Looks can be deceiving - - just ask me

This week a van with rescue written on the side - - and another vehicle - - were seen in Vinita and it looked as though they were selling puppies out of the rescue van.  Myself and a board member high-tailed it down there (I got there first). I sat for a minute and watched and realized it might not be what we’d suspected. So, got out of car – went over and just started talking with them – asking questions, listening to their answers.  And, yup, it wasn’t what it looked like.

What they were really doing is transferring dogs from the Durant area to a rescue (they had the van) from Papillon Nebraska.  We talked for a few minutes, they had health certificates, do this on a regular basis and everything was on the up-and-up. I invited them to use our parking lot whenever they needed to do a hand-off - - we have bathrooms, coffee, water and snacks for the humans and runs if the dogs need to relieve themselves.  It turned out to be nothing like we’d thought it was. Both myself and the board member realized “looks not only can be deceiving - - they certainly were in this case”.

Rescuing runs on high-emotions.  For many, it is their way or the highway – but for all of us - - we have an inner compass that says “Wait a minute – I do not like what I’m seeing”.  As is often the case, what we think we see isn’t what is really happening. Certainly attorneys, judges and juries see this all the time. You have to be able to step back, observe, ask questions, engage in dialogue and then make a decision. That’s what we did - - and a bridge was built with two rescues.