I stopped by ARF for a few minutes the other day and left in tears after meeting their latest rescue, Seager, a beautiful but worn-down purebred German shepherd. His good nature belies the treatment he has received at the hands of monsters who can hardly be called human.

He has a damaged tail that must be removed, is full of buckshot that may result in lead-poisoning, and has been starved.

Thanks to ARF, he has a caring foster home where he’s being fed four times a day, will get immediate help through Sadie’s Clinic with its vet donating his fees, and is scheduled for his first surgery, along with the necessary medication to get him well.

This will be an expensive endeavor, so my donation is on its way. Will he make it? While it’s too soon to tell, ARF will make every effort to see that he does. Please keep this good boy in your thoughts.

I wonder sometimes if we don’t take ARF and its small handful of volunteers for granted. Day after day, they quietly deal with sad stories like this one on our behalf, desperate for foster homes to enable them to save more abandoned and abused animals like Seager.

At the very least, they deserve our gratitude and moral support.

While I am sickened by what I saw today, I am also very grateful to know there is hope, not only for this most recent rescue, but for all the other dogs and cats that come to ARF.

Maria and fellow volunteers, I know you often do your job behind your own tears.

Shela Boynton
Idyllwild