Willis
11-12-2009, 05:48 PM
Pet Lovers in Maximum Overdrive
My Cousin Pat sent me the article below that was printed in the "Talk Loudoun-Start Spreadin' Good News (http://www.talkloudoun.com/)" e-zine. Pat is the lady who abandoned her RR mailbox when a mouse set up housekeeping and rented a PO Box in town.
She's a "Wormie" class animal lover.
Exec Pets
From time to time Talk Loudoun will highlight executives with their greatest ally, their pet(s), along with photos taken by award winning, renowned people/pet photographer Kathy Kupka (kathykupka.com (http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?et=1102819535117&s=5330&e=001HE08VAN7thFgssVFqqCaCGT-yxwlUy2tApILRJztTdbyvxFYflbVwTwE7OZ22QNsOoZng4MtNr SH5h1YCtPT2p20EHfTbaYEFoZ2hZGMhwuROLOqRkLPmg==)). This is the second in that series. Special thanks to Dee Dee Hubbard and Wylie Wagg for their assistance.
http://i826.photobucket.com/albums/zz186/willisnowell/SBorg/ken-pat.jpg
The Three Small Miracles of
Ken and Pat Reid
Dogs are miracles with paws.
~ Susan Ariel Rainbow Kennedy
By Betsy Allen
It is one of the peculiar mysteries of life: creatures that utter not a single word - that in fact, can smell a bit, shed a bit and take a toll on one's carpeting - still can make our lives richer and more meaningful in countless ways.
As a lifelong dog owner, Ken Reid knows this quite well. "Since I was a kid, there was always a dog in the house," says Reid, vice president with the American Water Resources Association (AWRA), headquartered in Middleburg. These days, for Ken and his wife, Pat, an AWRA program coordinator, there are three dogs in the house, and all have come via the rescue efforts of the Middleburg Humane Foundation (MHF), a private, non-profit farm shelter located in Marshall.
The Reids' dogs are special indeed - survivors of abuse and neglect, saved by devoted MHF staffers and now cherished by Ken and Pat in a Middleburg Downs neighborhood.
What led the Reids to go the "pound puppy" route? "It's important to take those animals rather than purchasing from a breeder," Reid explains. "There are so many dogs out there that need loving homes." If any dogs ever needed love, it was Spirit, Peanut and Tommy.
Thirteen years ago, when the Reids already had one dog, Nyssa, they met Spirit. The dachshund/beagle mix was just a pup at the time, and had been a "chain dog." She lived outside, chained with the other puppies of her litter, left by her owner to suffer in the cold.
When MHF president and founder Hilleary Bogley found the pups that December, one of Spirit's siblings was already dead. Spirit and the other pups were close to freezing to death. According to Pat Reid, Bogley literally breathed life back into the little dogs, including Spirit who, as the runt of the litter, weighed all of 9 pounds. The Reids saw Spirit when she came to MHF and soon after, she joined their family.
Then after Nyssa died, about six years ago, Peanut, a Chihuahua/Yorkie mix of undetermined age, came into the picture. Peanut had walked into a local Sheriff’s office, nearly toothless, starving and dehydrated. The Humane Foundation folks figured she had probably been bred as pit bull bait (small dogs used to test the fighting instincts of the larger dogs).
Over the years, Peanut soldiered through many ailments, and now gets along well with the other Reid dogs. In fact, she often seems to be trying her social skills on other potential companions. Ken and Pat find Peanut pausing, looking at the ground and then barking. They call it “talking to the fairies.”
The third dog to join the Reid clan was Tommy, a Pomeranian from the Richmond area. Upon arriving at the Middleburg shelter, he made for a heartbreaking sight – a sweet little guy with no tail and a busted leg. Tommy’s first owners had allowed their children to swing him around by the tail, so damaging that area that he lost it. While with his second family, Tommy fell off a porch and broke his leg. Unable to afford treatment, the owners had to let the injury go. In time, they let Tommy go too. He was rescued by the Humane Foundation and found his way to Ken and Pat. Despite efforts to save it, Tommy’s leg eventually had to be amputated.
