These last 4 months has felt like the equivalent of wearing of a corset (not that I would know).

It starts out feeling uncomfortable, and even unbearable, initially and then gradually you get used to it. We each find our own coping mechanism and fine-tune it as we go along. It gets to a point where we tell ourselves that the corset is doing wonders for our figure and you can't imagine not wearing it.

Easing of some of the restrictions helped a bit, but it felt like only one tie being loosened. But then it happened... BSPCA announced that volunteering was back on.

When I walked into the shelter on 18th July, I felt like all the ties of the corset were cut. I forgot what it was like to take in a lung full of refreshing air. That moment was just amazing!

On Saturday 18th July, I hung out with Apple, Sugar and Safina. On Saturday 25th July, I hung out Trio, Shane and Antonio.

One of the BSPCA conditions was that dogs can only be walked inside the shelter, so this gave me an opportunity to get creative. Apple had the honor of testing out the new route within the shelter. It helped that he had the energy to burn and he is a dream to walk with. He doesn't pull on the leash and maintains a calm demeanor. Thanks to him the route was a hit and ready to be used for other furry buds.

Sugar was just rearing to go. It was like she was making up for last time. Her enthusiasm for the walk could only be equaled with the affection she showers on you. It took two rounds of the route to get her pooped out.

As always, it is a bittersweet feeling to see Safina. I look at the announcements every week with hope that she would be next, especially when I got the fantastic news that Smot (another 2015 resident) got adopted. As usual, it was our normal rigmarole. Being almost dragged around the shelter in over 40 degrees with humidity is no walk in the park. But yet I felt content to cherish this time with Safina.

Trio is a new resident and is someone who reminds us of a valuable lesson. Being an amputee doesn't make you any less than full-limbed person. It's all about who you are on the inside, rather than your physical features. Walking with Trio reminds me of walking with Safina. I am always trying to catch up and she's impatiently waiting for me. She is so determined to get to where she wants to go and you better keep up the pace. She is certainly a resident as unique as the rest.

Shane is as mad as a hatter. When you approach her door, she is already parkouring off of it. I honestly don't know where she stores all that energy in her small frame. From the moment we walked out, she hit the ground running (literally). We had to do two rounds till she stopped to cool off in bath. Even then she kept tugging on the leash. Poor lil 'ol me couldn't even get a moment's rest. It helped that she is so affectionate that she could get away with it all. Here's where it gets interesting. She drags me back to her kennel and I thought she was done. But all she wanted was to chill there for a bit to go out...AGAIN. You can understand why I took this time as an excuse to exit stage left.

Antonio, like other Salukis, has in the past shown an initial burst of energy which peters out and then he walks at a slow pace. Being almost exhausted from the heat and humidity, I thought we would walk leisurely together. He decided to choose this time to turn over a new leaf. He didn't walk out of his kennel...he flew out! He was all over the place. He pulled, paused to locate a sound only he could hear and then dash off again. This was the repeat performance throughout our walk. You could see he truly enjoys being out and it is understandable why he would be adamant not to go back in. He's clever enough to know when the time is up and that's when he digs his heels in. It was by some luck that I managed to get him in, yet his howler monkey call from inside is what stabs at your heart. A prayer that, like all the other residents, he gets to his forever home someday.

I truly missed sharing my shelter stories with all of you on this site. I hope you get the chance to stop by at the nest volunteer weekend. I hope I get a chance to see one of you there and weave you into my tales, along with our darling furry buds hanging out with you....

Note: Please Call the shelter to make an appointment beforehand.