Guest Blog: Why Christy Volunteers for CPR

I'd like to introduce Christy, a volunteer for Colorado Puppy Rescue. She works full-time and volunteers with CPR when she has time. Christy wrote this for me about two years ago and I'd like to re-post. Thank you Christy, for sharing your CPR experience.



Christy's Puppy Sammie

 About a year ago, I dragged my son and husband to a Colorado Puppy Rescue (CPR) adoption event at Petco on Mississippi. I actually left my mother's 75th birthday party early so I could adopt a puppy. I arrived right at closing time and fell in love with "Big Girl". She had a "nipping" problem so it had been difficult finding a good home for her. OK so she is a heeler and she nipped more than your heels - but I fell in love with her. She will now nip at my pant leg or shirtsleeve and pull it when she feels she has not gotten the attention that she deserves, but to me that is endearing.

About a month, after we got our puppy I was looking for a volunteer opportunity for my son, something where he could get involved in the community and stay busy.

In my search on the web, I found a volunteer opportunity for him at Colorado Puppy Rescue. I signed him up and went with him to the volunteer orientation. I dropped him off for intake later that week and picked him up when he called and said he was done. The next week he came out the car and asked if I could come in and help, because they were short handed. It was probably a lie, but they got me in the door and I was hooked.

When I first started volunteering my husband gave me a hard time about the time I spent with the puppies, but now he knows that a little time at CPR makes me a much better person. I am a working mother in a high stress corporate job, but all week long, I look forward to Thursday nights. I make sure no one can schedule a meeting with me after 3:00 so I can leave on time. As soon as I pick up that first puppy I can feel the stress just melt away. There is no way that I can stay mad when holding a cute innocent puppy. It is not all fun and games, there are still messes to clean up, baths to give and crates to clean, but for all of that the payment is puppy time. The most treasured part of intake is after the initial rush, when we sit down and get to know the other volunteers. I feel such camaraderie with this group of people and have made so many new friends over the last year. Sometimes we are lucky enough to have some wine and extra puppy time too.

Sometimes I am able to foster, this is a special occasion because when I foster I want to dedicate every minute to watching the puppy. I cannot get any work done; I am too engrossed in watching the puppies every first. Sometimes I see them use stairs for the first time, touch grass for the first time, use the doggy door for the first time, play with older dogs for the first time and bark for the first time.

Just watching a puppy makes me smile.

Saturday is adoption day, when the sweet innocent puppies find their new families. Saturday is also a day when I find more companionship with the other volunteers.
People who love dogs make great friends.

If you have a story or pictures to share of your Colorado Puppy Rescue puppy send an email to info@coloradopuppy.org.