Shoestrings and Rescues

A friend and I had searched for a dog rescue where we’d like to volunteer. Heaven knows, there’s plenty of them encircling just our area. Through a small community paper article, we discovered one that rescues mainly puppies and their mothers—strays, mostly emaciated, feeding five or six young puppies. The owners work with a woman on one of the New Mexico reservations to help rescue as many dogs as possible. The rescue also pairs up with the humane society to adopt them. The puppies are adopted quickly, the mothers not so much. It’s heartbreaking and one just hopes they also are taken into a loving, caring home. 

We currently volunteer one day a week and it’s such delight to socialize the little ones with cuddling and belly rubs. Today, two fuzzy polar bear-looking puppies played tug of war with my shoestrings. Their little growls are delightful. The others come over, scrambling over each other in their clumsiness to reach us. How can you not laugh?

Currently, there are two mothers and three sets of puppies (the youngest set are still bottle fed since their mother was never found). We walked the mothers down a country road where the rescue is located. At times, they were skittish and stopped to stare at the prairie fields beside us. We never figured out what they were looking at, but that doesn’t mean they didn’t see or smell something far off. One can almost intuit their former life and the vigilance necessary to survive. Once we turned around to head home, the two dogs nearly pulled us over, tugging at their leashes, in a rush to check on their babies. Animals are teachers. We just need to notice.

During this season of giving, please consider donating to any rescue of your choice—cats, dogs, mustangs, or anything else. It would be a wonderful Christmas gift. Maybe give some shoestrings?