Saturday, November 20, 2010

The Downside to Rescue

A good friend of mine and a fellow SIRTx rescuer wrote a guest blog about her experiences with three not so happy endings in our rescue (one of which y'all might recognize) and I highly encourage everyone to read. Sometimes rescue is more than happy stories and mild headaches with training and socializing new dogs. It really does take a certain type of person to deal with all of the ups and downs of rescue, but luckily we've experienced more ups than downs, and it's the ups that keep us going.

Inu Baka

Besides the obvious restrictions of our apartment complex, I feel the same way and confusion of why I haven't just been jumping in to volunteer more readily. My home is always open to those in need, people and animals alike, but I've felt off, and Sentaro wasn't ever my foster, though the poor guy did spend hours in my car. Perhaps whats getting to me is that I've never had to make the decision or be there to put down any of my own animals before, my mom taking our cat herself, my rat dying of natural (tumor) causes, and my husband's dog being taken care of by his parents. I still didn't have to make the decision, it was made for me, I just had to be there with him. Sentaro wasn't my dog, or as I mentioned even my foster, but I felt for him, I loved for him and I cried for him, even for the short time I knew him. I don't believe I'm burnt out from rescue, as I haven't done it for long enough, but I do know I will be aprehensive about the slightest signs of Parvo from now on.

3 comments:

Cassaendra said...

Hello,

I don't have much experience with rescues so it's easy for me to tell you to hang in there, you are desperately needed.

Zip and Zap appreciate you, and I am sure Sentaro felt your love and went in peace.

The day that the downs become easier is a big cue that you're burnt out.

Hang in there.

jen said...

Yeah, I guess when these things start becoming easier to deal with, I'd have to start questioning myself.

The instances Nicole shared on the blog were sad, but definitely lessons in rescue that could never be easy, regardless of circumstance.

You guys in Texas are doing AMAZING things for the Shibas in your radar. Bravo!!!

thepaisleyfox said...

Thanks. I know Nicole is probably mulling this over much more than I, but I feel guilty I'm unable to do more. I do know the little I can help with (transports, funds, temporary housing, vet trips...) is appreciated. I really can't wait for our house next year for various reasons, one of which being we'd be able to take in a few fosters for as long as they need, and that's really what our rescue desperately needs right now.