Help for Wildcare Wildlife

Wildcare Wildife Rehabilitation in Norman.
Since my recent volunteering at Rocky Spot Dalmatian Rescue, I've come across many opportunities to help animals, people and facilities involved in animal rescue. Pepsi is donating up to $250K to projects people vote for. This is one a friend of mine recently sent to me.

http://pep.si/9xtK3y

Follow this link here and you can sign up to vote for Wildcare in Norman, OK and help them get the money that would greatly expand their facility. The best thing about this is you just donate of few moments of your time per day to vote. What's easier than that?

Volunteering at the dog rescue

I kept watching episodes of The Dog Whisperer with Cesar Millan. I love seeing how he works with dogs and how he gets them to behave with their owners. Even more amazing was how he approached the rehabilitation of dogs that were traumatized in some way.

I love dogs. I've wanted to have a big dog for years, but where I currently live, it's small and there is no fenced yard. Thus, owning a larger breed would be a bit of a problem.

So I got to thinking, "Okay, I can't own a dog. But is there a way I can be with dogs." My friend Stacy had been volunteering with rescue organizations and I thought maybe this would be something I could do as well. I had never worked with any animal rescues before, but after attending A Black Fur Affair in Norman, which promoted the adoption of black animals, I knew that this could work for me. I emailed Stacy and she referred me many different options, one of those being Rocky Spot Rescue.

Rocky Spot Dalmatian Rescue is located in Newcastle, OK and only five minutes away from where I live. They rescue these amazing spotted dogs and had a few beautiful Dalmatians that hopefully will find a good home. It is supported by volunteers and donations to keep the facility running and are always needing any help for feeding, vet care, and medications. Their website is rockyspot.org. I got in contact with Sue by email and was scheduled to get a run through the kennels in a week. Putting it mildly, I was excited, yet nervous.

Let's face it, big dog's can be intimidating. Since I was going to be working around many large dogs, I knew it would be best to get a little more education, especially how dogs behave in packs, since this would be the first time in my life to be around a group of larger breeds. Usually, I am a little skittish around the big dogs, not know their temperaments, and the uncertainty of aggressive behavior and possible attack.

I watched lots of Cesar's shows and read his book, Cesar's Way. This guy connects with me. I already love psychology and what makes people do what they do, and so learning about what makes a dog tick (no pun) was very interesting and exciting. The way Cesar explains what a dog is, gelled with me perfectly. His explanations are simple and effective to get the point across and I think that he is a true gift to the world.

Armed with a new knowledge of dogs from Caesar, I felt much more comfortable and confident to be around the large canines.

On Thursday morning, Sue met me at the facility to show me the ropes of how to feed the dogs, clean their cages, pick up after the dogs and prepare the next day for other volunteers. The dogs were going crazy barking and excited when I first entered the kennel. I did my best to stay calm at all times and be relaxed, so not to intensify their excited state.

As I got shown the routine of how the rescue was operated, the dogs were wonderful to be around and I had a great time being there plus helping them stay healthy and clean. Thankfully, there were no incidents with any of the dogs, and I felt so much better knowing that reading Caesar's book and watching his show made all the difference for me to be a "knowledgeable dog lover."

After two hours, my pants were muddy, I smelled like dog poop and I had an awesome time. Sue was fantastic and was fun to talk and work with. I thank her for letting me get involved with the rescue. I look forward to going out and meeting the other volunteers and playing with the pups again soon.

Be who you are, my friends.