My first day of work at a boarding facility was pretty much what I expected; dogs of all sizes and breeds, (somewhat) patiently waiting for their turn in one of the play yards. Over the weeks, dogs came and went. But not all, some remained there. Later I would learn that these were rescue dogs who were going to be there until they were adopted. However, this was a small percentage.

A few months after I started, the owner, Molly Graf, had purchased a larger property and planned to move the entire operation, mainly due to complaining neighbors. Yes - every single dog, kennel panel, bowl, and squeegee (not to mention the horses and sheep!) had to be moved. Over the weeks of the moving process, I watched as dog yards were built and kennels were reconstructed on this beautiful secluded 80 acre farm.

At this point, most of the kennels were occupied by rescue dogs. I got to know the dogs and began picking up the new ones from the rescue transport, usually an hour away. I was always happy to come in and see an empty kennel where a rescue dog once was and learn that they had been adopted. All of the dogs came out of high-kill shelters in West Virginia - they were true “Death Row” dogs. Most of these dogs were the textbook definition of a mutt; big ones, little ones, puppies, seniors, hairy, and hairless. To date, the number of lives Molly has saved is probably well into the triple digits.

Although I miss working there and being a part of saving lives, I do still help out every now and then. As I write this, I have one of those little death row mutts and her six adorable 3 week old mutt-lets in my spare bathroom until they are old enough to be adopted.

I’m not saying you should kick out your paying clients and start your own rescue, but in this industry we are all animal lovers and we need to do our part to control the pet population that has become largely out of control. If you don’t have an empty kennel to spare, recommend to your clients looking for a new dog to check out the local shelter instead of going to a breeder.

“Your work is going to fill a large part of your life, and the only way to be truly satisfied is to do what you believe is great work. And the only way to do great work is to love what you do.”

-Steve Jobs

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