Helping Hands?

Running organizations or foundations can many times be very difficult. Even more so if you are depending on volunteers for the "grunt work" of an organization.

One such group pcame up to me very tired and frustrated. She was ready to throw in the towel. She had had enough from people who promised to help but in the end stood her up. They just never seemed to follow through with their assurances of support, activity, work, etc.

When she took over the organization, many new faces were willing to help, they were all agreeing that it was for the animals that they were working. They would make changes for the better, for the animals, and they couldn't understand why many Italians were mistreating their animals.

Adoption programs started! Foster homes arranged for animals waiting for the new family of their dreams to show up.

But then, all the work fizzled out. All the plans hit brick walls. Progress slipped, efforts diffused.

The President asked me how I could deal with animal volunteer people and for so many years?

I don't have a good answer, but in the end you are always alone running the show!

We have different kinds of volunteers and since we know how the "good" ones are we don't have to go into that today--in this blog. Here are the types I've identified over the years:

#1 Animal lovers. "I love animals. I want to hug them and make them feel great!" (Just hugging doesn't help them to survive. You should have an appreciation for the reality behind the fantasy before becoming a volunteer in this field.)

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#2 Adoption Fanatics. "We don't think through what the dog needs, we have so many dogs waiting. First adopter interested is good for us. (You want the family to find the dog, but do you want the dog to find the family?)

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#3 The Exhausted Volunteer. So much work! I think I don't care to show up today! (many seem to see it that the President should be happy they are working for free once in a while, regardless of what they committed to do in the beginning.)

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#4 Ambivelent Volunteer. Yes the dog has scabs, and we don't know what it is. [Closely related to #2]. (The family gets scared, who would want to take a risk bringing in sickness to their family, children and other pets?)

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#5 Used Car Salesmen. [May be a manifestation of #2]No, there are no problems with this dog! (he
just ate the whole sofa, he bit a person yesterday, and barks incessantly.) Being honest and telling the "new" family what is going on, reasons for the behavior and what can be done goes a long way to overcoming potential problems or "returns". This is a lifetime (for the dog at least) investment... hopefully.

I can go on and on. What makes my heart sad is that many adopted dogs can get several homes in a short period of time. They become like frustrated children and can turn out to be more wild when they see a new person "Love me! Love me! Take me to your home" And the person believes that the dog is too wild and doesn't want it...so the circle is there. At the end the dog will be the one who looses because of the human's stupidity, and will be put down to sleep. "We just couldn't adopt this one."

Tjojs, my twelve (12) year-old dog had had five (5) homes in her first six (6) months when I found her in a shelter. Many people said to me she wouldn't survive another home, she would be too stressed and confused. They couldn't have been more wrong, but the first year was a little bumpy. We had to get to know each other and our different languages. It took her eight (8) months before she wagged her tail, and it took a long time before she trusted in me that I wouldn't let her down, and break her heart. Imagine a heart that knows no time, that loves unconditionally. Then imagine the people that heart loves, departing. The heartbreak compounding heartbreak would break the strongest human... but yet this is what some of these dear souls are set up for in the adoption game.

Thank God I found Tjojs in time! She is my best friend and I adore her so much because she has never let me down, never!

Some people can say "The dog should be grateful, I have been giving him a home and love!" Not realizing that a home and love for a period only makes the lack of it later that much worse.

The more I get to know people, the more I love my dog(s)--a clever person once said.

We all have to accept the responsibility with our helping hands when we commit to work in this area. It is not about the thankfulness that dogs should give us--they know how to give unconditional love. That's Amore!