I decided to volunteer at SCRAPS - one of our local shelters and animal control operations - to keep my skills honed AND to help the pups. I went to a class for it and got my neon green VOLUNTEER shirt so I was all ready to go. I had planned to walk a dog or three and then give them a massage. The coordinator, Karen, said I could use the grooming salon for a little privacy for me and the dogs. But for my first visit, I thought I would just do some playing and see how it all worked out. Saturday's last shift was mine - and I had no other volunteers with me. I took out my first dog - a huge senior dog with hip issues. He is an Anatolian Shepherd and something else. Very sweet, walked like a dr
I started massaging Mya a couple months back when she had tweaked her knee playing with her housemate, Diesel. Mya is a 45 pound Bulldog and Diesel is 80lbs - so you can see where tweaking might occur! On my first visit, Mya was shy and Diesel - well he just wanted to dominate me. He did this by backing me up with his body, "nibbling" at my knees and trying to hump me! So no massage for him! Over the weeks, he has become more friendly and mostly ignored me while I attended to Mya. She soon became accustomed to my presence and upon my arrival she would flop on the couch, belly up awaiting the opening rubs. On my last vist - I belive our 12th, she presented herself for belly rubs on the couch,
