I moved to Ocean City 4 years ago and as a college graduate with a degree in Sociology, living in a resort town, I assumed that I was doomed to a career as a bartender. Don't get me wrong, the money was good but, the people typically were not. After studying "people" in college for 4 years then serving them for more years then I care to count in the food and beverage industry, it dawned on me: I don't like folks much.
So one rainy night, after a particularly obnoxious group of golfers finally left me in peace, just as I was about to close up (which is usually the case) a man shuffles in. He promised not to keep me long as he was just having a night cap before turning in. He let me clean around him, didn't even mind that I put the stools up. He'd make a comment every once in a while about the game on t.v. and I'd mumble a response. When it came time to pay his tab (I kid you not, it was just like a scene in a movie) he touched my hand and commented that I had the saddest eyes that he had seen in a long time. I was already feeling so haggard from being put through the ringer by the previous gaggle of men that his simple, quiet notation almost put me in tears. Then he asked me what it was that I loved. The answer was simple: My dogs. I LOVE hanging out watching movies with them, going for walks, dancing in the kitchen while singing terribly off key (which I'm pretty sure they enjoy) while I wash the dishes...Every time I tried to think of something I love, they were there beside me egging me on licking my face and vying for my attention. "There's your answer, sad eyes" the man said with a wink as he strode away.
There's my answer?!?! I thought to myself. This plagued me for quite some time. Certainly, try as I might, I couldn't make a living hanging out with my dogs. So I did the next best thing. After enrolling in school once again - this time to study animal behavior and training -I did some research and came across our local humane society (Worcester County Humane Society - thankfully they're No Kill). I immediately decided to volunteer. The first few visits were rocky and overwhelming but, I continued to go. I made a point to spend more quality one on one time with each dog - learning about them and their personalities. Our bonds grew with leaps and bounds. I felt even more motivated to educate myself (Iused my library card more than most people use their credit cards) on what makes these guys tick so that I could help them, encourage them and improve their lives until they found their "forever homes."
However, as any dog owner knows, now I have stories (so, so, so many -how they make me laugh from my very depths to how I get so frustrated that I want to cry) about not only my dogs at home but now, 40 or so additional dogs at the shelter. I started to notice that when I talked to my family and friends their eyes would glaze over and I would realize that I had been going on and on and on for (what seemed to me like minutes) an hour about "the dogs."
So I thought to myself, how can this be avoided? I could write in a journal - boring and besides what am I a Preteen little girl? No thank you. How about bloggin? Hmmm...this way I would be able to purge myself of all these great happenings to the delight of someone else with out having them stare off into space. Hopefully, I'll be able to reach out to other dog owners who truly understand how the world can be so different with a four legged buddy by your side.
Fear Not My Friends!!! This is not woebegone tales of the "poor shelter dogs." Rather, it will be highlights of how well they are doing with training, or how they delight me with a new trick or better yet, when I'm elated at an adoption. It's my hope that I can stay in contact with new owners so that I can pass that information along. Under my profile the website that I listed links you to the Worcester County Humane Society, this way you can look up and see some photos of the characters (with their sweet silly faces) that I'm writing about. At the top of the page are photos of my 2 loony tunes (P.J. and Braun), my inspiration.
Copyright 2009 Do not Duplicate without consent of proprietor
