Running a rescue isn't fun and happiness. It's days and days of ugliness and pain and more tears than you ever thought a human body could produce. It's seeing the most horrible things people can do and seeing them get away with it because the laws are so lax. It drives you to despair over and over and over.
But then the first time an animal raises its head and looks you right in the eye with the sudden spark to survive, that moment fills your heart so full that you have enough to carry on to the next one.
It won't be pretty, Wayne, and you have to choose to be upbeat and find laughter in everything you can to make it. If you find pleasure in the little things, it helps so much-- value every cute, silly thing the critters do, laugh about them, treasure those little gifts. That's what gets you past the ugliness. And make sure to have some kind of life outside of the rescue, or at least something to take your mind off it all. This forum is a good place to escape too.
Here's one of those silly moments that I walked out to last week. I'd just heard from the vet that a little chihuahua that we'd just rescued, soooooo badly neglected, is full of cancer-- lymphoma. I was so upset, and then I stroll out on the front porch and see this....
Poor Rudy the pig, trying to nap while those dratted birds used him for a perch!! I couldn't help but laugh, and then I started thinking of all the ways I can spoil this little dog, Mandy, in the days she has left. I'll give her the best last few months that she's ever had-- and that is what we do.
The money part is so hard. If you have to choose between paying the mortgage and surgery on an animal, well, I go with the critter but that's really not the best way to go.
Yes, you can do a lot of the medical care yourself. But you will need a good vet, and you will be faced with the decisions on which animals to save and which to euth based on money, unfortunately... do you spend $1000 to save one or let that one go peacefully and save 5 others?? There's no right answer, it's just one of those decisions you make each time. You'll have to do fundraising, and that is the thing about running this that I hate the most. But you can't possibly pay for it all yourself.
Believe it or not..... I have learned that the people who do best at this have significant others who are not as into the rescue. Jamie supports what I do in any way I ask, but he does not get attached to the animals (well, sometimes). He is my balance-- he shows me the whole picture when I'm too emotional to see it. And, he keeps my head straight by distracting me-- dinner out, a shopping trip, anything to just get away from it sometimes. Having someone to swoop in and take you away from it all is vital, in my opinion.