I am pretty sure that on Sunday, March 27, 2022 I was saved; this is the day I met Lucky Dog Animal Rescue. I wanted to make friends and love animals so I thought, “Why not go spend the day with a dog and help them find their forever home?". Colita was my first, but far from my last. My adventure has taken some turns that I never expected, and always enjoy. During that first event at the Silver Spring PetSmart with Colita I realized that this is something I wanted to be a part of. I also wondered, “How do they get all the pieces to run together so smoothly?”... I MUST find out. This question was the start of my Lucky Dog adventure.

Over the next month or so, I started volunteering more and more and found myself at an event where I got the courage to ask the person who appeared to be running the event how everything worked. This person was Julie Brooks; while running to and fro at a Saturday event she shared some of the history with me and invited me to come back to the Sunday event and shadow the Event Coordinator. This was an eye opener-- there is so much that goes into the events the day of and I got to experience it all. I had so much fun running from the puppy area to the contracts area and back helping to ensure everyone had everything they needed. I even stayed and helped to pack the van (I believe the packing team has access to a 4th dimension.) There is no way the amount of stuff piled high outside the van should fit inside it.  

Through volunteering, I have had the opportunity to meet some of the most amazing staff and volunteers. I am so happy to now call them friends. This was exactly what I needed: A community to call my own.

The next stop in my adventure was "puppy protector". This job was so much fun-- not only because you get to hang with the puppies, but you also get to tell people what to do. HA! Now that's what I call a job. I got so excited with my job as puppy protector that I even found spray bottles to mist them in the heat and keep them cool during those oh-so hot and humid events.  

As much fun as I was having with the puppies, I knew there was so much more for me to discover in the world of Lucky Dog, so my adventure continued on to the contracts table. How much fun can contracts be? Well, a TON is my answer. This volunteer spot is challenging but oh-so rewarding. We get the privilege of telling every Lucky Dog adopter “Congratulations on your new dog/cat/puppy/kitten”. How cool is that?!? The joy that this position provides is bewildering, but I wanted more, so I volunteered to help with transport. 

A transport is where Lucky Dog brings up 90+ animals on a van from the South Carolina shelter and gets them situated into foster homes in the DMV until they are adopted. At transport, I get to hold kittens and puppies for pictures. Meet all the fabulous dogs arriving while fitting them with their very own Lucky Dog bling (in the form of a martingale collar). I even get to clean up poop and break down crates (this is WAY more fun than you think).

Meeting all these amazing animals wasn’t enough for me on my adventure, so I decided it was time to foster. Yep that right-- I would take one or two of these guys and have them live with me and my dogs. It was so exciting-- the first three times the cats that I fostered found their forever home at the very next event. 

My Lucky Dog adventure is far from complete. I have a list of positions yet to discover. So many Lucky Dogs and Cats and an abundance of friends to meet. Lucky Dog had given me so much. I love that I can give back.