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 Animal rescue is an emotional endeavor. Dogs are in danger every day, through no fault of their own. Decisions about which dogs we can bring into our rescue are literally life and death. Because of the large numbers and the urgency of need, those dogs that are especially challenged are frequently left behind by shelter visitors and by rescue organizations. These are the dogs that need special care and have been abused and forgotten. They are most often filthy, frightened, and sick. They are seldom chosen to be saved.
AHDRO takes those that we are able to rescue and gives them the chance they’ve never had. As a result, in addition to our healthy dogs, we are oftentimes caring for a dog that requires long-term attention.
We provide a safe and caring environment for all the dogs we rescue, and do whatever is necessary to enable them to become healthy, carefree dogs that, in turn, become beloved pets, living out their lives in peace and contentment. We want to save those that would be left behind, those that have medical issues, and those that are seniors, all of whom need a place to be safe until an adoptive home is available.
AHDRO is exploring the option of creating a Sanctuary. We are talking with realtors, county officials, and others who have created similar sanctuaries in other areas. We are considering ways to make our safe haven sustainable and are investigating possibilities. We envision that the AHDRO Sanctuary will provide educational programs – teaching the proper care and nutrition of dogs by having children visit so that they can enjoy our dogs and learn how to care for them. We want to bring autistic children to our Sanctuary to let them enjoy the gentle nature of Collies. We envision senior humans spending the afternoon petting our senior dogs and helping us groom them. We would offer formal educational experiences with behaviorists and groomers, perhaps as a partnership.
We continue to work on our programming, and during the past year we have taken steps to bring several ideas to fruition. We have put a Senior Program into place. We have partnered with area companies to provide hands-on educational experiences. AHDRO volunteers have been guest speakers, explaining the importance of spaying and neutering. The registered veterinary technician on our board is writing educational medical articles for our newsletter. We plan to add a Humane Education Coordinator to our board and solicit volunteers to put the Humane Education program into place and present it to the public. We invite guest speakers to AHDRO general meetings to provide continuing education.
We have vision and great passion. Each step we take leads us to the next, and we are firm in our mission to provide sanctuary for our dogs, extend that care to humans through our animals, and educate our children for the future. |
The great pleasure of a dog is that you may make a fool of yourself with him and not only will he not scold you, but he will make a fool of himself too. |
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