{…and after you are done…become a voice, an active participant, an open door to these gorgeous creatures who need us so badly.}
I have cried and I still am, I am angry and I am so sad from yesterday’s experience but I figure I have two choices — either be sad and upset and feel helpless OR become a voice and a participant. I have chosen the latter. That doesn’t mean the sadness just goes away or the beautiful faces that I saw are not burnt into my memory, it means that maybe by using what I love and spreading the word through this Blog post or Facebook or any other means my readers can do, I or WE will all become the voice that these animals need so desperately.
Yesterday, I was going to post my message out of anger and frustration — angry because I felt helpless when I saw the beautiful faces — all of them begging to be loved with tails wagging, soft, sad eyes looking at me as if I was their last hope. Angry because I saw animals in pens up and down a building the size of a warehouse who just wanted a belly rub and a lay out in the sun and grass. Angry because even with these hundreds of animals in this one place, there are breeders out there still making more animals out of pure greed and there are people supporting them. Needless to say, my ‘angry’ list could go on and on but I can’t let it.
My friend Meredith who is active with DCAC and many other groups, invited me out yesterday saying that taking these pictures would make a difference. I will be honest with you, I assumed I’d take a few photos and we’d post them and help these babies find homes and I would help to make a difference and I was happy with that. Let’s just say, I had not one clue about the gravity of the situation I was about to see. We walked through the facility to get to the back and it was like I was in a daze — almost thinking that if I didn’t look, it wouldn’t exist — all of these animals that we were passing by, rows upon rows of endless runs…
I was told that we would be photographing the “Stray Ward” and so we started. Andrea (the ever-tireless-volunteer who comes out once a week like clockwork to DCAC!!) started to bring the dogs out one at a time. I started to ask, “What’s his name?” and then realized that this baby didn’t have a name, he was a STRAY – found or dropped off by the owner and he only had a NUMBER. It would take a person to come and say they wanted this beautiful dog for themselves in order for him to have a name again. I could feel a cry coming on but wouldn’t let it.
Meredith took their information and she and Andrea assessed them briefly — breed, behavior, age, health, weight and personality. Yes, these guys all had personality — some crazy (yes we know that type), some shy, some just silly and fun and some just scared and sad — can’t say I blamed them really. In between the dogs, I started asking questions on what happens (in my head though, I was thinking, “Do you really want to know, Rupa, ’cause it’s just gonna’ make you cry!”) to these dogs, how long do they have to live here and how did most of them land at this facility. I got honest truths and again, could feel a cry coming on but wouldn’t let it.
We found out that there were two other photographers on the other end of the building and they were doing the same for the same group of dogs – the “Stray Ward” and evidently between the three of us, we had done one entire (very large) row of all of the dogs so now they could go onto Petfinder.com. Mission accomplished. We did good.
As I am leaving, Andrea is putting the last little dog back into his pen and as I look down the long, long aisle of pens, listening to a thunder of barks, seeing tails wagging, the reality is now real. No more daze. No more pretending. Andrea asks if I want to see the puppies. I agree (not knowing this was going to throw me over the edge.) We pass by two more rows of pens and down the last one — there are the pitties — a mom comes up to see me and behind her I see her puppy trying to get out of it’s bed…I want to stop and pet her, to touch her because she looks like she wants it and needs it so bad, but we keep walking and there is another and another…I am told that the pits don’t have a long life here and that there are more and more being dropped off each day. We land in the room of puppies. No kidding. Beautiful, little, squealing puppies and there are too many to count and I am now just stunned. Another room, we see cats and kittens – again, too many to count. Another room and a beautiful golden lab puppy and another black one and again, more, too many and I can’t handle it any more…my heart hurts so much. I could feel a cry coming on and this time I just let it.
Andrea apologized but that was not needed. This reality was very much needed and although my heart hurt and my head hurt and I cried again when I got in the car driving away, cried again while calling my friend Karen to let her know what it was like but at the same time, how much I also knew I had to go back because that “difference” that I thought I’d make in one day, well, it was going to take a little more than that and did she want to come out and help so we could double it up and make it just a bit more.
What was supposed to be a few hours of helping a friend and “some dogs” has turned out to be a new journey and a quest that I feel needs to be depicted in pictures and words. I will be back next week and I know I will cry again but I am ok with that because I know that it makes a difference. So even though I am a small tiny business and that my Blog may only get a read here and there, I hope that if it gets inside the head of a few of you and you pass it one and they pass it on, maybe we can make a significant difference soon.
And for those of you who say you can’t walk into a facility like this, let me tell you, YOU CAN! If you want to go with me the next time I am going out, please contact me. If you can do it on another day, next week or tomorrow, please contact me and I will have you touch base with Jaime, the wonderful gal who works at DCAC and would LOVE to see a new face that can help them!
Below are photos from yesterday and also a few links – one to DCAC and the other to the slideshow of the babies up for adoption. Thank you to the folks at DCAC for having me and I give you guys a lot of credit — I can tell you that you work hard and diligently with a smile on your face for these wonderful animals!
If you can’t volunteer and help right now, if you would please send the link to this post to friends and family, I would love it. If we can get more people educated and aware, we are headed in the right direction.
Did you know that…
… DeKalb County Animal Control is located just off of I-285 and Memorial Drive?
… you can actually ADOPT beautiful dogs and cats there?
… they receive loads of dogs each and every single day – whether stray or just being dropped off at the counter because their owners can’t take care of them?
… up to 20 animals are put to sleep each and every single week because they have no place to call home?
…you can volunteer time there and the folks there will love you for it!?
…if you adopt a baby there, you will receive LOVE & KISSES for a very long time?!
…it is very affordable to get LOVE & KISSES for a very long time!?
To adopt one of these babies, go to PetFinder.
Friend them on Facebook HERE.
To see a slideshow of the beautiful dogs we photographed yesterday and that are at
DCAC right now & available for adoption, click HERE.
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DCAC desperately needs items — because they are a government run facility, they are unable to take financial donations, however, they can accept items and the two they are asking for now are DOG BEDS & STRETCH&SCRATCHES – (click on either of those to go the sites and give!)
Friends of DeKalb Animals are a Rescue Organization that has played a vital role in pulling up to 30+ animals fromDCAC at a time and finding them homes, BUT in order to do this, they also need funding.
Any amount, large or small will be appreciated!
Go to the Friends of DeKalb Animals site and once on the site, scroll down and click on the ‘CHIP IN’ link to donate!!
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