Suzy, day 1, Sept 2005

It's all because of her... Suzy. The little muffin of a dog who joined our family one September day in 2005. It was the weekend of Hurricane Katrina and I remember picking her up at her foster home, buckling her up in the car and driving home while she just stared at me - my hand resting on her for reassurance. My husband and I had never lived with a little dog, but I knew from the moment I met her she was the one for us.

Sitting and snuggling with her on our couch watching the awful events and destruction of the hurricane unfold on television, I felt both lucky... and guilty. There I was, starting a new chapter in life with a sweet little dog who had been given up for reasons unknown - while on the same continent right at that moment there were animals losing their homes and the people who kept them safe. Their chapters were ending.

Over the next few days, Suzy would just stare at me and I couldn't tell what she wanted - food? pee break? more belly rubs? Was she was trying to figure out who I was and what was going on? 

It was the feeling I had on that weekend - of wanting to help reassure other animals who are at a crossroads in their lives -  which led me to begin volunteering at the Victoria SPCA. And since 2006 I've helped organize fundraisers, given countless Humane Education presentations with Suzy at my side,  walked a lot of dogs, and rubbed a lot of bellies. I guess there are many reasons why I want to help animals - shelter animals in particular - but essentially it all boils down to this... that as humans, we've domesticated certain animals - brought them into our world and made them assimilate into our lives - therefore it’s up to us to help look out for them with care and compassion and love, because they can't speak up for themselves.