Spreading Hope, Saving Lives

Written by: Mark Bernazzoli

The volunteers at LDDR tirelessly comb through rescue newspapers and pages, phone messages, e-mails, letters, and the web to find and transport dogs to safety, to veterinary visits, to (and exchange among) temporary and longer-term foster homes, to community events for greater exposure, and finally to adoptive families.

When you see the dogs we feature it's frequently because they are in multi-dog, transitory foster homes until a longer-term foster or adoptive home is found. I can't think of anyone who wouldn't save a dog or a cat to give them a happy life knowing how so many of them have been treated, what they've been through; but many compassionate people aren't sure they can handle a pet, themselves.

We understand that -- we all have/had our own pets and know how they can change a household. Bringing a pet into your life requires careful consideration:

• Do I want a willing, but thumbless "child" who will never go off to school or move out?
•  Can my studio apartment accommodate my 100+ pound Newfoundland?
•  Do I have a fenced yard so my Jack Russell can run his little heart (and huge energy store) out, daily?
•  Exactly how much weight do I want to lose while being walked by my Great Dane?
•  Will dried dog drool match the sumptuous leather interior in my Mercedes?
•  Will I wake in the middle of the night and be able to summon up my inner Sherlock Holmes, Mr. Spock, Florence Nightingale, AND Dale Earnhardt as I try to determine which houseplant she ate, where's she's hurting now, how ALL of THIS came out of THAT tiny body, and get her to the emergency vet before she explodes again?
•  Do I want to spend my vacation as a sexy, AVAILABLE (!) Carribean Queen on a beach in Jamaica, or as a party of two at a mountain cabin with a wet-muddy-tickridden-happy-as-a-clam Spaniel and a case of good wine?
• And imagine just how pleased Mom will be when my Retriever and I show up for Christmas in matching outfits, our twin suitcases in hand?

I joke because we must. You cannot raise anything (a houseplant, a garden, a pet, a child, a husband) without a heart and a good sense of humor...otherwise you'd see aforehand the lunacy of your desire and never commit in the first place. But remember, though every creature in your life is it's own challenge, it's own work-in-progress, it always pays off in the end...all except for the husband...(and you still decided to get him.)

Back to business...what you MUST know is that there are a number of ways to help --

• become a volunteer in the organization,
• train to be a foster yourself
• adopt and be ever glad you did
• make a tax-deductible donatation to keep the operation sailing
• spread the word by talking up an animal which seems perfect for a friend or family member
• just plain ask blessings for these dedicated volunteers and pray for these animals' continued salvation and happiness.



Roscoe Before



Anything will help...except, of course, doing nothing. Please visit http://www.lastdaydogrescue.org/ to donate, foster, or adopt. Someone is depending upon you. Thanks from all of us to all of you!



Roscoe After



To mail us a donation, make payable to Last Day Dog Rescue and send to us at:

Last Day Dog Rescue P.O. Box 51935 Livonia, MI 48151-5935 Fax: 734-786-0729

To sponsor a specific animal, write his or her name on the memo line.



To donate to one of our special needs dogs' online ChipIn