’ve been doing a lot of volunteering.  

Several times this week, I went to GAIN (the local animal shelter) to help out with the dogs.  On Sunday, FG played with the puppies and FM got a tour of the place.  FM was impressed with the cleanliness and professionalism of the employees ~ volunteering at the shelter is my passion not his but he did say he would be willing to help with repairing fencing, etc.  Every little bit helps!

It’s a difficult place to volunteer because you never know when and which dogs will be euthanized due to space limitations.  The reason people abandon their pets is heartbreaking.  One family brought in a beautiful, pure-bred, 10 year old dalmatian who they said “Isn’t able to breed anymore so we’re bringing her here.” Agghh.  I walked and groomed this sweet dalmatian and she was SO good! How can someone be so heartless? There are issues with stray dog elsewhere but the problem seems so much bigger here.  I got spoiled living in Germany where I never saw one stray dog the entire time I lived there. I “forgot” what goes on in some parts of the world. My goal while I’m here is to educate as many people as I can about the need to spay and neuter their pets. Thankfully, the shelter also has a low cost spay/neuter clinic available to everyone. The shelter REQUIRES that all dogs and cats are fixed before being adopted. 

On to happier thoughts at another volunteer experience:  at my religious education class, we were discussing “tears of joy” and I asked if anyone ever cried tears of joy.  One little boy said “I cried tears of joy when my Daddy came back from the desert” and, then another little girl said “My Daddy is coming home soon.”  The little boy then said “Ah, then you’ll really know tears of joy.”  How sweet is that?