Doing What We Can

Since childhood I have been raised to advocate for what I believe in. My mother's idea of rebelling against her parents was to wear a seatbelt and be a non-smoker, and she let everyone know it. She stood up for what she believed in, and the world followed. I hope to do the same with my passion for animals.

My awareness for animal welfare was instilled at an early age, as my mother also made a point to adopt our family dogs from the local humane society. I think I was the only kid in town who refused to go into the pet store, because it made me sad. And I was sad for more than one reason. I could already comprehend at a young age on my own that the living conditions were awful in the pet store. I could also see that so many of those puppies and kittens would end up at a shelter later on. So giggling about how cute the little furballs were didn't come naturally to me.

Then I grew up. My mother was going to let me take home a pug as a high school graduation present, and even though I wanted the dog, I knew I wasn't ready to take care of it, so I declined. If only I could have been as responsible and wise with so many other decisions in my life!

After several years on my own as an adult, I was finally ready for a dog of my own. I bought dog books and researched the breeds that would best suit my lifestyle. I fell in love with the papillon. I was referred to Petfinder.com by friends to find my new family member, but was having trouble finding a papillon puppy nearby. Finally another friend found a breeder, Bell Kennels in Northfield, MN with a litter of papillon puppies, so I hopped in the car with my dog savvy friend, Tracy, and picked up my new dog, Olivia. I got so caught up in finding the perfect dog that I actually lost sight of the fact that there were so many more dogs out there that needed a home. It is hard for me to admit that, but it is the truth.

I wasn't able to deny what I had done for long at all. The experience at the "breeder" was horrible. Tracy had brought her first dog home from a breeder and the circumstances were nowhere near the same. Her perspective on the different establishments helped to identify what kind of a facility we were in. Tracy's dog Frankie, a boxer from Brewster Boxers in Brewster, MN, was romping happily on the property with his litter mates and parents. Mine was swapped out of the viewing kennel in a dirty concrete building by an unorganized woman smoking cheap cigarettes who had a litter of bichon frise puppies waiting for me instead of the papillons I had asked about. Both litters of puppies were standing in their own waste and in a cramped kennel. There was a heavy metal door with a "Staff Only" sign on it that was opened when the woman switched out the litters, and we caught a glimpse of the rows of kennels with so many more dogs and puppies in the same disgusting conditions.

I bought my dog from a puppy mill. Me, the girl who wouldn't go into a pet store as a child. I bypassed the middle man and went straight to the source. It was a wake-up call that I have refused to ignore since I brought Olivia home.

(http://m.startribune.com/local/?id=131830988)

To counteract what I had done by giving money to that puppy mill operation 3 years ago, I have thrown myself into animal advocacy, as loudly and proudly as I possibly can. I first began by volunteering with the Small Dog Rescue of MN on behalf of my little girl Olivia. We started by bringing rescued dogs to adoption events and volunteering for other miscellaneous tasks. We soon began fostering dogs for the rescue and even adopted our first foster, Boy. He came from a barn in Tennessee that had over a hundred other dogs living in it.

I was also asked by SDR's president at the time, Dallas Rising, to be her administrative assistant. Being involved with the Small Dog Rescue of MN and Dallas Rising opened up a huge network of animal rescue opportunities to me. I said yes to everything I could possibly do. Before I knew it, Tracy and I were taking weekly road trips for Mobile Mutts Rescue Transports hundreds of miles throughout the Midwest to pick up all types of dogs being saved from certain death from all over the country to bring back to Minnesota to different rescues that were ready and willing to do whatever they could to find a forever home for these helpless dogs.

I am proud to live in a state that has so many rescue organizations and so many citizens willing to help. Small Dog Rescue of MN, MN Boxer Rescue, and Secondhand Hounds are just a few of the rescue organizations that Tracy and I have been able to help by transporting their dogs to them. Our experiences with these dogs is all the motivation either of us need to keep getting back on the road to transport, open our homes to fosters, and raise awareness and funding for animals in need.

Every day I ask myself what else I can do for these animals. One answer to that question has led me to my career. I want to be able to help these dogs in any way I possibly can, and therefore I am in school to be a veterinary technician. Another way I help is through community activism. On one of my mother's visits, she and my sister joined me with the Minnesotans Exposing Petland group to hold a peaceful demonstration outside the Petland store in St. Paul. I am also a card carrying member of the ASPCA.

Unlike the dogs that I help rescue, I have a voice that can be heard by other people. I keep doing what I do in the hopes that one day I won't have to anymore. The human race can get ugly, everyone knows this. And in this case, without rules and regulations, the animals suffer because of it. From the community of animal rescue I have found in Minnesota, I know I am not alone in how I feel. The No-Kill rescue movement is sweeping the nation and making major strides for animal welfare. Please help keep the momentum going by educating others on puppy mill practices, and by volunteering, donating, fostering or adopting a homeless dog from a local rescue group.

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