But those dark days are long gone. The little three-legged, tailless dog has thrived in his loving home, reveling in the excitement of a car trip and the warm comfort of a welcoming lap. He even graced the pages of this year’s Middleburg Humane Foundation cookbook.
As many a dog owner could tell you, the animals have a remarkable – an almost miraculous – resiliency. Against all odds, Tommy and his two sisters are happy dogs. Yet it’s important to note that, as much as the Humane Foundation and the Reids have done, Spirit, Peanut and Tommy have made sure to return the favor. “They’re very central to our lives,” Reid says. “They start the day off and end it with us in bed. We take turns letting them out during the day.”
The dogs even get to accompany the Reids to work on a regular basis, and are popular fixtures at the AWRA offices. A non-profit organization for professionals in all water resources fields, AWRA allows its employees to bring their dogs for a bit of companionship while they work.
“They have unconditional love, and they add a civility to the workplace,” Reid says of the canine visitors. He also notes an advantage for workers often focused on computers and the office environment. “What’s cool about it is that it forces you at least once a day to get up from your desk, put the leash on the dog and go for a walk. You get some fresh air. It helps personally and psychologically.”
It’s true that dogs can benefit their owners’ mental states, but Reid recognizes the other side of the coin. “With the joy of owning a dog is the trauma of losing one,” he says. When the Reids’ dog Nyssa died, they were left as a one-dog family with Spirit. “Once we lost Nyssa, we said we wouldn’t get any more dogs,” he remembers. But dogs have a way of finding the owners they need. “First we got one, then another,” Reid says. “And then we had three.”
Beyond adopting pets from MHF, Ken and Pat have been volunteering there for 13 years. Ken helps to set up for special events. Pat goes every weekend, spending as much time as she can walking and helping to socialize the dogs, as well as taking them through obedience lessons.
“I think they do great work,” Reid says of the Humane Foundation. “Even if people don’t have money, you can put in time.” He wants to make sure, in the midst of the busy months of November and December, people keep the shelter in mind. “During the holiday season, don’t forget your four-legged friends.”
It is, after all, a time for miracles.
My Cousin Pat sent me the article below that was printed in the "Talk Loudoun-Start Spreadin' Good News (http://www.talkloudoun.com/)" e-zine. Pat is the lady who abandoned her RR mailbox when a mouse set up housekeeping and rented a PO Box in town.
She's a "Wormie" class animal lover.
Exec Pets
From time to time Talk Loudoun will highlight executives with their greatest ally, their pet(s), along with photos taken by award winning, renowned people/pet photographer Kathy Kupka (kathykupka.com (http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?et=1102819535117&s=5330&e=001HE08VAN7thFgssVFqqCaCGT-yxwlUy2tApILRJztTdbyvxFYflbVwTwE7OZ22QNsOoZng4MtNr SH5h1YCtPT2p20EHfTbaYEFoZ2hZGMhwuROLOqRkLPmg==)). This is the second in that series. Special thanks to Dee Dee Hubbard and Wylie Wagg for their assistance.
http://i826.photobucket.com/albums/zz186/willisnowell/SBorg/ken-pat.jpg
The Three Small Miracles of
Ken and Pat Reid
Dogs are miracles with paws.
~ Susan Ariel Rainbow Kennedy
By Betsy Allen
It is one of the peculiar mysteries of life: creatures that utter not a single word - that in fact, can smell a bit, shed a bit and take a toll on one's carpeting - still can make our lives richer and more meaningful in countless ways.
As a lifelong dog owner, Ken Reid knows this quite well. "Since I was a kid, there was always a dog in the house," says Reid, vice president with the American Water Resources Association (AWRA), headquartered in Middleburg. These days, for Ken and his wife, Pat, an AWRA program coordinator, there are three dogs in the house, and all have come via the rescue efforts of the Middleburg Humane Foundation (MHF), a private, non-profit farm shelter located in Marshall.
The Reids' dogs are special indeed - survivors of abuse and neglect, saved by devoted MHF staffers and now cherished by Ken and Pat in a Middleburg Downs neighborhood.
