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After a visit to Seagoville, Texas......

1/4/2012

2 Comments

 
I found myself planning a visit to Dallas last September, to attend a LegalShield  convention. I am a long-time animal rescue volunteer, and my wish to connect with local rescue groups was an attraction of the convention trip for me!  I'd read a story about Seagoville, Texas and the attempt of a small group of people there to change the local animal control shelter to no kill status.  The town was only 22 miles from my hotel in Dallas,  and as luck would have it they were going to have an adoption event at the local Walgreens  on the one evening I would be free during my trip. 

Using Facebook, I 'friended' the Seagoville Animal Shelter and received a welcoming message from one of the group's members.  She shared statistics about the shelter,  ' Right now we have 9 kennels, 2 quarantine kennels and 40 dogs. Needless, to say we have problems but we are still managing to keep them all alive.'  

I got more and more excited as I prepared for my visit with the Seagoville shelter folks until I was at last driving into the town itself.  I stopped to ask directions and check out the local 'buzz' on the shelter.  A man and his two daughters pointed me in the right direction, and told me they were friends of the shelter.  They had heard about the recent improvements, but did not know the 'no-kill' description, which I shared.     

Arriving at  Walgreens, I saw a tent, table & chairs were being set up, with a banner to attract attention to the animals.  An Australian flag flew in honor of a visitor from that country.  She traveled much farther than I had!  A handful of volunteers were hustling across the parking lot to carry armloads of pet supplies where they were needed.  Kennels with several adult dogs and active older puppies, an exercise pen with three young pups and a small kennel with three kittens were all set up on the sidewalk along the wall of the store.  Volunteers arranged adoption information on the tables and settled the dogs in their kennels.....the adoption evening was starting! 

Visitors to the adoption event walked along the kennels, saying 'Hi' to the animals, while volunteers shared facts about each one. 'Business' was slow but steady, since a local football game was going on that evening.  Still, the group was hopeful that adoptions would take place.  The adoption event took on the flavor of a campground as we sat with our canvas chairs arranged in a circle and dogs joining the group of people sitting and talking together.  We talked about shelter activities, marketing ideas, and 'hometown news.'  Teambuilding, for sure!  All we needed was a campfire.   

As darkness fell, a mother and her daughters stopped by to visit with the puppies, and they fell immediately in love with a yellow lab mix pup.  With the paperwork filled in, the interview completed and puppy care tips given, the new family member posed for a photo with 'his girls.'  And then it was time to 'break camp.'  As quickly as our little encampment had gone up, it was disassembled and packed into the volunteers' trucks and vans.  After goodbye hugs for people and pets, dogs rode 'shotgun' on their way back to the shelter.   

For volunteers, this is the life we choose....some at the event had worked all day to get dogs bathed and combed, and had driven to vet visits and on other errands.  This was in addition to the everyday shelter activities of cleaning kennels, scooping poop and feeding and watering the animals.  Then they spent the evening with the dogs, kittens and puppies.  What keeps them going?  That Friday night it was the smiles of two little girls holding their new puppy under the big Texas sky.   

If you would like to help the Seagoville Animal Shelter continue to be No Kill, 'friend' them on Facebook.  They recently requested wire kennels, to use at the shelter and adoption events like this one.  Their wish list also includes small stainless steel water buckets for the dogs at the shelter.  They can always use donations of time as well as money. 
Picture
Photo courtesy of Janet Hunter......thanks, Janet!
2 Comments
Teresa Alvarez link
1/4/2012 12:58:02 am

Thank you so much for the kind words Donna! We loved meeting you and had such a nice visit. We are about to pass our 1 year anniversary of being NO KILL. We continue the battle to save animals of any species. Our success depends on Fosters, Sponsors, Donations, News Media, word of mouth, internet, and the hard work of all our Volunteers. Countless hours of hard work, sweat and tears make our work successful along with the public's growing knowledge of the plight of shelter animals.

Reply
Janet Hunter
1/4/2012 02:03:01 pm

Hi Donna, The adoption event was a great night for the volunteers and the dogs and cats. You are correct when saying it is a way of life which most of us would never swap. It is very rewarding to see the happy faces of the forever families and also the volunteers. I will be back later this year to contribute to "The Little Shelter That Could" and let me tell you I can't wait to get back there. It is so pleasing to see the response from the public when the Shelter gets some publicity because they truly deserve to be recognised for all their hard work. May see you in Sept/Oct if there is another conference around those dates. Take care my friend.

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    Donna Bloomer

    An animal rescuer for ten years, now a petsitter also... taking time  to share ways I keep sane and slightly solvent.

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