so, again, it's been a long time since I've written anything here.  Or even done anything here...  but I've been crazy busy.  I've been working at the Saskatoon SPCA for a year and a half now and I'm loving every minute of it even tho it's a very hard job.  Just last Sunday night I was on-call (taking after hours emergencies.)  And I had to pick up a dog with an imbedded collar.  She was in so much pain that all she could do was cower and cry.  My first initial reaction was utter and uncontrolled rage at the person who would let this happen to such a sweet little dog.  I scooped her up and put her in the van for transport to the University for immediate medical attention. It was not looking too good for our little friend.
  I heard from the Vet college that she is doing really well and almost healed enough to come back to our facility to continue treatment and possible go up for adoption.
People often ask me why I do what I do.  I'll tell you why.  I wanted a job that I could feel like I was helping and making a difference.  I can do that here...  I work in both Adoptions and Health Care departments so I get to see the animal recover from a bad situation, go up for adoption and get adopted to a forever home.  That, my friends, is a great feeling.
When I first started, I struggled a lot. I knew in my head I couldn't save them all...  but my heart refused to believe it.  There are times I know we as an organisation didn't do EVERYTHING we could to rehabilitate an animal, but I know that we are non profit...  we often don't have the budget.
Since I started here the reason I applied for the job and the reason I'm here hasn't changed a bit.  I'm still here to help and make a difference.  Someone told me a poem...

"THE  STARFISH  POEM

Once upon a time there was a wise man

who used to go to the ocean

to do his writing.

He had a habit of walking

on the beach

before he began his work.

One day he was walking along

the shore.

As he looked down the beach,

he saw a human

figure moving like a dancer.

He smiled to himself to think

of someone who would

dance to the day.

So he began to walk faster

to catch up.

As he got closer, he saw

that it was a young man

and the young man wasn't dancing,

but instead he was reaching

down to the shore,

picking up something

and very gently throwing it

into the ocean.

As he got closer he called out,

"Good morning! What are you doing?"

The young man paused,

looked up and replied,

"Throwing starfish in the ocean."

"I guess I should have asked,

why are you throwing starfish in the ocean?"

"The sun is up and the tide is going out.

And if I don't throw them in they'll die."

"But, young man, don't you realize that

there are miles and miles of beach

and starfish all along it.

You can't possibly make a difference!"

The young man listened politely.

Then bent down, picked up another starfish

and threw it into the sea,

past the breaking waves and said-

"It made a difference for that one."

So I can make a difference to the ones I do help.  I know the dogs remember me too, I see some of them often at the dog parks in the city and they always run up to me happy as can be.
Thats why I do what I do...  even if it is really hard to see and deal with sometimes...  but thats why I do it.

so I wonder how everyone else here is doing??  do tell as I am interested to know