Monday, November 1, 2010

The Sashas and Rescue Gone Wrong

Yesterday, I got a fabulous photo of Sasha, adopted by Adena and Matt, my old neighbors. Even though Reunion Rescue didn't have a Halloween contest, Sasha is hereby awarded first prize.

And today, I receive a plea for a wonderful girl...another Sasha. This Sasha has had everything bad in her life...ears cut off and when she refused to fight, abandoned. This girl just wants to lay in your lap and eat cookies. 

This Sasha is in Washington State near Bainbridge Island outside Seattle. There are so many mistreated dogs, abandoned and abused right now. With all of the world's progress, it seems like we are going backwards in regards to animals.  

While I'm over here on the downside, I'll share a bit of sad news about one of our own. Years ago, when Reunion Rescue was just getting started, I met a wonderful group of people in Berkeley, CA who had also formed a rescue dedicated to helping the cats and dogs no one else wanted. 

Astrid, Judy and I had a lot in common. We would save those ones about to be euthanized for all kinds of reasons. The ones who were automatically placed on the kill list for illness, we would grab and board with our good friend, Kay of Noah's Friends Animal Sanctuary outside Fresno. The four of us became close over the years as many animals brought us together time and again. In our world, the true animal lovers become close and stay close. 

The group Judy and Astrid founded has been taken over by some corporate types. They are no longer saving the old, the tired and the sick ones. In fact, they farmed out the sanctuary animals Astrid has provided a safe place for, two dying in the transition. Astrid and the animals she's managed to keep will be leaving the home she's lived in for a decade, forced to leave the state. This new version of rescue is evicting their founder...along with the animals they've been collecting big $$$ donations for over the years. 

Performing a simple charity check from the Guidestar site, rescue has become big business with some groups like this one taking in several hundred thousand dollars a year! 

On days like today, you just have to hope for a better day.









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