Bad idea of the day

Today is the deadline for self-nominations for open positions with Virginia German Shepherd Rescue.  Against common sense, past experience, and Clay's wishes, I've decided to run for the board.  Here is the candidate's statement I just submitted to the rescue:  (The pics are some I just took out in the dog yard.)

Trooper climbing up to his post

Fellow VGSR Volunteers:

Although it's at the 11th hour, I have decided to throw my hat into the ring for a two year board position with VGSR. I apologize for the late entry, but like many of us, I just hadn't focused yet on the upcoming election.

I don't have a good memory for dates or numbers, so I don't know how many years I've been involved with VGSR. Most of you know me as a very active foster home. I'll be the first to admit that I don't always follow all the rules. I think that "guidelines" rather than rules is what we need for most matters.

Trooper, atop his viewing platform.
He can survey much of the property from up here.
He keeps us safe from burglars, Jehovah's Witnesses, and birds

I think that any dog who passes through our organization should be spayed/neutered and every dog should go to a good, caring home, but aside from those two things, we have a lot of room for differing opinions on many things. I think that whether an adoption should happen is 99% the decision of the foster home, because that person knows the dog the best and has the dog's best interest at heart. I know that I would never foster for an organization that tried to require me to adopt to a home I didn't approve of or kept me from adopting to what I considered to be a good home. I think we need to extend that same courtesy to all foster homes, even if it means that we don't have hard and fast, objective, universal criteria for adoption.

Everyone needs to take personal responsibility for whatever task they assume. Speaking from the perspective of a foster home, that means taking responsibility for any dog in my care, treating it as one of my own, and representing the dog's best interest when it comes to vet care and adoption. That includes getting the dog vetted, getting the paperwork in order, completing the contract, and taking the dog back if the adoption decision turns out to be a bad one for whatever reason. I don't think that anything else matters much in this organization.

Luke with his favorite ball, (thanks, Judith!)
Zachary flying by.

Ryland, I love this dog.

Rescue involves very tough decisions. Every day I am asked to take some dog and I have to say no with the knowledge that I was probably that dog's last chance. But we don't have an unlimited supply of anything in this organization, whether it be money, vet care, or foster homes. My basic philosophy towards intake criteria is "adoptability, with exceptions." I also believe in euthanization for health or behavioral reasons, including both liability and financial concerns for the rescue. No one dog is worth jeopardizing our larger mission.

It's no secret that being on the board of directors for a non-profit organization as diverse as this one is a thankless task. I don't think we can ever hope to satisfy everyone, and maybe not anyone, but we need to keep the organization afloat because it supports important work being done by our volunteers. I'm not particularly interested in growing the organization as much as solidifying what we already have. We need to support and maintain our foster homes because that is how we operate. We don't save every shepherd in Virginia and we probably never will, but we need to save as many dogs as we can. We don't have to agree on very many things, we don't all have to like each other, but I think we can get along if we keep our focus on saving and adopting dogs.