To think that all these years we’ve just had regular old dumb homes. Now, with the advent of “smart” devices and their integration into our daily lives, we have “smart” homes: digital hubs that access and play music, thermostats that you can program from your phone, and doorbells with cameras you can watch while you’re at work. This is a...Read More
“People should know that this organization is full of people who truly care.” – Bre Wasinger, volunteer services manager … A couple of weeks ago we were short staffed so I jumped in to give a hand and found myself treading water in the controlled chaos that is morning check in. Normally admin staff like me don’t help in that...Read More
Moving is stressful. Packing everything up isn’t fun at all, and for people whose home is their refuge, it can be anxiety-inducing to have your living space in disarray. Plus you have to ask yourself the hard questions, like “Why was I saving all these soy sauce packets?” and “Was there another person living here that I didn’t know about?”...Read More
Marie was trying to give her dog, Precious, away. “I need someone to take her,” she said without looking up. Surrenders – that’s what people in our business call it – happen for a lot of reasons and, typically, none of them are good. An owner has passed on and family can’t take care of the pet, a high energy...Read More
I learned to be terrified of tornadoes in the spring of 1977. As I lay hidden underneath a wrestling mat with hundreds of my fellow students in a large gymnasium, a twister was leveling the other two schools in my hometown along with what seemed like most of the neighborhoods. There was no terror for us; we couldn’t see or...Read More
Love Your Pet Day is one of those days that pops up, and sometimes it seems like, “Didn’t we just do one of these?” There’s no shortage of days celebrating pets, but what’s different about Love Your Pet Day is right there in the name: show your pets some love. It’s a directive. We’re all busy people with lives and...Read More
Two hours. That’s all I spent outside and a good deal of the time I was in and out of the van, heater blasting full volume against the rush of cold. When we finished – not sure of the time – it was murky and dark. The wind was pushing down on us from the north with teeth made of...Read More
Imagine a world without shelters. We do. We imagine them out of business, closed tight, the grounds and buildings put to an entirely different use that has nothing to do with animals being housed until they find homes. And it’s not because we don’t like and partner with shelters or want the staff who dedicate their lives to animals to...Read More
I love me a pug. Round and squishy, little tongue sticking out of his mouth. You know the drill. One of them comes into the clinic and I lose my mind. But everytime I see one (after I squee with delight, of course), I remember the difficulties they live with because their genetics give them a stubby nose and a...Read More
Jennifer admits that trying to do good in the world isn’t always easy. “It’s hard to care, it’s sad, it’s stressful, it’s disheartening.” Those of us in animal welfare – and those of you who support us – know this. It’s easier to look away, to go about your business, to let the problem be somebody else’s. That’s why burnout...Read More
