By Michele Graves / Herald Forum
Recently a young dog at Pasado’s Safe Haven, an animal sanctuary in Sultan, was diagnosed with t-cell lymphoma, an aggressive cancer. Bruno bears the scars of his former life of abuse. To keep him safe, I can’t give you details. I would spare you the horror anyway.
With this beginning, you might now expect a story of despair and hatred of humanity. So, you may be surprised by this love story. It’s true that there is suffering and cruelty in this world.
However, every day I am reminded how loving and compassionate people can be.
Pasado’s volunteers show up week after week for hours at a time. The work is not all giving pigs belly rubs, walking dogs, snuggling sheep, watching cows gambol or socializing kittens.
There’s a lot of cleaning, poop scooping, cutting up produce, folding laundry and other unglamorous tasks. We require them to do a lot of training and follow a lot of rules.
There can be, unfortunately, a lot of grief and loss. They help care for animals who have endured neglect and whose bodies were not bred for longevity. It is hard to find homes for large dogs who may at first love you too much or not enough. Let alone for pigs, cows, sheep and goats with medical needs.
We grieve, too, when animals we love get adopted: a happy longed-for grief, which means we have room to save more lives. When animals die after years at Pasado’s with no interest, it cuts deeply. At night, we dream of the animals in loving homes (Yes, when you rescue animals, you dream of them).
Still, volunteers arrive. I know why, because I started at Pasado’s as a volunteer, so excited to muck stalls and get my boots dirty! It’s a joy to be outside under the evergreen trees helping animals.
When I hear the phrase “people don’t want to work anymore,” I’m baffled. This is so far from my experience! Every day, I see volunteers of all generations working hard (on their “days off”).
They do it for love. You see it. Every day, I am humbled by their contributions and compassion. Recently, I complemented a volunteer on her perfect paw-print earrings. Without pause, she took them from her ears and placed them in my hands. A gift.
Every day, our volunteers teach me how to be a better human animal. I could give you daily examples.
This is not to mention — and it’s a huge not-to-mention — Pasado’s staff who work long days of compassionate service only to ask, “How can I be more compassionate?” or who do everything for scared and sick animals and then ask, “What more can I do?” It’s amazing.
Pasado’s Safe Haven is unique in location and in healing spirit. It’s home to 200 domestic animals, not to mention — and it’s a huge not to mention — many wild species. But our compassionate care is shared by many in the community — shelter workers, rescuers, positive reinforcement trainers, Fear Free professionals, animal advocates, anyone who helps a lost animal get home. We see you and are grateful.
If you are looking for a good news story, here it is, cloaked in sadness, but shining bright. Bruno Dog never found an adopter, but he made a home here in a loving community with his dear volunteer friends. Oh, and what’s that? A volunteer just asked if she could bring Bruno home to hospice foster.
Goodness, I cannot express my love and appreciation for these divine human animals enough.
Postscript: Bruno Dog recently died sooner than expected from cancer-related anemia. “He went peacefully on a sunny day in the dog park at Pasado’s surrounded by friends,” Graves wrote.
Michele Graves is the certified behaviorist for Pasado’s Safe Haven, where her goal is to reduce animals’ fear, anxiety, stress and frustration and help them feel more confident, at ease, playful, and safe. Michele started at Pasado’s as a farm volunteer and fell in love with the sanctuary.
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