Running for the Dogs

I just got back from a 2 and a half mile run. My legs are throbbing, my throat has been hurting for 3 days now (the sore throat that feels like you have a knife lodged right into your glands) but that isn't anything compared to the suffering and pain that the dogs endure while in the county shelters and in the wrongs hands of man kind.

As some of you know my husband recently signed us up for the Denver full marathon on September 22nd, 2012. We have run marathons before but this one will pose an extra challenge as I haven't run more then 2 miles sense before I had Gracie, our 10 month old daughter. In fact, I haven't run more then 5 miles for 1 year and 4 months. I know what you are thinking...

Ha! Good luck with that!!

I know. I'm with you!

Don't get me wrong, I love to run and my favorite part about training for a full marathon are the 2+ hour long runs where I get to spend quality uninterrupted time with Nick, my husband. The last marathon we trained for we came up with solutions for all the worlds problems, planned out our life for the next ten years, talked about our dreams and even about Gracie (a distant dream back then!) and still had time to spare!

Needless to say, the training for this marathon is going to hurt. My legs are going to ache. My mental state will be pushed. My body will have to adapt and turn into the machine that it once was. Yes, this IS going to hurt. Not to mention Denver isn't nicknamed the "Mile High" city for nothing. At 5,280 feet above sea level you better believe our lungs are going to be on fire. The fact of the matter is, running 26.2 miles isn't easy. But this time around I have a changed mindset, in fact I'm not even running this marathon for me.

I'm running this one for the dogs. 1 dog or cat every 8 seconds, yes I said EIGHT SECONDS is killed by euthanasia in the United Stated Shelter system (click here for the source) 


My legs might hurt. My lungs might burn. My mental state might be challenged. But I am alive and free (thanks to the amazing men and woman who serve) and I will not let these animals lives be forgotten and I will not turn a blind eye on what's going on in these shelters and I will not succumb to the people who think that there is nothing that we can do.

For the next 6 months, I will run for these animals.

I will run for Nazier, pictured below, who walked into the shelter healthy and died two days after a good friend of mine rescued him. He died in loving arms at the veterinarians as they were giving him the the fluids and antibiotics that he needed WEEKS before that the shelter could have given him for penny's on the dollar. He died of phenomena and would never feel the warmth of a loving home. RIP sweet boy.

I will run for Phoenix, pictured below. He died alone on a concrete floor with a thin blanket back in December. He also died of phenomena, but this one dog sparked a change. Because of Phoenix's story and how he didn't even have a bed to spend his last days the shelter held a fundraiser and raised enough money to put raised beds in each of the kennels.  This one dog did die but his legacy will live on and help the lives of the thousands of dogs that enter the Pinal shelter each year. RIP Phoenix, you will never be forgotten. 

These are sad depressing stories and I do tend to only share the happy endings because I know how hard it is to look. But these dogs NEED us. And quite frankly, those of us who adopt NEED them.

These dogs endure pain. Most of these dogs don't have air conditioned or heated facilities. They are fed low grade food and often times dirty water. They don't get the medical care they need. They don't get love or attention and if they are lucky they get to go on a short walk and stretch their legs for 30 minutes out of 24 hours a day. Most shelters don't have dog beds and most of the people who work at the shelter are harsh and don't even care about animals, in fact, a LOT of animals are abused in shelters from the shelter staff. That's a sad reality and breed discrimination runs ramped.

Most humans would never trust again after being treated in such a way.

Do you want to know the most amazing thing about these animals? Somehow, after ALL of this, they still wag their tail. They will still push their bodies up against the chain-link gate separating them from freedom and beg you to give them a scratch, even if it is only with the one finger tip you can fit through. They still want to hang out with "us" the "humans" the people who put them behind bars in the first place.

This dog is literally smiling and waging his tail so hard it's a blur in the picture.  He is currently up for adoption in a local shelter and looking for his forever home. (you can see the raised bed, thanks to Phoenix, in the background) 

It's truly amazing. The ability these animals have to forgive. The ability that these animals have to survive. The ability to push through the pain.

So for these deserving dogs, I will run for them. I will wake up at o-dark-30 and put my running shoes on. I will push though the pain and when I feel like giving up, I'll think of the dog wagging his tail not knowing that he is walking into the room that he will take his last breath in. I'll run through the heat of the Arizona summer for the dog in the shelter who doesn't have air conditioning. I might not run fast, but I'll run and run with a purpose.

I know that running won't save any of these dogs lives directly. But with the hours I have of training I'm going to continue to make my business plan bigger and stronger. And hopefully inspire more people to "run for the dogs." Each day I'll pick a dog to run/ workout for. If you have a dog you want me to put some miles in for send me a pic, I'll do it.

