Keeping your Hands in Fur: Part 2

This entry about love, loss and volunteering, shares Steve and Shaygala’s story and experience in his own words.

“After losing my dog Shaygala, suddenly, and at an early age of 5, from an extremely aggressive and deadly leukemia, on October 22nd, 2012, I knew that the road of my emotional recovery ahead would be a very long and difficult one, having been through this crippling kind of loss of my animal companions twice before in the past 9 years. This time, however, the ordeal was even more intense due to the fact that I had retired earlier last year (2012), and so without any family, children or work to help distract me, I realized how critical it would be for me to get involved with volunteer activities in the overall process of helping to heal my broken heart. My feelings of loneliness and isolation following this loss were very burdensome, as it was with my previous losses in 2004 and 2007. Getting out of the house everyday and interacting with dogs was absolutely essential. I happened to get very lucky, when I attended the DoveLewis Pet Loss Support Group and the subject came up about the benefit of volunteering as a way to have physical contact with animals without the pressure of adopting a new friend before I was ready. There was a woman also attending the pet loss support group who briefly mentioned walking dogs at Dogstar a NW neighborhood daycare and pet rescue. I proceeded to inquire about how to get involved in volunteering at that facility, which did not require any formal orientation or training sessions to get started. So from early on, I’ve had the pleasure and privilege of walking dogs and doing dog enrichment activities on a daily basis for many months now, with no end in sight. Volunteering with dogs has been beneficial in many ways. It has helped to ward off feelings of depression and loneliness, and allows a feeling of being connected to the staff, as well as other Volunteers. By Volunteering, I am able to share my story and experiences with others, and also able to enjoy the company of the other volunteers and spend time with dogs. Volunteering has given me the opportunity to feel useful to my community—it provides structure for each and every day, and there is somewhere for me to go every single day. After Volunteering each day, I come home tired (and I sleep soundly), and with the feeling that I’ve made a difference in the lives of many dogs - it’s a special feeling. It gives me a sense of purpose each day. Volunteering increases my endorphins and makes me feel healthier. It helps to ease the pain of having lost my closest friend while at the same time improving the lives of many dogs waiting to meet their forever families. Thanks for listening…”

~Steve Kelsey (Dog Lover)