February Newsletter

Feature Volunteer
Sometimes there is always that person that gives you straight up good advice.  There's always that one person that gives balance, providing insight and opinions to keep us real.  We all know that person that gives great support when it is needed and keeps things fun and upbeat!  Those three people can be found in one with our social media coordinator Lori Leduc!  She's like three people in one, and packs a lot of great talents in one little package. 
You may see some of our best photos on our Instagram.   We can all thank Lori for that.  Her skills are not just around the dogs, and can often be found behind a lens.  This month we thank Lori for always keeping us in on our toes, asking all the right questions to make sure we find the best homes and for providing solid, educated answers when we need them. Lori also has been dedicating hours and hours into rehabilitating a foster dog with some behavioural issues, and we are not sure if she can let him go!

Thank you Lori for all your work you do for ADR and the entire community!  We cannot do it as well without you!!!!

This month I'd like to talk about community and what it means to be a part of such a wonderful community.

ADR is a community.  We welcome dachshunds and their families with open arms.  We are there to help out however we can amongst the community, and we strive to be the best we can.  We are always educating ourselves, lending hands and sharing what we learn with others.  Whether you have adopted from us, surrendered a dog to us, volunteered with us, or have even just hung around us, our "family" is always growing and bringing more to our community. We are blessed to have such a great community.

We have networked a lot in the last few years.  We have added trainers, behavioralists, veterinarians, nutritionalists, groomers, and therapists to our community.  We have grown exponentially behind the scenes.  We are proud of what we have accomplished big and small, and are proud to share our knowledge and network with everyone that needs it.  It's a community where we hope everyone feels safe, supported and comfortable to associate with. 

It's humbling and flattering at the same time to be a part of it.  It's amazing to have such a solid group of volunteers that give up countless hours and effort to help people at any time of day no matter what is needed.  Something we often forget about is how many people reach out for help, refer people to us for help, and how much people accept help.  Our entire family is always encouraging us and telling us how much we are making a difference and it feels really good.

This month one story stuck out to me.  A story posted in a local community about a gentleman having to send his dog to heaven the next day.  It took a community of people to reach out, acknowledge his needs, and to offer an alternative option.  One particular volunteer to do extra hours of research to understand what was going on.  Several volunteers to reach out and speak with him about the options that we researched.  A random woman saw this and offered financial help if needed, and just wanted to let us know that she valued what we were able to do, and most of all how capable we are to change peoples lives as a community.  After struggling for a couple weeks, this gentleman decided to join our community and his dog is still here because of everyone in it.  We, as a community, consisting of thousands of people's energy and support potentially saved a dog's life.  It's thousands of people creating a vibe and energy strong enough to make a difference.

This community has done this over and over.  Reaching beyond being just a rescue, hundreds and thousands of people have a network of qualified help, friendly people willing to help, and created something that people believe in. It is something selfless.  It's empowering to know that as a community we are so great that we can make such an impact on others.

I'd like to thank all of our volunteers, supporting businesses, dachshund clubs, dachshund owners, and anyone who has trusted us, given to us, taken from us, and anyone who even follows us for making a community come together for each other.

I think I can speak for every member of our community and say that I am a better person because of it.  Can you?