Reality post

Latte is recovering from her desexing surgery yesterday, and we hold her attention to prevent her from licking and scratching her wounds, because a collar won’t cut it. Puppy Jasper is teething, chewing everything he can find, especially things he shouldn’t. Ellie, our new rescue resident, is slowly adjusting to her new environment and the love we’re giving her (and the fried chicken treats, bonus). We also have two new non-residents who desperately need loving homes. Amidst all this, Enya decided to come into heat, and our entire boys inform us promptly about it. Mr. Vok is in need of his homeopathic medications, while Ruby is working hard to collect all the ticks in Whakatane, requiring prompt treatment. And Ringo needs long walks. They are all our dogs once they’re here: regardless the situation or duration of their time with us. It feels like a never-ending cycle: puppy food, biscuits, adult food, rolls, meat, bones, blankets, beds, laundry, and medications, crate, rotate, disinfect —sometimes I wonder what we might have forgotten in the midst of all this chaos.

We certainly didn’t forget to be happy for the latest residents leaving to their happy homes. We miss them, though. And we can’t forget to be heartbroken with every dog arriving here, just looking confused and wondering where their humans are. That never changes. It’s a crazy rollercoaster of scheduling, planning, organizing, ups and downs, low lows and happy highs and a kiss and a waggy tail in between laugh and tears. There is never any time to rest. No time to breathe. No social life. No “me” time. Shopping means desperately running to grab dog food in between 2 dog walks. Dancing on the edge of burnout is a very fine art. And is it worth it? Absolutely. Can we draw the line and enjoy an achievement? Yes, for like 5 minutes…. There is always another dog out there. There is always much more desperation than any relief you can bring. There is always an emergency that is even more urgent. There is always another one who needs someone to help, right now.