The company I work for introduced a time-off last year called Giving Our Best. The purpose of it is to dedicate time once in each quarter to a charity of our choice.
For me, it is, without a doubt, the BSPCA. Honestly, I feel a bit guilty for choosing BSPCA each time because it doesn't feel like giving my time to a charity. After being a volunteer for more than three years there, I feel like I am at a spa rather than a shelter. I have been on a few occasions that that the residents truly benefit from the time I spend with them. But truth be told, I am the one who gets more out of the interaction than they do. As most dog owners reading this will relate to.
Even spending just one hour with the sweethearts leaves me feeling so rejuvenated, energized and filled with bliss. So though I consider the shelter to be my sanctuary against the harshness of the world at large, I am just gonna cheekily go on telling my company it's donating time to a charity.
Anything to have one more day with my buds, right?
Last Thursday, I hung out with Safina, Jango and Lucy.
Safina has by now become one of my favorites, even though she drives me nuts with her hyper energy and goofball antics .
By now, she has associated plopping down with sheer stubbornness in the middle of the path to getting treats and attention. So I decided to teach her a lesson.
Every time she did it, I just kept walking ahead ignoring her. She was initially rather confused and a bit annoyed with my nonchalant behavior, but in the end gave up when that trick no longer worked .
We walked till the highway and back as per our usual routine with her tugging and pulling the leash. I think her hope is rather futile if she thinks I am ever gonna become a jogger, for her sake.
When we got back to the shelter, she cooled down in the bath and then promptly jumped up on the bench to sit beside me to get some scratches and rubs. With some convincing, I managed to get her into the reception area to get her photo taken, so that I can share them with my work colleagues. Once in, Khalifa (one of the wonderful staff there) and I were faced with the daunting task of getting her to sit still. She was more interested in curiously exploring the area whenever we almost got the perfect shot. Since her time in BSPCA from circa 2015, you would think she has never been in there before.
Next up is a new resident. Jango is a German Shepherd mix or pure (not sure). He has a beautiful coat color. It's like shades of cinnamon and wood after it has been stained. He is very affectionate and well-behaved on the leash.
Unfortunately, he still getting used to his new environment and was rather anxious with the loud sounds of heavy trucks on the road, which is the norm in the industrial area of Askar. So the poor dear stuck close to me until we got back to the shelter. Let's hope he's adopted soon before he has the chance to get used to anything there. In fact, I idealistically pray that none of the residents get the time to get used to a shelter, before they scooped up to their forever homes.
Lucy is a darling girl. Quite timid and reacts nervously to any sudden moves you make or sounds outside. The depth of sorrow in her eyes really would melt even the coldest of hearts. The sadness in them resonates with the same feeling in your soul.
It's a breeze walking with her and she really relaxes once she gradually gets into the groove of the quiet rthymn you give out in a walk.
She needs patience and love to coax her out of her shell. I look forward to seeing what her true personality turns out to be, once she settles into her forever home one day.
If you are not a dog lover, you will read this story skeptically. But all I ask is give it a try. No harm in it. Just spend an hour in the company of a dog. It may miraculously change you into a lover of pooches, but you might get the idea of why they are such a big deal.
