I’ve posted some touching stories about events at the Rolling Dog Ranch Animal Sanctuary over the years. This piece profiles the founders, Alayne Marker and Steve Smith, and provides some insight into their lives and their hearts. Click here and take a few minutes to get to know a little bit about their world.
Slide show courtesy of AARP Bulletin Today.
Photo of Ellie May the blind and deaf cocker spaniel courtesy of Rolling Dog Ranch Animal Sanctuary.
You don’t find people with bigger hearts than those that run The Gentle Barn. The Gentle Barn takes in abused animals, loves them, heals them and gives them a forever home. They extend their compassion to the human community, too, by hosting groups of troubled and abused kids and allowing them to interact with the four-legged residents. The results is a healing experience for all. Their motto says it all. “Teaching people kindness and compassion to animals, each other and our planet.” Beautiful.
The Rolling Dog Ranch Animal Sanctuary in Montana rescues and shelters disabled animals. Every animal who arrives at the sanctuary gets another chance to have a safe and loving home. Our residents include blind dogs, blind horses, deaf dogs, blind cats, and others with medical issues like muscular dystrophy.
Although these animals may have disabilities, they do not consider themselves handicapped. They just want to get on with life and enjoy themselves. Thanks to the support of the sanctuary’s friends, that’s what they get to do here.
These two rescued kittens are sleeping in a basket on the counter of The Bell Gallery, in Floyd, VA, where manager Darcie Luster works when she isn’t saving animals.
These two are part of a litter of six who have a chance at a new life because of Darcie.
Unwanted animals in Floyd have a better chance at survival because of Darcie Luster and others like her. She fosters cats which means that she takes them in and cares for them, gets them their shots, gets them spayed and then finds them homes with appreciative owners. Others in the area provide foster homes for dogs and other animals.
To Bob and Betty Matas, the $3000 taxi fare was well worth the price to insure the safety of their two cats. The couple was moving from New York City to Sedona, AZ and did not have the heart to put their beloved companions in the cargo hold of an airplane, fearing they would freeze to death. They befriended a taxi driver a few weeks prior to their move and the idea began as a joke. Read the entire story
Native Georgian Dr. William Mitchell tried to retire but didn’t have the heart to stick with it. After moving to the North Georgia mountains to seek the life of leisure, he became keenly aware that many animals in the McCaysville area were in need. Not only were there a large number of strays, but some families simply couldn’t afford medical care for their pets. He knew he had to help. Read the inspiring story of a vet that doesn’t turn away anyone here.
Thanks to Yar Matey for this interesting photo posted on Flickr.
War is tragic on all levels. Loss of human life, environmental destruction, economic devastation are all obvious and well-known effects. But pets suffer and die, too. Finally, there is an organization that helps rescue pets caught in human crossfire. Middle East Pet Rescue
