It was a rainy, muddy and loud Sunday morning as I trekked from my car to the first building on the Hope Animal Rescues property. Outside, 109 dogs barked as I approached, eager to see a new human. Inside, I felt myself getting a little nervous. I am not a big dog person. What had I agreed to do?
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When I spoke to Jackie Spiker over the phone about Hope Animal Rescues and their upcoming fundraiser last week, I was struck by how great of an organization it was. This wasn’t my first conversation with Jackie, and I knew a lot about how Hope works. They rescue dogs from shelters before they’re euthanized, and the organization cares for them and gives them a home until they find their forever families. It’s a great mission! I was happy to write about their latest event.
And then Jackie, who is very kind, asked me if I’d like a tour. I jumped at the chance. Hang out with a bunch of puppies and do something to help out? Sign me up.
As I quickly learned on Sunday, caring for 109 dogs is not exactly glamorous, but it is a lot of fun. Unlike other shelters, where dogs are confined to kennels, the dogs at Hope have their own rooms. They’re able to go outside into individual enclosures while the volunteers are inside, spraying down their rooms. The dogs who greeted me with playful barking as I approached were in the process of having their rooms cleaned.
Two volunteers quickly took me under their wings. They shared that they had both started volunteering at Hope in 2012. They hadn’t known each other at all, but now they regularly took Jeep trips together and spent every Sunday morning at the shelter. A genuine friendship had formed between them over their love for the dogs they cared for.
“I know every dog’s name in this place, but what’s yours again?” someone asked.
I laughed, but it wasn’t a joke. These volunteers spoke about the dogs by name. Later, as Jackie took me around the campus, she called out a hello to every dog we passed, usually with their names and a quick anecdote about which shelter they had come from. I’m envious of her memory, but it goes to show how much these people care for the dogs they rescue.
I got to scrubbing. It wasn’t long before Jackie found me and gave me the promised tour. She walked me through the buildings and waved to the dogs.
“Hello, my little troublemakers,” she called, and the dogs barked back their greeting, excited to see new people and wagging their tails.
We passed by a wishing well under a tree, a ways away from the buildings where the dogs live. Jackie paused. It was quieter and peaceful as thunder rumbled in the distance.
“We use euthanasia for its intended purpose: mercy,” she explained. “If a dog has cancer or is too sick, we’ll euthanize, but we never euthanize for space. Just for mercy, like I would for my dog or they would for me.”
The wishing well is where the dogs’ ashes go, and then their names are etched onto a plaque, so they’re remembered with dignity. They’re treated with love you don’t see too often at shelters. They’re treated like someone’s pet, like they matter.
Back down by the buildings, Jackie showed me a trail where volunteers walk the dogs twice a week. She said if I came back and got attached to a specific dog, I could take it with me to get ice cream sometime. The thought made me smile.
My tour ended, but those dogs have stuck with me over the past few days. Hope Animal Rescues was unlike any other shelter I’ve ever seen, and the dogs are respected, loved and treated like members of the family. But Jackie was right when she noted that nothing replaces a home. They need families that will love them.
I can’t adopt a dog right now, but maybe I can come back and do more to help out. They’re always looking for more volunteers to clean, play with the dogs, offer them enrichment and more. I would love to return and spend a Sunday morning with a few furry friends, and you can, too.
Visit the official Hope Animal Rescues website at HopeRescues.org for more information, including how to adopt and volunteer.
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