11/19/2025
In case anyone was wondering, this is the whole point.
These beautiful souls, they are everything. Their lives, their journeys, their growth; they are the whole point.
In rescue work, there are so many heavy emotions, days full of unshakable heartache and times where things simply feel impossible. We are tasked with caring for these incredible animals and holding them together so they can have as many good days as possible. So they can have as many moments with their friends as possible. So they can feel as comfortable as possible for as long as possible.
And while some days are harder than words can describe, these moments are what make it worth it. Despite the days where our bodies ache and tremble from exhaustion, we carry on for this. We stand strong through the storm of it all for this.
After each loss, I find myself falling into a numb state faster and for longer, just unable to process the grief and so my brain just doesn't. It holds it all at bay because it's just not the right moment (surprise, it's never the right moment). Losing Moon shattered me in a way I was utterly unprepared for and I am still grieving his loss, still coming to terms with it all. But after Moon was gone, I felt so determined that this is the right cause, that this is my purpose. And so we welcomed in Annie. And though it wasn't for long enough, I felt all those shattered pieces again as I held her in those last moments. I felt all that love breaking all over again, and felt myself go numb so fast after.
Enter Pongo. Like the most goofy wrecking ball.
He is so full of life, just like Annie was. He is so in your pocket make you laugh even if you don't want to, just like Moon was.
And watching how fast he and Xena have fallen in love reminds me this is what it's all for. All the hard moments are worth this. Worth the simple joy and deep love that fills their lives.
There's no correct timeline for emotions, no correct course to follow. Just trusting that there's a reason for it all and we end up where we are supposed to be, witnessing what we need to when it's needed the most.
Rescue work isn't for the faint of heart. I feel blessed to find my place in its emotional chaos and to find it my grounding. And I feel beyond blessed for everyone who supports their journeys through all the ups and downs, for everyone who also can see that this is the whole point.
