Last Sunday, in the middle of the night, a young, purebred Pitt Bull Terrier was abandoned in the parking lot of Peaceable Kingdom Animal Shelter, in Allentown, Pennsylvania. The temperature was hovering just above freezing. The dog was left in a crate wedged between two dumpsters on the side of the building. At around 2AM the driver of the trash pick up truck spotted the dog as he was making his rounds. The dog was scared and cold but otherwise unharmed. The gentleman was so upset that he returned after his shift to check on the dog and waited until someone from the shelter came to rescue the animal at around 5:30AM.
On Monday morning about 8:30AM a van pulled into the parking lot, and then quickly left again. The person at the front desk of the shelter went out to look around and found a beautiful Chihuahua shivering, in a cardboard cat carrier. The little dog had been left in a parking space.
Unfortunately this happens all the time.
Both dogs were brought into the shelter, checked by the Vet tech and put into large cages with food, water and warm bedding.
I met and spent time with them when I showed up for my volunteer shift that day. These dogs were very sweet tempered and healthy. This turned out to be a happy story, because both of these dogs were adopted in less than a week.
Of course there are also tragic stories of the many abused animals that come into the shelter. But Peaceable Kingdom has a large staff of dedicated volunteers to care for the large number of dogs and cats that end up there every week. The shelter is a safe haven for the unwanted. A no kill facility where all the animals are given the best care possible.
I first became involved with this shelter because of a very good friend of mine who is one of those dedicated volunteers. And, I got my sweet dog, Terra from the shelter.
I have to admit for a long time I was afraid of becoming involved in shelter work because I thought I would be so terribly depressed by the abandoned animals. But another friend who volunteers said to me, “You can cry all day, but somebody has to walk the dogs, so get over it!” Point taken. So I did. I became a volunteer dog walker.
I learned that for the time I spend with a dog, I can cuddle, walk, play with, talk to, and make that animal feel loved until he or she finds their forever home. I try to look at the positive side. The animals in this shelter are very well taken care of. The good news is a lot of them are adopted very quickly.
The older ones are usually put into loving foster care homes to wait for a new family.
But like all shelters, “PK” relies on donations from the community to keep caring for these animals. They need to feed them and provide medical care. The building is in constant need of repairs. It is always a struggle. They need generous donations to keep up their good work.
I encourage everyone to get involved in your local shelters. They need your help. Donate some dog food, write a check, or volunteer. It will make you feel good!
Please visit their website at lvpeaceablekingdom.info for more information about the animals, their facilities, or to find out about how to make a donation. You can also call them at (610) 432-2532.
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I am about to release my next book, DOG STORIES WITH HAPPY ENDINGS, which will be available in paperback and in digital format. I’ll be donating a portion of the proceeds from the sale to Peaceable Kingdom Animal Shelter.
This book is a collection of stories from friends and family guaranteed to make you smile. It’s a vivid walk down memory lane for anyone who has ever loved a pet. It contains 18 chapters and is dedicated to the loving memory of Jack, our Chihuahua we lost recently. My thanks go out to my many contributors including Chris Iliades, Corinne Iliades Sheh, and Jennifer Smith Iliades who shared their stories.
We just launched our mobile-responsive website at www.dogstorieswithhappyendings.com to showcase the project. Please take a look and I welcome your feedback.