I Got to Thinking...

This past Tuesday was "Adopt the Internet" with Pet Finder. I had also visited Pup Love's blog where she encouraged bloggers to do a week long blog hop that revolved around promoting adoptable animals, but wasn't able to participate because I am still figuring out the wonder that is my Mac's operating system. I just learned how to cut and paste yesterday! :) You can find her here:
Pup Love
I am also a huge fan of Dog Foster Mom's blog and have been a fan of adopting animals from rescues. I adopted Kyo from a Humane Society in Ontario Canada and also got my parents' dog as a puppy from a local Humane Society. When I was in university, my roommates  and I adopted two cats from a cats only rescue organization. In high school I volunteered with my hometown's Humane society, playing with cats and walking/grooming dogs. So, as you can see, I'm a huge fan of no kill rescues and feel very strongly about giving to this particular cause. But ever since I moved to my current location, I haven't been able to get involved with animal focused organisations to the extent that I would like to; mostly due to transportation issues. I sort of put that stuff on the back burner and just assumed that I wouldn't be able to do any volunteering until we moved somewhere more accessible. But after reading Pup Love's blog and witnessing the enthusiasm for "Adopt the Internet," I became inspired and decided to get creative and find a way to volunteer. I started searching local rescue groups and found two that appealed to me.
The first I liked because it is fairly close to where I am living. I figure that if all else fails and I can't get a ride from someone, I can take a cab. I have sent emails back and forth with the head of the rescue and although she seems in need of volunteers, she seems a little overwhelmed. I have volunteered with this kind of organisation before, where there is hardly any structure and everything is helter-skelter. I am a little hesitant to get involved again because the volunteers just get shunted along and no one knows what is going on.  She even told me that they  don't have a volunteer co-ordinator. Perhaps that is a job for me?It also took me contacting her twice before she would commit. Originally, she said that I could come by the facility and meet the animals and get a feel for the place, but in the most recent email she said that she is glad I am volunteering with them and that I have been placed on their volunteer emailing list. I am a bit confused. What happened to me coming in? Doesn't she want to meet me? What if I am not the sort of person they want representing their rescue? I liked this organisation because I read on their website that some work can be done from a volunteer's home. This would work for me and save some cab fare, but I would like to have a bit more information first. I'd like to meet the person in charge too.
I understand that  she is also running a boarding facility/grooming salon on top of the rescue and so perhaps she is crazy busy, but I have volunteered twice to go out there and meet her in person and nothing has come of it. Is this odd to anyone else, or am I just being paranoid? I think I may email her back and say that I want a face to face interview or at least introduction before I commit.
The second rescue organisation is really cool and I am excited to work with them. The person I have been in contact via email asked e to fill out a paper volunteer application, but once I explained that this was not possible, she offered to call me instead. Their website is extremely organised and this person seems a bit more on top of it. I think she is busy too as her emails are quite brief, but they are not impersonal and I feel more comfortable knowing that there is an actual application that you actually have to fill out. I also feel better knowing that I am going to be talking to someone over the phone.
This rescue is breed specific and places their dogs in foster homes. I don't believe that they have a kennel, but I could be wrong. They list a lot of what they need help with on their website and have a full list of the adoptable dogs up.
The organisation rescues Border Collies. I honestly haven't had a lot of interaction with the breed, but it would be neat to get to know another kind of dog. I know they are incredibly intelligent and usually have a herding instinct. They also have a high energy level, which is why most of them get surrendered. Mr. K has talked about us getting one in ten to twelve years-when our fuzzy family has crossed the Rainbow Bridge-but I want more exposure to the breed before we go off and get one. I hadn't had much interaction with Dachshunds before we got ours. I only knew what I had read and although I love these guys with all of my heart, I still think I am a big dog kind of person. I'm not only blind, but deaf in one ear and I can hear big dogs much better than small ones. It's easier to know what they are up to. I also think it would be cool to train a dog from scratch for either Rally or Agility. A Border Collie would be perfect. So, it's with the future in mind, and a really big urge to to do more than just write about how wonderful rescue dogs are, that I have decided to apply to work with this organisation.
I love dogs and know that we can't take on anymore-I would go crazy-but I want to try to help dogs in need in a different way. There were so many Border Collies that were on the website that had been surrendered due to financial changes or people moving into places that would not allow dogs. I have the time right now, so why not use it in a more constructive manner?