A Friend in Need

Because I was an English major in college, I was obligated to read a wide variety of literature. While some of the works were forgotten the moment I finished the course, others have stayed with me throughout my life.

One thing that stuck with me in particular was a quote from Antoine de Saint-Exupery, a French novelist, who wrote, "You are responsible, forever, for what you have tamed."

Perhaps it is because I am a dog lover, or perhaps it is because of my tenacious personality, but whatever the reason, these words touched me so deeply, they became a part of who I am. In fact, it is because of the truth in these words that I became a volunteer for .

As a volunteer, I find it completely understandable that sometimes financial situations or unexpected health concerns cause families to surrender their dogs to humane societies and rescues—in fact, I am happy that these families care enough to seek out responsible organizations. What I don’t understand is how someone can hurt an innocent dog and literally throw him away. After all, humans domesticated dogs. We tamed them. They are now our responsibility.

If you follow Great Lakes Lab Rescue on Facebook, you can read about two dogs that were literally thrown away by humans. Cooper is a 3-year-old yellow Lab that was dumped out of a car before he watched his owner drive away. Tater Tot is a tiny puppy that was severely injured in the puppy mill where he was born—his injuries were left untreated for sometime and then he too was dumped. One of Tater’s eyes was punctured and he just had surgery on Wednesday to have it removed. He is resting comfortably with his foster family, but his medical bills, which are paid by the rescue, are mounting.

I am grateful for organizations like Great Lakes Lab Rescue that strive to find loving families for all of these sweet abandoned dogs. And, I am grateful for the foster families who care for the dogs until a forever home is found. It is people like these who give me hope for humankind—hope that people will be responsible and take care of the dogs they bring into the world and into their homes.

These volunteers remind me of another quote by Antoine de Saint-Exupery: "And now here is my secret, a very simple secret; it is only with the heart that one can see rightly." People who help dogs in need truly see with their hearts.

I would encourage you to check out Great Lakes Lab Rescue and read about the great work they are doing. And, if you want to help contribute to Tater’s care, donations are being accepted through PayPal—just follow this link and be sure to note that you want to help Tater  http://www.greatlakeslabrescue.org/donation.html .