To save a pound dog

The black dogs get to me first.

Their shiny coats and ghostly eyes reflect back at the camera’s flash. Their photos never do them justice.

And then it’s the puppies that get to me – so young and already so close to death.

And after that it’s every dog that resembles any dog I’ve ever loved – a spaniel type, a retriever type, a pitbull.

It’s all the pound dogs.

And I wonder, could I save just one? Could I take a chance on a dog I don’t know?

What do I do when I want to save them all but can’t exactly adopt or foster?

Do I look away? Try to forget?

Or do I share their photos, share their links, hoping they’ll get noticed among dozens of others. Day after day.

Why promote these dogs when there are dozens, hundreds more to come? And hundreds more after that?

Do I donate money? Do I offer to transport? Do I beg?

I don’t know.

I feel powerless sometimes, the cycle endless.

Rescue work can be addicting, as many of you know, because there are always more dogs.

So what do I do?

I step back. I step away from the “URGENT!” because it’s always urgent.

I pull myself together, because I can’t possibly save every dog.

And then I do one thing. One small thing.

I make one phone call. Or send one email. Or donate $25. And I hope many, many others do the same.

Perhaps you could do one thing today as well.

For one dog or one cat in need.

In North Dakota or in your own state or country.

One animal, anywhere.

The pitbull and the pointer you see pictured are impounded at the Dickinson, N.D., pound as of 9:30 a.m. Feb. 8. According to the pound, they are both available for rescue or adoption and could eventually be killed.

Wouldn’t it be nice if someone could take five minutes to bring these dogs outside to get some decent photos? Is that asking too much?