The Calling

I had a couple of crates that I didn't need. They had been given to me and I passed them along to my friend Jackie who, with her husband Dave, runs an organization called Peaceful Passings Senior Animal Rescue. It's a rescue group ran out of their home that takes in senior pets who have been abandoned by their owners.

I'd like to think that there's a special place in hell for people who dump old dogs, animals that have given their full life and entire devotion to their humans, just to be hauled off like junk. I don't really believe in hell, but I may just believe in karma. People who dump their old dogs because they can't see, hear, or walk very well are setting an example for their children that may just come back to bite them on the ass. We can only hope.

Anyway, Peaceful Passings takes in seniors. They are mostly, but not entirely, small dogs because small dogs live so much longer. Senior dogs are challenging. They have greater than average medical needs and the expenses that go along with them. They are also challenging emotionally because you know from the start that they won't be with you long. In some cases all you are providing is hospice care and the best possible end of life experience. I've taken in a number of senior dogs and I've never regretted it. They have given me some of the greatest rewards imaginable, and many that were never imagined. But to have a rescue devoted exclusively to seniors, that's a calling. It's certainly an unmet need and it's one that I'd like to focus on myself more and more, particularly since Jack taught me that I'm past the age for dealing with young dogs.

Jackie not only runs Peaceful Passings, she is also the adopter of Patch, who has found or joined in on the calling. Patch carries the title of Vice President at Peaceful Passings because of the help he provides to the cause. He's a German Shepherd Dog so he watches, he listens, he keeps an eye on what's going on. He protects the house, of course, but he also monitors each individual in his charge, checking on their health and well-being, providing the security and comfort that can only come from a big, calm, furry beast. Patch knows and understands the calling. He has taken it on himself to welcome the newcomers and make them feel safe and secure. He provides that communicative link between the human and canine worlds that he shares. That ability is his special genius, and he has found a calling that puts it to good use.