What led the Reids to go the "pound puppy" route? "It's important to take those animals rather than purchasing from a breeder," Reid explains. "There are so many dogs out there that need loving homes." If any dogs ever needed love, it was Spirit, Peanut and Tommy.
Thirteen years ago, when the Reids already had one dog, Nyssa, they met Spirit. The dachshund/beagle mix was just a pup at the time, and had been a "chain dog." She lived outside, chained with the other puppies of her litter, left by her owner to suffer in the cold.
When MHF president and founder Hilleary Bogley found the pups that December, one of Spirit's siblings was already dead. Spirit and the other pups were close to freezing to death. According to Pat Reid, Bogley literally breathed life back into the little dogs, including Spirit who, as the runt of the litter, weighed all of 9 pounds. The Reids saw Spirit when she came to MHF and soon after, she joined their family.
Then after Nyssa died, about six years ago, Peanut, a Chihuahua/Yorkie mix of undetermined age, came into the picture. Peanut had walked into a local Sheriff’s office, nearly toothless, starving and dehydrated. The Humane Foundation folks figured she had probably been bred as pit bull bait (small dogs used to test the fighting instincts of the larger dogs).
Over the years, Peanut soldiered through many ailments, and now gets along well with the other Reid dogs. In fact, she often seems to be trying her social skills on other potential companions. Ken and Pat find Peanut pausing, looking at the ground and then barking. They call it “talking to the fairies.”
The third dog to join the Reid clan was Tommy, a Pomeranian from the Richmond area. Upon arriving at the Middleburg shelter, he made for a heartbreaking sight – a sweet little guy with no tail and a busted leg. Tommy’s first owners had allowed their children to swing him around by the tail, so damaging that area that he lost it. While with his second family, Tommy fell off a porch and broke his leg. Unable to afford treatment, the owners had to let the injury go. In time, they let Tommy go too. He was rescued by the Humane Foundation and found his way to Ken and Pat. Despite efforts to save it, Tommy’s leg eventually had to be amputated.
But those dark days are long gone. The little three-legged, tailless dog has thrived in his loving home, reveling in the excitement of a car trip and the warm comfort of a welcoming lap. He even graced the pages of this year’s Middleburg Humane Foundation cookbook.
As many a dog owner could tell you, the animals have a remarkable – an almost miraculous – resiliency. Against all odds, Tommy and his two sisters are happy dogs. Yet it’s important to note that, as much as the Humane Foundation and the Reids have done, Spirit, Peanut and Tommy have made sure to return the favor. “They’re very central to our lives,” Reid says. “They start the day off and end it with us in bed. We take turns letting them out during the day.”
The dogs even get to accompany the Reids to work on a regular basis, and are popular fixtures at the AWRA offices. A non-profit organization for professionals in all water resources fields, AWRA allows its employees to bring their dogs for a bit of companionship while they work.
“They have unconditional love, and they add a civility to the workplace,” Reid says of the canine visitors. He also notes an advantage for workers often focused on computers and the office environment. “What’s cool about it is that it forces you at least once a day to get up from your desk, put the leash on the dog and go for a walk. You get some fresh air. It helps personally and psychologically.”
It’s true that dogs can benefit their owners’ mental states, but Reid recognizes the other side of the coin. “With the joy of owning a dog is the trauma of losing one,” he says. When the Reids’ dog Nyssa died, they were left as a one-dog family with Spirit. “Once we lost Nyssa, we said we wouldn’t get any more dogs,” he remembers. But dogs have a way of finding the owners they need. “First we got one, then another,” Reid says. “And then we had three.”
Beyond adopting pets from MHF, Ken and Pat have been volunteering there for 13 years. Ken helps to set up for special events. Pat goes every weekend, spending as much time as she can walking and helping to socialize the dogs, as well as taking them through obedience lessons.
“I think they do great work,” Reid says of the Humane Foundation. “Even if people don’t have money, you can put in time.” He wants to make sure, in the midst of the busy months of November and December, people keep the shelter in mind. “During the holiday season, don’t forget your four-legged friends.”
It is, after all, a time for miracles.