A different kind of organization
I’ve always wanted to do things my way, the way I thought was the most appropriate according to a situation and in line with my values. Very often an unusal way and it did not always serve me right, but at least I was always true to myself and hardly had any regrets.
When I rescued my first dog, I knew I wanted to make a difference. A dog that was in a bad shape, who I not only reached out to to bring back to health, but also to give him a loving cocoon and the safety of never finding himself in any form of abuse or neglect ever again. This meant being his family until the end, no matter what. That was Elliott, who is still with us today after 12 years, traveled the world and moved oh so many times wiht us! Same when I rescued our first very senior and our first puppy mill rescue, we were there for their last breath. So when I decided to do even more and create a rescue organization, that philosophy became a conundrum, at least at first…
Elliott on the right with his bestie, Tootsie.
Giving each rescue the warmth of a family.
We would not change our approach, each dog rescued would be part of our family, live comfortably in our home and get all the love and good care our own dogs got. We wouldn’t count on (or trust) others to do this job, it was our responsibility. I refused to comply to the rules and build outdoor kennels if we had more than 9 dogs (which was the rule back in France). Our house was big enough to organize separate areas if needed, mostly for quarantine or special care. But the goal was for them to taste family life, even if it would be a challenge. Kennel dogs had to learn to be housebroken, traumatized puppy mill dogs had to get used to having so much open space of freedom and share it with humans in harmony, difficult dogs had to learn to behave and respect their pack members. Since we primarily reached out to those nobody wanted because they were too old, sick, weird, traumatized, ugly or whatever excuse people came up with to overlook them, we wanted to make up for the ordeal they’d been through so far and smother their last months/years with love and good care. That way, also show the public how these dogs could be special and amazing if given the opportunity to feel better and come out of their shell. Because so many blossomed and even if we didn’t always work miracles, we were able to stabilize many health issues and offer them comfort. The most blatant changes came from the dogs with trust issues. Those who endured trauma and arrived terrified or shut down felt at ease in our home and started to show their personalities. And boy, that relationship was amazing! Each one was different and we loved them for their unusual quirks. Our house was their kingdom and I was their loving mom, nurse, cuddler, walker, groomer, trainer, personal chef, toy thrower, butt wiper and poop picker.
A loving environment for the most damaged.
Where they are given everything to hopefully perk up.
Despite the many encouraging transformations we highlighted, one thing remained: the fact these dogs required a lot of care and a little touch of savvy. This is when I realized it would be complicated in the long run. I first thought that once our work was done, we could try and find them a new fitting home, because well, I had to be realistic, we couldn’t keep them all if we wanted to save others… We favoured quality over quantity, but for a rescue organization, we were not rescuing that many. We were pressured here and there, other organizations wanting us to care for their non-adoptables, shelters being overcrowded and too many dogs on the list of euthansia. We felt it was hard to think we had to make room for others, but that was actually a fact… Except it was not so easy to not only find responsible adopters, but also people willing to change their life to welcome one of our special needs. We had a diabetic dog, needing two shots of insulin a day, together with a strict diet. Others were hypothyroidic, epileptic, blind, senile, with heart or renal failure, needing extra care. Others had endured such deep trauma that even if they learned to trust and were more balanced, they could backslide in another environment without the proper approach. Would people have our vibe? Would they also cook for them or at least, give them the best nurtition? Be as attentive to their hygiene, groom them and clean their teeth? Wipe the faces of the toothless once they had eaten and clean the area they had splattered? Would someone be willing to drain the disabled and incontinent ones, changing their diapers frequently to keep them comfortable and UTI-free? I cared for these dogs too much to see all the work we had done so far be ruined, their life was too important to mess it up again. And it was not as if we had people in line to adopt, people preferred not to bother too much and look for a younger, healthier or more balanced rescue. Sad but true. So well, I had to face the fact, they were here to stay. All of them. Which meant we would not save as many, but it was the price to pay for them to be always safe. Besides, the dogs with trust issues would have had a very hard time being separated from us and their pack, once they bond it’s even deeper. And to be honest, it would have been hard for us too…
A house full of love!
Giving the special ones a safe haven.
With lots of love and comfort.
Being their family that will never let them down.
So yes, as you can imagine, it was epic! Our home was invaded, we did not have much space on the couch or the bed, but the feeling of having drastically changed these dogs’ lives was priceless and worth all the sacrifices. So many were so grateful and the bond was truly special, this whole experience changed me for the better. Nevertheless, caring and worrying for them 24/7, doing everything myself, without much support and even criticism at times because I did not follow the rules (“why don’t you put this one for adoption, it’s not fair” or “you don’t save as many as you should”, etc. and from next of kin “we don’t see you anymore” and when we mentioned they could come see us “sorry we can’t come, there are really too many dogs”, most didn’t get the endeavour), seeing all of our savings go their care, and over time, dealing with more health issues and deaths started to wear me down. With about 30 little dogs at one point when the organization had reached its limit (always hard to overlook those you know will not have anyone else giving them a chance), I pushed my devotion a little too far. But honestly, I didn’t feel there was another way, I had tried to partner with others, even thought about long-term fosters to be able to welcome more dogs in need while still caring for them remotely, but every attempt was a failure. The rescue world is sadly filled with unreliable and even psychotic people (those I call “the zombies of rescue”). When I rescued two dogs from two different organizations too late, who passed shortly after their arrival, severely weakened, it was the last straw. This is when I decided to quit the organization and continue my mission in the shadow, on a smaller scale, of course still caring for the ones we still had with us. A disheartening decision, but necessary for my health, sanity and personal life that was falling to pieces. It didn’t change much in practice, but in theory, it meant I was not “legit” anymore, closing some doors (undisclosed contexts like the pound, hoarding situations, unethical breeders). And also, changing our “image” toward other organizations who were also so quick to judge and somehow delighted when one fellow rescuer “failed”, it showed them how tough and wonderful they were...
Part of our special crew today: Elliott, Cookie, Blue & Booba.
Still giving the most challenging puppy mill rescues a more balanced life.
And they give us back all their love and gratitude.
Today, even if we have a smaller crew, it doesn’t change my vocation and dedication: care for the most special needs, whether be a physical or psychological disorder, and be their loving family until the end. I still cook for them, clean and groom them, help the toothless eat and wipe the leftovers, help the disabled get around, soothe the insecure ones, train the weirdos, make sure the blind is safe, the seniors are comfortable and pain free. We are a family and would never be the same without each other.