not even ONE day!

So, friday was my first day working at the South Utah Valley Animal Shelter (www.SUVAS.org) Ashley picked me up at 8:45 and we got to the shelter right at 9:00. The first thing they had us do was bathe and groom this darling little poodle. He was so sweet and innocent and well-behaved that I instantly fell in love and started thinking:

"Well, he's a poodle, so he doesn't shed, so it wouldn't really be hurting anything to add another pet to our home....plus he's just soooo so so so cute and he is so so so so so sweet, and he needs me cause he has obviously already had a really bad, neglected, sad sad sad life.... and he needs me to love him...
etc...etc...etc..."

But I just had to keep reminding myself that I AM helping him by making him clean and darling, and taking a great pic of him so his new family can find him... so I did good. Then they asked if Ash and I would like to start taking pictures, so we did. and I LOVED it!!! Those dogs are so stinking cute and lively! I just adored all of them. (I really hope that the improved pictures will help them find new families fast.) So, I left the shelter that day very satisfied, and basically convinced that I can't save every dog, but I can help in my own way.

I hadn't brought a flash drive so I couldn't transfer the pics to SUVAS computer, so I had to run home to get it. So, I went home, cropped and edited the photos, loaded them on to my flash drive and headed back around 4:00. When I got there, we started looking through the pictures. We came to the pics that we took of a Golden Retriever and I just started gushing about how darling and sweet and amazing he was. They told me that he was released to them by a family in Provo because he was sick and they didn't want to pay for the medical attention he would need. I told them that I had a Vet in my ward that would maybe help give him the care that he needs if they wanted to let me foster him or something (I don't know how all that stuff works...) because I just felt like he was SUCH a quality dog! Ashley and I had both fallen in love with him during his photo shoot time. He was kind and gentle and sooo well-behaved (didn't pull on the leash etc). So she went back into the kennels to see about arranging the foster situation, but he wasn't in his kennel. She couldn't find him anywhere and finally went clear out back and found him getting loaded on a truck with the evening batch of euthanizations! She told them he had a found a home and got him back out and brought him to me. When she came through the door with him, her face was totally white and she explained what had just happened. I totally got choked up and was so happy that we caught them in time! If I had been 2 mintues later, he would have been gone, and I am telling you guys, he is WAAAAAAAY too good to be put down. I understand that some 2.7 million dogs are euthanized every year...and there is very little that I am going to do about it, but I can at least help this one.

So, I went home, borrowed my father-in-law's truck, and before long, was driving home with a 40 pound Golden Retriever in back! Yikes, I know. But I'm in love and I can't wait to see him grow and learn and become the healthiest little guy he can be. My whole family had a good laugh when they found out I was volunteering at the Animal Shelter. Following the "good laugh" they started placing bets as to how many dogs I would own before Kyle forced me to quit volunteering - the genereal consensus was about 8!

I was so eager to prove them all wrong, but sure enough - ended my first day with a foster dog! (my family, of course, had another good laugh) But I really am going to adopt him to a great family - I promise! (at least, I THINK I promise...*tee hee*)
He is amazing, and if Kyle would let me keep him,
I actually would,
but the important thing is that he will now be able to be a great dog for some lucky family in the future!
I will post pics as soon as possible!