Valuing Dogs Others Have Dumped
After our day with All 4s in Memphis, we were dirty and tired but we still had one more stop—Horn Lake Animal Shelter.We were headed there because of a woman named Julia who had contacted me shortly before we left on this trip asking if we had time to squeeze in a visit to Horn Lake. We didn’t, but Julia was compelling, so at 4:30pm on Wednesday, we found them just past the dump, sharing space with the public works department.
The first thing we noticed was a new solid tall fence surrounding play yards and large outdoor kennels. The outdoor space was the first thing Horn Lake’s new director changed when she arrived six months ago.
This is where the dogs spend parts of their days, and I would wager this is how the dogs stay sane for what is likely a long stay at Horn Lake.Julia was in the middle of a rare adoption when we arrived, so we spent a little time with a few of the dogs currently housed in the office while she went through the paperwork for the family who had come back to adopt Gracie, a lucky dog they promised to spoil all the days of her life.
The first thing we noticed was a new solid tall fence surrounding play yards and large outdoor kennels. The outdoor space was the first thing Horn Lake’s new director changed when she arrived six months ago.This is where the dogs spend parts of their days, and I would wager this is how the dogs stay sane for what is likely a long stay at Horn Lake.Julia was in the middle of a rare adoption when we arrived, so we spent a little time with a few of the dogs currently housed in the office while she went through the paperwork for the family who had come back to adopt Gracie, a lucky dog they promised to spoil all the days of her life.
I’m hopeful that with Pat’s leadership and Julia’s advocacy, Horn Lake is headed for better days. So many times we see this—the difference leadership can make. Too many times it is the difference between dogs living and dogs dying, but in this case, it is also the difference between dogs suffering from shelter stress or maintaining their emotional health through smart shelter practices.It's also a matter of valuing these dogs that the community has thrown away. Julia told us that one of the changes that Pat made is what they do with dead animals. As part of their Animal Control duties, the Horn Lake staff must pick up animals found dead in their county. The previous leadership at the shelter would simply throw away the bodies in a dumpster. Not Pat, she makes sure that all the animals are cremated because they are not trash. This isn’t a fact that many would even know, but the people at Horn Lake Shelter do because they understand the value of a life.I'm hopeful for this shelter and grateful for its advocates like Julia and The Friends of Horn Lake. If you’d like to help Horn Lake, follow the shelter on Facebook or send them something from their Amazon Wishlist.
Until every cage is empty,CaraPlease help us by subscribing (button on right side) to and sharing this blog. You can also keep track of us on Facebook and Instagram.Who Will Let the Dogs Out (we call it Waldo for short) is an initiative of Operation Paws for Homes. If you’d like to contribute to our work, we encourage you to click on the how to help link above and give directly to a shelter. You can also donate to our work via OPH’s donation page by designating Who Will Let the Dogs Out in your comments.My upcoming book, One Hundred Dogs & Counting: One Woman, Ten Thousand Miles, and a Journey Into the Heart of Shelters and Rescues (Pegasus Books, July 7, 2020) tells the story of not only our foster experience but how Who Will Let the Dogs Out began. It is available for preorder now and a portion of proceeds of every book sold will go to help unwanted animals in the south.
Until every cage is empty,CaraPlease help us by subscribing (button on right side) to and sharing this blog. You can also keep track of us on Facebook and Instagram.Who Will Let the Dogs Out (we call it Waldo for short) is an initiative of Operation Paws for Homes. If you’d like to contribute to our work, we encourage you to click on the how to help link above and give directly to a shelter. You can also donate to our work via OPH’s donation page by designating Who Will Let the Dogs Out in your comments.My upcoming book, One Hundred Dogs & Counting: One Woman, Ten Thousand Miles, and a Journey Into the Heart of Shelters and Rescues (Pegasus Books, July 7, 2020) tells the story of not only our foster experience but how Who Will Let the Dogs Out began. It is available for preorder now and a portion of proceeds of every book sold will go to help unwanted animals in the south.
