I am taking a break from the brutally hot Utah sun and reflecting on my first week as an intern at Best Friends Animal Society in Kanab. I arrived for my first of five weeks here at the sanctuary on Monday and was assigned to houses 3 & 4 where I met Sam and Kathy, the two caregivers for the buildings. These two amazing women currently care for 18 dogs but can house up to 60 dogs at a time. Not only do they care for the dogs and their surroundings, but they treat each on of them as their own, showing them love and respect throughout each day. I am completely in awe of their strength.
Dogtown
The houses are set up for group living. The indoor areas are small but cool, while the outdoor areas are extremely large. This allows the dogs lots of running and playing througout the day. One day a week, they get a trip to the dog park, a 2-acre fenced in area with a wading pool. That was by far my favorite day this week. You really get to see the dogs personalities when they are in a new space, off leash and smelling all the good smells.
Why am I here?
As part of my graduate degree at Souther Utah University, I need to complete an internship of 135 hours. I could have chosen a shelter closer to home, but I wanted to learn from the best. The team at Better Together Dog Rescue want nothing more that to be successful so we can save as many lives as we can. This meant coming out to Best Friends and learning from the organziation that inspires me everyday.
This is no small sacrifice. I left behind my husband, two boys and three dogs. I have to pay for my flights, housing, rental car, groceries, afterschool programs and daily dog care to be part of this program. It is ALL WORTH IT! The knowledge and expertise I will learn here will be brought back to Better Together Dog Rescue. We will provide the absolute best care for the dogs in our program and find them the loving homes that they deserve.
Moving Forward
In the next few weeks I will be working with Ellie, a sweet pitty who is fairly new to the sanctuary. Ellie is the sweetest girl, but she is very excitable. I will be working with her on basic training to help calm her down when meeting new people and out on walks. She also suffers from canine kidney disease. Although it does not slow this girl down, I am able to assist in her medical treatment two days a week. Of course, in between working my 7:30am-4:30pm shifts, I will be working hard on Better Together Dog Rescue, getting us ready to take in our first dogs by the new year. I look forward to keeping you all posted on my internship and the progress of BTDR.
Wishing you all health and happiness.
Jenny
Founder and President
Better Together Dog Rescue
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