Update
I am not sure what I need to say first - Thank you, or I am so sorry, both of which are equally important and overdue.
I guess I will start with THANK YOU, for your kindness and donating above what the original fundraiser was for - it was both shocking, heart melting and very emotional to see so much kindness and support.
It came about a strange way, which caused a huge amount of stress, in that the money people had donated, hadn't been getting rejected. I would not have known about it except a wonderful lady Linda, emailed me (whom I have yet to thank) bringing it to my attention. She had already done her due diligence and reached out to PayPal who had said the problem wasn't on their end. I did the same I reached out to PayPal, who after several phone calls and back and forth very confidently told me that this was not their end.
So, frantically I emailed The Giving Grid, how came back and told me it was not them it was Paypal - you can imagine now how I was feeling, transport was booked, and both organizations were blaming each other, I have so much going on, that trying to keep on top of back and forth wasn't an option.
In charges Dan in his suit of shining armour and took it upon himself to get it all sorted out and finally get PayPal to do what they should have done and figured it out that it was on their end and get it fixed.
Whilst this was all going on, I found out a very dear friend had contracted Covid back home in England and that took on it's own level of things for me to do - unfortunately I couldn't go home, but there was lots I was doing online to do my best to be there and to be supportive. I also got the transport to go ahead with an agreed timeframe to pay and we had 27 happy dogs arrive at the rescue.
We saved 4 7 month siblings and when they had playtime out of the kennel it was noticed that they had a very strange walk, it was all of them, both back legs - I thought it must either be, knee issues as they were kind of bow-legged or hip issues - my heart sank as surgery for one knee or hip is generally around $1,500 for 4 dogs, both back legs this is reaching the $12,000 mark. Of course the vets couldn't fit them in for over a week, so that stress was lingering also. The good news is that it is generic, I took one dog and had her hips x-ray and her knee's were examined and manipulated and nothing found so most like malnourishment and lack of muscle tone, along with a possible genetic issue. But, not in any pain and nothing that can be done, other than monitor through their life. So, that was a relief and I could post them back up for adoption.
Within the first week of them arriving 10 were adopted and it has just been a constant steady flow of applications, to the point now where we only have 7 dogs still here. Two are the fearful GSDs sisters whom are not yet ready for adoption. Two are hound sisters, who I could have got adopted out individually, but they are bonded and I am doing all I can to keep them together, two are the siblings from the 4 with a funny walk and then Porter the GSD mix, who I have no idea why he is still here!
I run the rescue on my own, and with winter coming there are jobs that have to be done outside, the heater in the kennel also broke down, so the dogs had to be moved out and over to the house, which wasn't too bad since there were just 10 of them at the time, but still more work. I have also been researching oil furnace as I don't want an old second hand one, I need something that is going to be good and last and of course reliable. Thankfully, a wonderful lady who adopted a dog from us a few years back works for a heating company and has been helping out and hopefully I will be ordering a new furnace along with ducting this week.
This really is just a few things that have gone on, there is so much more, but when I am just one person, it can get overwhelming and I have to focus and prioritize and get the most important things done in order to continue running the rescue.
I didn't want to just send a quick thank you response, as I felt you all deserved much more than that, however, I also didn't anticipate so much going on and not getting the chance to get back to you all.
My latest problem I have been dealing with this week is trying to get another transport up from Texas, but there is nothing until the middle of November, the shelter transport program was suspended in the summer, for reasons that are not being disclosed, but it has left us in a struggle to find safe and reliable ways to get the dogs and again so much time taken up trying to find someone to do the run.
I have actually decided over the weekend to look into purchasing a shuttle bus and having our own transport program, so we are not dependent on anyone else, I have everything else we need, crates, bowls, water, back-up generator, food, everything - except the vehicle - but that is something I'm working on now - we have a kennel empty, and dogs are being killed in the shelters throughout the south - its soul destroying not being able to get more because we are reliant on others and their schedules.
I am writing this not for pity or sympathy, I started GaDaH on 14th February 2011 (yes 10 years in February) and it truly has been a roller-coaster of not just emotions in regards to the dogs, but problems and obstacles and just a lot of stress- thankfully I served in the British Army and was taught to "improvise, adapt and overcome" lol.
The rescue has come such a long way in those years, moving from Texas to Maine and just improving things all the time, for a very small volunteer based rescue we do a lot more than a lot of the big corporate sponsored rescue's and shelters and for that I am proud - and I am beyond thankful to everyone who is involved in any way that they are able to help.
I do not and will never take credit for the rescue and the dogs we save and the work we achieve because although I might be the one doing the bulk of the work, there is not a doubt in my mind that without everyone doing their part, be that donating, volunteer to help with transport, volunteering to come and walk the dogs, helping with odd jobs, or just supporting the rescue through Facebook or however, and for being there to listen to me when I have hit rock bottom, of course not forgetting all those that trust us and adopt the dogs we save, without each and every one of you and them, GaDaH would not be where we are today and might not even exist.
I am very sorry that it has taken me this long to thank you, I know Dan reached out to his friends and they started to donate and exceeded our goal which is truly beyond amazing. I am used to begging and pleading every step of the way, so that has been something so very special and unique for us.
I hope that this has helped you understand that I have to prioritize in order to keep things going.
We have two dogs that are scheduled for surgery - Prince a terrier who is having knee surgery and Orion a GSD who is scheduled to have his second surgery on his other hip and I will put the extra money towards those surgeries.
This year to date, we have saved 169 dogs and adopted 209, we could have saved more had we had our own transport, but even still considering we have Covid disrupting everything I am proud of our achievements and will continue to work non-stop to do what we can to keep saving more.
Thank you for supporting GaDaH and our life saving mission. You have absolutely made a difference!
Jen
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