Why I Walk Dogs at Pima Animal Care Center
Just over a year ago, I lost my best friend and companion, Miss Billie Holiday Evans. She was a flat-coated retriever I had adopted in 2003. The most difficult decision of my life was to let her go when she had terminal cancer. It forced me to look inside and consider what would be gained by keeping her alive for a few more days or weeks. I realized the motivation was selfish, and it was merely to spare me the immediate pain of saying goodbye. It was not for her benefit and not the best thing for her. So we had a vet come to the house and said our goodbyes on a stormy September afternoon. I had learned the meaning of loving someone enough to let them go.
The experience of losing Billie changed me in a certain way. I had thought about walking dogs at the PACC, but was reluctant to see the sad faces. Now I realized by staying away I was only protecting myself, and this was absolutely no help to the pets. Billie too had been a shelter dog, and she was emblematic of what a pet can become with love, training and a safe environment. From a skinny, scared pup, she turned into a loyal and constant companion. She was a true beauty with big, liquid brown eyes, long lashes, soft black fur and a tail so long and full that it touched the ground. Our love was pure, unconditional, and boundless. From Billie I learned the potential of shelter dogs, so last January I started walking dogs to honor Billie’s memory.
When walking dogs, there is the immediate satisfaction of knowing you have made a life better for an hour or a day. The dogs come charging out of the kennels, wound up. During their 20-30 minute walk, they visibly relax and have a few minutes to be a dog — rolling in grass, sitting quietly by Silverbell Lake, and maybe most importantly, connecting one-on-one with a kind human. This interaction makes dogs more social and more adoptable. More adoptable dogs and cats mean fewer are euthanized and PACC can move closer to becoming a no-kill shelter. Fewer euthanized animals and no-kill policies make our community a kinder, healthier and better place.
There is no love or loyalty greater than that of a bond made between a human and an animal. I believe the antidote to much of the ugliness and mean-spiritedness that seems pervasive in politics and everyday life is found in kindness and in doing something for someone other than ourselves. For me, that means walking dogs to improve one life one at a time.
PACC never turns away a pet in need and for that reason is almost constantly overcrowded. By volunteering there, I feel I can make the most difference in lives of homeless pets. And it feels good to be there. The PACC volunteers I’ve met are kind, compassionate and welcoming. They share a passion for making the lives of animals better. There is joy and selflessness in the work they do. They bring bags of chicken breast to lift the spirits of the pets. They take home laundry when the washer or dryer go out. They bring ice on hot days when the air conditioning is not enough.
Volunteering at PACC is not for everyone. But every one of us has the means to make a difference by exhibiting kindness and compassion to another being in some small way. Whatever your passion is, every kind word and generous act makes our community a better, healthier, more livable place. Find yours and go do it.
