Category: Dogs

So in ALFIE! Part 1, I gave a relatively quick explanation of how I went from digging a dog (ALFIE!) to adoption in a handful of days.  Summing that up, I’d actually known ALFIE for a couple of months but had only spent a minimal amount of time with him in the runs since he was technically a level above what I could walk at the shelter.

A series of events ranging from being told that my excuses for not having a dog were nonsense to watching two friends’ dog for about 5 days along with a bunch of different events on Thanksgiving had led to me making a decision.  I wanted ALFIE!.  After buying a bunch of stuff at PetSmart, I had adopted him that Saturday and brought him home.

As sort of an amusing side-note, readers will note that I’m referring to ALFIE! in all-caps, Internet yelling.  That’s how I actually always talked to him at the shelter; I’d see him in his kennel and treat him and call him ALFIE!. … Keep Reading

Today is a little bit different in terms of content.  Because today I have a surprise.   Don’t be surprised if my site domain changes to Doggierecomposition.com soon.

Anyhow, today and Thursday is going to be another couple of posts about dogs.  Well, more specifically about a single dog named ALFIE!  Now can probably guess what today is going to be about by the title alone; read it all anyhow.  It’s background for Part 2 on Thursday anyway.

Now, those of you who read/remember the entirety of the Volunteering at the Austin Humane Shelter series may remember that i mentioned a BB (blue extreme) dog named Alfie that was one of my current favorites, but that I didn’t ever get to walk him because he was above my level.

But that I’d sat with him in the runs from time to time and really dug him.  He was cute in that sort of stupid looking way and he’s just a big goofball; I couldn’t figure out why he hadn’t been adopted and he’d been at the shelter for at least a couple of months. … Keep Reading

I was originally going to try this as a video post and wish I could have.  But I couldn’t make it through the tears so words on a screen will have to do. It’s weak as hell but apparently, right now, so am I.

I just want to make a quick post about what happened after last week’s series of articles on Volunteering at The Austin Humane Shelter.  I had been last Friday and simply been told that ‘the response to your articles has been amazing’ but I knew no more than that. I knew that a tremendous number of donations had come in for the Loretta fund and had asked for an overall total so I could thank people later this week.

I had no idea.

Thanking Me?

What I found amusing about the whole situation is that people at the shelter kept thanking me for what I’d done.  I talked to various staff members, none of whom I’d ever even met before, and they kept trying to thank me.… Keep Reading

Continuing from Part 4 while I thumped on about the shelter, I tried to make the point that doing volunteering of any sort can only be good for everyone involved.  I told you about another project I do regularly as well as a couple more I may get involved with through a friend here.  I want to sum up that piece quickly: it doesn’t matter what you do volunteering, just do something.

But this series is about the Austin Humane Shelter mainly and I’m going to finish up by moving (mainly) back to dogs.   Originally there was only going to be one picture but something came up as I was writing it that has modified that to two.  I’ve shown you plenty of beautiful dogs already and today is not the time for showing non-specific dogs; the two I’m going to show you are for very specific reasons.

But before we get into it.… Keep Reading

Yesterday, in Volunteering at the Austin Humane Shelter: Part 3, I talked about my general experiences at the shelter during the summer and falling in love with a dog named Babe who then got sick and adopted.   I’m going to continue in that vein and keep telling you about how the shelter really impacted on me and why I think volunteering, either at a dog shelter or elsewhere, can be a good thing to do.  I’ll wrap up tomorrow and really hit you where it hurts and I apologize for not having any doggie pictures today.  They just didn’t fit my flow.

I had ended yesterday’s piece by pointing out the flood of emotions that volunteers go through when one of their favorite (or in my case, beloved) dogs is adopted.  You’re hurt because they aren’t there anymore but you’re happy that they have a home.  You’re sad that you may never see them again and you worry that their new home won’t care quite as much as you; but you can’t think that way, the people wouldn’t have adopted your dog if they didn’t want to love them.… Keep Reading