It's been so wonderful spending my time at the Good Newz Rehab this summer. I thought I knew everything I could about animal rescue, but I have learned soooo many new things in a very short time. I wanted to do something this summer where I didn't get anything back. I wanted to simply give of myself in a way that I knew would help me just grow as a person. The odd thing is I have gotten so many rewards already. I have met some wonderful people, met some wonderful dogs, and I have learned alot about the business of animal rescue. Now I get to write about the experience and share what I see there, so it is a wonderful thing. My favorite part every day when I visit is that I feel I may have helped make the center run a little smoother that day. I hope to stay involved as long as my health keeps up and I have the time.
Bath time with the dogs is always fun. Dragging a huge Mastiff who can be moody, into a shower stall, is challenging to say the least. The unusual part is that he (Hunter) and all of the other dogs are sooo cooperative. I mean when I go to bath my dogs at home, I can hear a little grumble and growl but at the center even after 6-7 dogs, I never got one growl. Funny part is when I finished with Hunter and he shook off the excess water, he headed directly toward the door and low and behold, his best friend was waiting outside to go next.
Hunter's best friend is Clicky, who is a tiny lab mix. She tends to whine when Hunter or another human isn't around her. Wherever Hunter is, you can see Clicky, not 5 feet away, if not closer. Hunter doesn't like many other dogs in the house, but he never bothers Clicky. He doesn't necessarily love her the way she loves him, however, he would never harm her and it's cute to see as she seemingly looks to him for comfort and protection. When they take their 2pm naps, Clicky's crate is right next to Hunter's and sometimes I cheat just a little and raise their protective sheets just a little so that Clicky can see into Hunter's crate so she won't feel so alone. I guess this isn't the best idea since she needs to learn how to be independent, but I'm a sucker for a whine sometimes.
Who says that dogs don't have personalities? I see it in my own house with my 3 dog friends and I see it every time I visit Good Newz. They are each unique and have little behavior patterns that follow unique likes, dislikes, and emotion like stances. I often wonder how much dogs feel and understand us. I particularly wonder about this when Ebby keeps staring me directly in the face for sometimes 10 minutes at a time. Ebby was a penned dog who has difficulty playing or doing anything outside her routine. Meaning....she loves to go from outside to her crate, crate to outside and nothing in between. Trying to get her to roam around a room after me is very difficult. One thing I have noticed is that she is becoming more social and when I visit with her she now will come to her name from out of her crate and with me on the floor at her level, she will stand in my face and stare. I pet her and talk to her during these times, but I often wonder what is happening. Since she won't follow a ball or follow me around the room much in any other way, I let her do this. I assume it's an exercise of trust or getting to know the human, so I'm not going to mess with it.
I am going to hate to get back to work and miss seeing these nuggets on a regular basis. In the meantime, I better get some zzzzz's so I can head out on the open country road in the morning to see my new friends.
The drive to Surrey, VA is full of tranquility and serenity. A contrast to what the dogs that went before Good Newz Rehab, lived.
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