I took my kids with me on Wednesday to the shelter where I volunteer – Bichon and Little Buddies Rescue. I was a little apprehensive because I was bringing a 7-year-old girl and a 6-year-old boy into a facility with 20 plus small dogs. I lectured them on the drive there, giving them strict instructions on how we greet the dogs, what the different colored bandanas on the dogs meant, the importance of listening to the women who run the shelter, how we walk the dogs, and anything else I could think of. We talked about where some of the dogs came from and what brought them to the rescue as well.
We walked through the door to a raucous chorus of barking to which my daughter cried “It’s like a doggy orchestra in here!”. My son’s face lit up as Streaker, a terrier mix known for his high-flying agility, jumped on to the half wall in the entryway with his tail wagging away in greeting.
We started by taking two dogs for a walk, Powder and Muffin Man. It was really cold out, so we opted to spend the rest of our time socializing with the dogs. Maggie, who cares for the dogs throughout the day, set up a place for my son to sit so the dogs could come to him, while my daughter played with a Chihuahua named George. She was thrilled to carry him around as he cuddled in her arms. My son laughed over and over again as several dogs came to jump on him, play with him, and just sit quietly next to him. He connected instantly with an older dog named Muffin Man. Muffin Man is an 11-year-old Bichon Frise who was an owner surrender. His owners had to move and weren’t able to take him with them. Muffin captured my heart as well the first time I met him. He is very sweet, social and he seems gets along well with both humans and dogs alike. Muffin Man followed my son everywhere he went that day and when he moved into a different room, Muffin Man would sit outside the door and wait for him.
Our next activity was in the puppy room. Virgil, a Miniature Schnauzer who was surrendered by a commercial breeding facility, had delivered her puppies at Bichon and Little Buddies and was currently raising them in a separate area of the shelter. Virgil is a timid girl but very sweet and her seven puppies are absolutely gorgeous. My kids helped me move the puppies and their mama from the room, so I could clean up their papers and mop the floor. It was so sweet to see my children surrounded by soft and fluffy puppies. They climbed on to their laps, nibbled on their coat zippers, tugged on my daughter’s hair and licked their faces. Every time I opened the door to the puppy room, they all clambered to get back in while my children scrambled to capture their squirmy little bodies before they hit the wet floor. Virgil sat off to the side and watched calmly as my kids played her pups and even attempted to give them each a curious sniff.
After that, it was time to head out. My daughter made her rounds to say goodbye to all the new canine friends she had made. I watched her talking sweetly to George and then move through the room to bid farewell to the others. I turned around and saw my son standing stock still with tears streaming down his face. I went over to see what was wrong, only to find out that he didn’t have the heart to leave Muffin Man. He wanted to bring him home right then. Maggie, who saw him crying, came over with some dog treats for him to give to Muffin Man before we left. I consoled my son and explained that we would come back to visit Muffin Man again very soon. After the tears dried, we said goodbye to Maggie and headed home.
My kids are still talking about their visit to the shelter and I’m still talking about how proud I am of them for the compassion and kindness they showed to all of the dogs that day.
By the way, we’re still talking about Muffin Man, too. Hmmm…..
Well, Stevie has been with us now for three weeks. He’s wonderful. So sweet and gentle. He’s a cuddler and loves nothing more than to be near us. He is an exceptional playmate for Toby and they have become good friends. We’ve noticed that Toby’s previous puppy-like behaviors have ceased. He hasn’t chewed up a glove, sock or any of the kids’ homework since Stevie arrived. He corrects Stevie when he is out of line and sits high on the couch overseeing his younger brother’s precocious activities.
Hearts for Paws 