 Here
is a montage that our friends get a kick out of. That's me and Bette in the
middle. And, yes, we can name each and every one of the "furry
faces" to use Austin's words. On your email you did ask for a picture
of our dog. The attached picture is an example of the saying that you
better not wish for something - you might get it.To
make a long explanation short: Bette has run our local Humane
Society/SPCA for about 15 years. For the last 5 of those years the operation has
been separate from the County pound which she managed as a shelter under contract with the
County until the pols insisted that she kill the animals by their schedule. So our place -
we live in a very rural situation of 350 acres and with the closest neighbor being about a
half mile away - became a shelter/sanctuary. We have two dog lots, each about 2 acres.
Bette will soon have her "Almost Home Pet Adoption Center" near town,
on the main US highway 12 miles away from here. She just needs another $200,000. I
help a little, mainly by transporting a couple dozen puppies each month to the Northeast
Animal Shelter in Salem, MA, where good spay/neutering practices have resulted in a
shortage of puppies. Bette has worked out this arrangement that has enabled her to save
about 1500 hundred puppies over the last 3-4 years. Bette adopts kittens and cats though
the generosity of a locally owned (by my son-on-law) pet store in Charlottesville, 40
miles from here. Bette - with some help - saves about 800 animals a year! And
each time she saves a dog or cat she makes at least one human family happy. She's got
decades in the bank against GWB's volunteerism request. For my part, I sing in a pretty
good barbershop quartet (Dreamland) and chorus (currently SPEBSQSA Chapter President).
Barbershopping is a wonderful hobby that permits us to bring some joy to people while
having great fun ourselves. Also, I'm Executive Director of our County's affiliate with
the Literacy Volunteers of America, Inc., a new part-time position. In addition to
Janet who owns the pet store, we have daughter Lauren who has been teaching Spanish kids
in an American school setting in Valencia. We have no grand children. Is that why we
have so many dogs and cats, Mel? |