Next  I think I'm going to get some t-shirts printed up for my training. Something simple, like:

Let me know if you are interested in ordering something. I'll have the entire line that I am ordering soon and I would be more then happy to share the link so you can order some too! 

                                                                   Be the Change

And then there was one.

On January 23rd I picked up a very special girl per request of a very special boy.

As some of you might remember, Lux was Nick's, my husband, special birthday request. When asked what he wanted for his 28th birthday, which was on January 25th, he didn't skip a beat when he replied, "I want you to rescue another dog for my birthday." 

We all know you don't have to tell me twice! 

Pinal County Animal shelter destroys dogs on Mondays and Thursdays so I always tag on Sunday nights as to save the next dogs on the list from the Monday morning hell. There were many to choose from, but this sweet girl stole my heart. 

The shelter called her Minnie and she was to be PTS (Put to sleep) on Monday because she was too shy. When I called Monday morning to make sure that they had not put her down (this does sometimes happen) Kathy, the shelter worker informed me that she was indeed still there but she proceeded to ask if I was sure I wanted to adopt her because no one could get her out of her kennel and she had to be carried outside to go to the bathroom because she was so scared. I assured her that I was sure and that I would be there by 1pm to pick her up. 

So, Gracie, my then 7 and a half month old daughter, and I jumped in the car and away we went on the hour and a half drive. I had the kennel in the back, some dog treats, and no idea how much I would fall in love with this girl :) After they drug her out of the shelter they asked me once again if I was sure I wanted THIS dog. I didn't even answer as I picked her up and put her into the back of the car. 

Before we started the drive home I posted the above picture of the pup I just picked up on facebook and asked my friends to help me name her. I had a lot of cute suggestions but my friend Tara had the winner, Lux. This is her exact post from January 23rd, Tara Halligan writes,  "Lux, combines luck and light in Latin. Id say that describes the adoption well." Thanks Tara! you were right!  

When we got home it took her nearly 20 minutes to build up the courage to get out of the kennel but we didn't mind, it was worth the wait :) 

She settled in and started to get used to a human actually being patent with her. Allowing her to do things on her own time as she felt comfortable with it. Her first walk took nearly 45 minutes when it would have taken maybe 5 with my other dogs. She was afraid of moving cars, parked cars, trash bins, barking dogs, and even me on the other side of the leash. But day by day, walk by walk, she started to gain confidence. We took 5 short walks a day and at the end of the first week she actually started to enjoy this thing the humans call "a walk." And by the start of the second week I discovered that she had a tail, and that it worked! 

This rescue was extra special for me because not only was this deserving dog, along with my other two fosters, out of the disgusting shelter, but some of my dear friends helped out in very special ways. Allyson Abide and her amazing family Bill and Emma donated THREE bags of dog food, a leash, a collar, a food bowl, and toys and treats. I was in tears when I opened these packages. Even though she is thousands of miles away, she made a HUGE impact on Lux and the other two dogs and on me. You don't come across that kind of true kindness very often and Allyson, I truly appreciate you and what you have done for these pups. Pictured to the right is just SOME of the Abide's donation. There were a lot of wagging tails that day! 

 Another good friend of mine, Cece Harris, was very generous and donated a nice fluffy dog bed for Lux.  At first Lux was weary of this new "thing" occupying her sleep area. But once she took her first step, she never looked back! Thank you SO much Ce for the nice warm bed. It was a big upgrade from the shelters cold concrete floors!  

Lux's first time on a soft bed

I would like to think that Lux learned many things while she stayed at our house but most of all, she learned what true love is. She learned that not all humans are bad and that not all hands will hit. She learned that she loves to be loved :) 

This is Lux's first hug. I'm so glad that it was caught on camera by Nick. I sat on the floor for hours with her before she decided she was ready.  But when she was, she was welcomed with open arms :) (we shared MANY hug after that, at least one a day!) 

And now, after this long journey, I am SO happy to announce.......
 Lux has found her forever home!

Thank you to the Vermilion Family for giving this special girl the home she always deserved!!

This is a picture of Lux's new doggie sister, Lucy, and one of 2 human sisters, Bella! 

Click here for a video of Lux in action!

Thank you to everyone who helped in this adoption and with Lux. 

Tara, you will be happy to know that her new family loves the name just as much as we did and are keeping it! 

Allyson, you will be happy to know that Dino is still using the dog bowl, leash and collar, and is just about to finish up the last of his senior dog food :) and all of your donations will be used for my foster to come! 

Cece, you will be happy to know that your dog bed can now be occupied by my next rescue and that Lux LOVED that bed but now sleeps in bed with her new family :) 

-Britt