It’s in loving memory of our girl, Kaiya that we are posting this poem. We lost her very unexpectedly today after 4 ½ wonderful years so please bear with us while we go through a grieving period for one of our own “kids”. We loved her very much, and our hearts are heavy here in Redding…….. Anna

A Parting Prayer

Dear Lord,

Please open your gates
and call St. Francis
to come escort this beloved companion
across the Rainbow Bridge.

Assign her to a place of honor,
for she has been a faithful servant
and has always done her best to please me.

Bless the hands that send her to you,
for they are doing so in love and compassion,
freeing her from pain and suffering.

Grant me the strength not to dwell on my loss.
Help me remember the details of her life
with the love she has shown me.
And grant me the courage to honor her
by sharing those memories with others.

Let her remember me as well
and let her know that I will always love her.
And when it's my time to pass over into your paradise,
please allow her to accompany those
who will bring me home.

Thank you, Lord,
for the gift of her companionship
and for the time we've had together.

And thank you, Lord,
for granting me the strength
to give her to you now.

Amen.

- © Brandy Duckworth, 1998

Happy Holidays for all of us here in Redding. We hope during this holiday season that you are surrounded by family and friends-both two and four legged-and all the things that mean the most to you.

This has been an especially difficult year for this rescue. With the economy such as it is and the high unemployment and foreclosure rates, there are more dogs than ever before who need our help. For the very same reasons there are fewer adoptions than ever before. It is very depressing to have to say “no” almost every day to taking in another dog who needs a place to go or needs to get out of a shelter. We know what will happen to most of the dogs who we have to turn down, but there is no more room here until we are able to place some of the dogs we have.

This year we have also had more dogs returned than ever before. Please, before you adopt make sure you are willing to make the commitment it will take to keep this dog for the rest of its life. We know there are legitimate reasons for having to give up a pet, and we will always take back our dogs at any time. It just seems to us that some of the reasons we are given don’t make sense, and as Judge Judy says, “if it doesn’t make sense, it isn’t true”. We have to base the next placement of the dog on the facts that were given to us as to why the dog was given up. This limits the next placement and may eliminate potential adopters, which is not fair to the dog.

Donations are also at an all time low. If you are able to help our “kids” out, it would be much appreciated and can be used as a tax deduction.

Throughout a particularly “low” year, we have been grateful to those of you who continue to support us in so many ways. We will continue to do what we can for as many as we can, but please remember that we are human and this has been a very emotionally draining year. If we are slow in getting back to you, please try to understand and be patient.

We’re sorry this update couldn’t be on a happier note, but this is the sad reality of the current rescue situation. It seems at the end of 2008 we were hoping for better times in 2009. Now we’re hoping for a better 2010-we all deserve a break, but especially some of our “kids” who have been here so long…

Anna and Rich