Teresa Valentine of Carlyle has been rescuing and fostering dogs for over six years after 小蓝视频 introduced to Bright Eyes Dog Rescue (BEDR), a registered non-profit organization based out of Regina.
Valentine was introduced to Bright Eyes by Katie Mryglod and has been blessed and grateful ever since. She says it鈥檚 truly a wonderful group of people to be working with.
Bright Eyes Dog Rescue was founded in January 2010, based on a dream to offer something for dogs that through no fault of their own were either abandoned, abused, feral, injured or surrendered and in need of loving and caring homes. As the 100 per cent volunteer-based membership has grown, so too has the commitment to these precious dogs.
BEDR is delighted to have found homes for over 2,000 dogs and puppies, and still counting.
The rescue takes each abandoned, abused or injured dog and places them into a foster home with a family where it is given much love and attention, and also socialized, before the search for its forever home begins.
Valentine has always been a pet lover herself, owning her own dog, a teacup Chihuahua. In the beginning, the dogs were sent to her to foster and the year following that she became a frontline worker. Fortunately she鈥檚 been able to find homes for all the foster dogs and cats she looks after.
She鈥檚 kept busy in this line of work. In a matter of a day she could have up to 14 dogs to care for. She has had more than 40 at one time in her garage, in separate kennels.
The work includes bathing, grooming, feeding and taking them for their daily walks and visits to the vet if needed.
鈥淚t鈥檚 a lot of work,鈥� admits Valentine. 鈥淭here was a litter of puppies that had to be bottle fed.鈥�
Valentine does have volunteer helpers that are willing to walk the dogs, etc.
鈥淭hey are a huge help!鈥� explains Valentine 鈥淚 couldn鈥檛 do it without them.鈥�
There aren鈥檛 a lot of pet groomers in the Carlyle area and because some of the foster dogs are in desperate need of a bath, hair and a nail trim, Valentine decided that it only made sense to take the dog grooming course herself. Now that she has taken the course, she set up her grooming room in her basement and has many other customers bring their pets to her as well when they鈥檙e in need of a trim.
She named her pet grooming business Pretty Paw Day Spa. And if that doesn鈥檛 keep Valentine busy enough she also has a career out of the home with 12-hour shifts at a long-term care facility.
Although Valentine couldn鈥檛 pin it down to just one reason what the best thing is about looking after rescue dogs, she says: 鈥淭o pick them up and watch them bloom.鈥� She explains that sometimes they鈥檙e scared, they may not be used to getting the chance to come indoors.鈥�
Valentine definitely gets attached to her rescue dogs. Usually when they leave after fostering them, there are a lot of tears, but they鈥檙e happy tears. She鈥檚 sad to see them go but happy for their new life.
鈥淚t makes your heart happy to know that they鈥檙e going to a loving home and they鈥檙e not going to be abused.鈥�
The age of the dog and how much care they need determines how long Valentine fosters each dog. She鈥檚 had some for up to two months because they needed to 鈥榗ome out of their shell鈥� and just be more trusting of people.
Some of the foster dogs have been adopted from as far away as Vancouver.
Valentine says she has so many memorable moments in this line of work and they鈥檙e all different and all unique.
鈥淭he very first foster dog I had was a three-year-old named Whitney, she came from a hoarder situation. She wasn鈥檛 abused鈥�.she just had no human contact. She was raised in a kennel. We had her for three months, she came out of her shell. She would go for walks with me and follow me to work.鈥�
Valentine is informed of the history of each dog so she can better understand how to care for each individual dog. And the same information is passed on to the adoptive owner.
鈥淭he first two bottle fed puppies, miniature pinchers, were also hard to let go. They were fed with an eye dropper every hour,鈥� reminisces Valentine, who adds 鈥淵ou get pretty attached to these ones.鈥�
Valentine goes above and beyond to help the dogs, and it鈥檚 all volunteer.
鈥淚鈥檝e built a really good relationship with White Bear,鈥� explains Valentine. 鈥淣ight or day they call me and I help them no questions asked about a dog that needs my help, whether it鈥檚 a litter of puppies or a stray.鈥�
Every dog that鈥檚 taken off the reserve is signed for.
Bright Eyes is an amazing organization and they operate on donations. Donations may include food, dog beds, kennels and most of all cash donations to go towards vet bills.
鈥淢y husband and my daughter help me out a tremendous amount,鈥� says a very grateful Valentine.
鈥淲hen I first started fostering I didn鈥檛 expect to be this involved,鈥� explains Valentine.
It can be exhausting at times but when she steps into her garage and sees all the dogs with their tails wagging and barking so excitedly to see her, that all melts away. The dogs love her unconditionally.
鈥淢y life is full,鈥� says Valentine 鈥渂ut it鈥檚 very rewarding.鈥�
鈥淓veryone makes the comment 鈥業 don鈥檛 know how you can do it鈥� but I reply 鈥業 don鈥檛 know how I can鈥檛.鈥欌��
鈥淲hen you hand the dog off to their new forever home, it鈥檚 just heartwarming, you might shed a tear or two or cry all the way home, but it鈥檚 a happy cry!鈥�
If you have a love of dogs and would like to help out, please give Teresa Valentine a call at 577-8631 for more information about Bright Eyes Dog Rescue.
