Ramblings From The Ranch

By Syd Sullins

Be a Hero!

dog december2015Pick me! Pick me! That’s what I feel like all 60 to 70 dogs at the Ranch are saying to me as I walk by their runs with a leash. The excitement builds the moment you make the initial motion to reach for the leashes. The majority of the dogs can’t see this from the position of their runs, but it must be a special bark they relay from pen to pen, so all know that it’s walk time.

Some run around in circles with excitement; others sit quietly with a longing look on their face. But for the lucky dogs who have their turn to walk that day, its pure joy. They proudly prance outside the enclosure and sniff and mark multiple times on their way.   They’ll sometimes munch on grass or strain to chase a squirrel. At the end, there’s always some grooming and lots of love pats. Then they happily walk back to their run.

As I watch so many people trudging along the carretera to get their daily exercise, I feel almost smug. So much more enjoyable to be up at the Ranch, especially this time of year. The sky is clear and blue, the mountains are gorgeous and green, and the leaves on the trees are starting to fall so it feels a bit like autumn. I’m not breathing the smog belching from the cars zooming on the carretera and no need to worry about traffic as I cross the busy streets. And at the end of the day when I hang up the leash and mark off the dogs that were walked, I know that I had a nice workout. And this day, for those dogs, I was their hero.

If you’d like to be a hero for a shelter dog, contact us at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or call 331.270.4447.

Pin It
 Find us on Facebook