This
article, focusing on the young volunteer caregivers, is a special
highlight of this month's article on the Texas sanctuary.
In many ways, the growth and development
of DAWGS has paralleled that of its young volunteers.
As the sanctuary has expanded in scope
and size, the DAWGS kids (several of whom were featured recently
in Best Friends magazine) have matured. They have shown a level
of caring and commitment to animals that inspires the adults around
them.
A shining example of that progress is Jesse
Brunmeier.
Month after month, through summer heat
and winter cold, Jesse has been there for the dogs. His devotion
is such that Mark gave him the honorary title of "TLC coordinator."
As such, Jesse (below left) is "Johnny
on the spot" whenever a new arrival requires special attention
and love.
That was how he became attached to a longtime
resident by the name of Feeney, a fragile dog who desperately
needed a loving presence in his life. Through time, Feeney and
Jesse became fast friends.
Then one day, Feeney found a home.
Jesse knew that adoption was the goal,
and that it was the best thing that could happen to Feeney, but
he was heartbroken nevertheless. He struggled for a long time
with the emotions brought on by Feeney's departure.
Then one day a month or so ago, another
exceptionally needy dog showed up on the DAWGS doorstep.
The timid shepherd mix had been tied up
to the front gate during a blinding snowstorm, and Mark knew right
away that she needed Jesse's special touch.
"OK Jesse, here's your project,"
Mark recalls saying.
To push things along a bit, he named the
dog Fawney.
It didn't take long for Mark's intuition
to be proven right.
Like Feeney, Fawney was originally shy
and afraid around others. And, like Feeney, Fawney learned to
trust Jesse. And Jesse was in love again.
"Whenever he'd disappear, I'd know
where to find him," Mark says. "He'd be in the kennel
with Fawney."
As Christmas approached, Jesse, who lives
with his grandmother, confided in Mark that he wished he could
adopt Fawney for Christmas.
He broached the subject with his grandmother,
who was sympathetic, but afraid that the dog was too big for their
house.
At Mark's suggestion, however, Jesse took
Fawney home for an overnight visit one Saturday night. The visit
went well -- so well that Fawney has since spent the better part
of two weeks with Jesse and his grandmother.
Whether or not Fawney ends up living with
Jesse permanently, it is clear that both the dog and the boy have
benefited from their relationship.
In the true spirit of DAWGS, Jesse says
simply, "It's just hard for me not to be thinking about that
special dog."
Other children featured in the Best Friends
magazine article are still involved, as well, although their level
of involvement naturally fluctuates along with other activities
in their lives.
Molly Kruse (pictured at right),
Alix Allen (featured top right) and Kali Williams, dubbed by
the Trulls the "three amigos," are part of the core
group of kids who have helped hold DAWGS together since its inception.
While the girls' commitment to the cause hasn't waned, they have
had fewer hours to spend at the sanctuary in recent weeks.
Noting that the girls are active in basketball
and volleyball -- two powerful forces in Dalhart -- Mark is actually
pleased that they are doing other things.
"For us to be successful out there,
we have to be sure our kids prioritize what's important in their
lives, doing things that balance their lives," he says. "Then,
if they have any time left on their calendar, we want them to
come out and spend time with us."
Mark fully expects that when volleyball
and basketball seasons end in February, the girls will quickly
reappear in full force.
Other children have increased their involvement
since interviews for the magazine story were done.
At that time, Lauren Yocum (right)
was just starting as a volunteer, and still learning to cope with
the chaos brought on by all those dogs.
A soft-spoken girl with a shy smile, she
has since settled in as a competent, caring, and dedicated worker.
In fact, she worked so long and so hard
that her grades started to suffer. Her parents forced her to cut
back on her hours at the shelter until the grades bounced back
up.
Well, bounce they did, and Lauren was soon
back at the sanctuary, working long, hard hours.
So much so that Mark and Diane have had
to make sure she was still spending enough time doing other things,
like studying.
"We had a couple of days where I had
to send her home," Mark says. "She was just spending
way too much time out there on the weekends."
