Making a Difference

An elderly man and his grandson were walking along an otherwise deserted beach after a storm. The smooth, damp sand was littered with starfish, washed up onto shore from the raging waves. The starfish were stranded there when the sea settled and the tide ebbed. Thousands of starfish with no way to escape, doomed to die in the warm morning sun.

The old man walked slowly along, picking up one starfish at a time and tossing them back into the ocean, giving them a chance to survive. The boy thought to himself, "Why is he doing that? How foolish of him. He can't save them all." One after another, the old man tossed starfish back to the ocean. Finally, the boy felt compelled to point out the futility of his grandfather's actions.

"You know, you can't save them all," he said. "Most of them will die here on the beach.
What you're doing really won't make any difference."

The grandfather studied his grandson for a moment. Then he bent down, picked up another starfish and tossed it into the water. He smiled and said, "I made a difference to that one."

Thursday, April 29, 2010

Introduction

Welcome to Diamond in the Ruff Rescue & Rehab., Inc.'s new blog! Please be patient with us as we try to get it set up. We are new to the blog world. :)

Hopefully this will be a way for us to spread the word about what we are wanting to accomplish at Diamond in the Ruff. The idea is for us to be able to communicate our ideas and goals to the public and, in doing so, hopefully provide knowledge and understanding to willing readers.

Diamond in the Ruff Rescue & Rehab., is a non-profit corporation established by Michelle Doneza. DTR is a no-kill, all-breed rescue and rehabilitation center. For dogs who would otherwise senselessly lose their lives due to euthanasia or the ignorance of man, DTR means a safe haven and a second chance at life. We never turn down a dog due to health or behavioral problems. We believe that our animals can be reached through understanding and patience, and implement practices of animal psychology and positive-reinforcement training techniques to provide them with the structure they need to live long and happy lives.

DTR is volunteer and foster-home based. Our dogs are placed in foster homes throughout South Carolina, concentrated mainly in the upstate. Our volunteers are the heart and soul of this organization, dedicating countless hours and hard work to the cause of animal welfare.

This blog will be a way for us to publish some of our "Happy Tails" (success stories of previous adopters), explain more thoroughly the work we do with our special needs animals, and share with the public the things we see on a day-to-day basis. We have seen first-hand the cruelty and neglect that these animals suffer at the hands of man and, hopefully, we will be able to give you some insight into this world as well. We are SO ready for the world to have a grand epiphany and realize that we can change the fate of those who are suffering, one good deed at a time. There's power in numbers and we are hoping that this will provide a way for us to reach out and get people thinking.

Keep checking for updates! Thanks again!
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2 comments:

  1. AnneApril 29, 2010 at 6:02 PM

    I am the parent of an adopted Rottweiler< Marlee Mae and she is named after her wonderful handler. Marlee Mae came to me April 12, 2010 and she is the most wonderful girl and totally spoiled now. She bonded with me the 1st night! She just hopped up on the bed and she sleeps with me and the 3 other rescues. What a funny girl, gets on her back for a tummp rub and goes sound asleep. She SNORS! I love it and so do the 2 pugs and schnauser. Marlee Mae loves her brother and sisters. She is never alone and I am never gone for ling. Am making a trip to SFO my old stomping grounds in May and this will be the 1st time I have to leave her, I hate to do it but my lady groomer is hired to live at the house and sleep with the pups. They will tell me if she does not. Too bad people misunderstand these Rotti's. They ar wonderful. MM is very protective of me and that is GOOD. Thank you Marlee Stokes for a job well done.
    Anne Miller
    Flat Rock, NC

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  2. Diamond in the Ruff Rescue & Rehab., Inc.April 30, 2010 at 8:34 PM

    Anne,

    Thank you for your story. You are so right, Rottis are an extremely misunderstood breed. We are so happy that she found a loving home with you!

    I appreciate everything you said, but the work that is done at DTR is by no means accomplished through one person. I play a VERY SMALL part in our organization's functionality. Our volunteers are the backbone of the organization--they make it possible for these dogs to have a chance at a better life--and we have volunteers that help us with every aspect of DTR. We have volunteers who come bathe dogs, volunteers who handle dogs at adoption events (like the one where you adopted MM), volunteers who spend COUNTLESS hours on the computer keeping our website updated, and then, of course, our wonderful fosters.

    Diamond in the Ruff only exists because of the vision, dedication, passion, hard work, and selfless nature of our CEO and Director, Michelle. She has dedicated years of her life and opened her home to these animals needing her help and "Marlee Mae" is only one of thousands of animals saved through her actions. Actually, "Marlee Mae's" handler (or as we at DTR know her, Mercedes) was Michelle. MM was in foster care with Michelle for the duration of her stay at DTR. Michelle nursed her back to health when she came to us with medical issues and stuck by her side when things got tough. Our volunteers spent countless hours with her, giving her the care and attention she needed to get healthy.

    It is because of our volunteers and Michelle that she is able to live the great life that she has with you today! :) Send her lots of love from everyone at DTR.

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