It’s bittersweet when I hand a dog over for adoption. Heart wrenching, yet heart warming at the same time. We recently completed another rescue mission–four more dogs off the streets of Cancun and into forever homes in the U.S.
The day started at 8 a.m. as my new partner, Taylor, and I set off for San Francisco to meet a flight landing at about 1 p.m. The plan was to pick up six dogs which would not fit in my car so I put out a plea on NextDoor for someone to assist. Taylor answered the call.
She has a large vehicle that could easily fit six crates and she was willing to help. I could not have done it without her. She loves to drive, she’s confident behind the wheel and together we made a great team.
Back up a little. The day actually started at 4 a.m. (7 a.m. Cancun time, when my Cancun partner arrived at the airport with the six dogs). We had booked six dogs, had even called after the booking to confirm, but at the counter the agents told her that only two dogs per person were allowed.
What can we do? Nothing, so we set off to pick up the four dogs that were on the way with two volunteer students from Mexico.
Finally we pull into the airport, scanning the sidewalks for two young people with four large crates. And there they are! Meeting the dogs is a special time. Amazingly, they handle the journey very well. They are quiet and accepting of their fate. Little do they know the adventure they are on!
The dogs have already been in crates for about 7 hours and we still have about 6 hours left to travel back to Lake Tahoe. It’s a long day for them and also for us so we stop along the way for something to eat.
Finally at 8 p.m., a full 12 hours after we started, we arrive back at Lake Tahoe, where the dogs will stay until homes are found for them. They are happy to get out of the crates and run around. They drink, they eat, they romp and generally celebrate life as the two women (that’s us) watch them with a smile (and a well-deserved glass of wine).
The next day, three of the four went home with their forever families. As I said, it’s bittersweet; I barely had time to get to know them! But I know that even though they had a wonderful life at the home of Karin, my Cancun partner, they’ve come a long way from when she rescued them either from the street or from a terrible situation.
Karin in Cancun nurtures the dogs, sees to their medical needs, ensures that they are spayed or neutered and also vaccinated. While in her care, they learn to be carefree, expect love and full bellies and generally learn how to be a dog without worries. As it should be. Removing them from her care and finding them homes in the United States, enables Karin to rescue MORE dogs. There is a never-ending need. We can’t save them all, but many of us work hard to greatly change the lives of a few. To us, it’s worth it. Every tear shed, every dollar, every peso…every moment of time we spend.
It just doesn’t get any better than this!
