I never experienced the exquisite intensity of unconditional love until I adopted my 6-year-old Maltese, Mini, in 2014. Having grown up in an “allergic” household, we had no pets, and owning one never occurred to me.
I was a born writer. Words are my passion and were my profession. A journalism graduate, I’ve been a poet and best selling author, PR director of a major hospital, prolific articles writer, and public speaker on teen mental health issues.
Then I fell in love with a rowdy Jack Russell terrier named Uggie in the Academy Award winning film “The Artist.” Don’t ask me why. Writers have no logical explanations for their obsessions, and Uggie, a rescue dog, became mine.
Diagnosed years earlier with fibromyalgia, and more recently with severe spinal problems that have left me increasingly housebound, I found a new obsession: the world of animal rescue. And so, with my passion for words, I decided to offer my writer’s voice — as a volunteer – to those who needed it.
Writers are resourceful and relentless. Online, I found guides, directories and web sites, and began emailing queries to rescues in Canada and the U.S. And, one by one, I found, to my delight, that my voice WAS needed.
Three years and counting. I write all day every day, and I not only love it, I live for it. It excites and challenges me. But most importantly, it makes me feel useful. I write articles for websites, blogs and newsletters; adoptable dog and cat bios and press releases; text for fundraisers and brochures, and appeals for sponsors, volunteers, and foster homes.
Thanks to cyberspace, I’m part of a wonderful world where tragedies are balanced by triumphs, and where remarkable people devote THEIR passion to making a difference in the lives of innocent and deserving animals everywhere.
When Lynn asked me to write the stories of my fellow SOAR volunteers, I was delighted. There’s nothing I enjoy more than meeting those who form the backbone of every successful rescue. The words may be yours, the style mine, but together we’re collaborating to achieve the same goal.
And although I’ve only met some of you, I look forward to meeting all of you.
