Children Connect And Make A Difference Through Family Teamwork With Shelter Dogs

Yesterday I sat on one side of the quaint porch of One Particular Harbor, a gift shop on Padre Island, doing a book signing. On the other side were 6 young dogs in a pen from the Laguna Madre Humane Society. The store hosts Adoption Days for the shelter dogs twice a month. Helping out with the dogs were 7 year old Caley and 6 year old William; 17 year old Andrew works at the shelter on week ends and brought the dogs to his parents' store for exposure.

Shopowner and Mom, Sherry, is the impetus behind it all. "If I could spend all my time doing rescue work with the dogs and didn't need to work, this is what I'd do," she says. I am touched watching this family work together for the benefit of the dogs.

"It's beautiful what you are teaching your children, Sherry," I tell her. "Working as a family, as a team, to help the animals in need. In this day where kids are so tied to computers and cell phones, yours are learning this respect, this hands-on connection with you and the dogs; the importance of making a difference."

"It's my church," Sherry says. "It feels right to do this with them. I do hope they're learning the importance of it."

We talk about how Spirit is in all life, animal and human. We two animal lovers don't make a distinction in the hierarchy of spirit in life forms.

"I really connected to what you said in your book about spirituality, to the lack of judgement," Sherry tells me. We discuss religion vs. spirituality for awhile.

It seems to me that consciousness is consciousness--it's just packaged in different forms. Isn't all life divinity expressing itself?

Dawn Kairns
www.dawnkairns.com
Maggie: the dog who changed my life