The Best Job in the World!

Written By: Nancy Truax

Recently, Tourism Queensland advertised an opening for “the best job in the world”. The person hired is to be the “Caretaker of the Islands of the Great Barrier Reef”, just off the coast of Queensland, Australia. Granted this is a beautiful place and the duties sound pretty enticing. But with apologies to Tourism Queensland, I think I have the best job in the world. I am a volunteer for Oregon Dog Rescue.

Our organization is an all-breed, no-kill shelter. We are a 501(c)(3) non-profit group run by volunteers. When Tualatin resident, Krystyna Schmidt, and Deb Bowen of Portland started Oregon Dog Rescue, they had twelve years of experience between them. The organization is devoted to placing dogs in the best homes and assuring the long-term success of the adoption.

I was lucky enough to become involved with this group in October of 2007, shortly after its inception. Because it is a small and fairly young organization, I am able to contribute in numerous ways. Our dogs come into our program either through a county shelter or from an owner who can no longer keep a pet. After being assessed for medical and behavioral issues, the dogs are placed in the homes of volunteer foster families. Then I have an opportunity to play with them and help socialize the ones that haven’t developed those skills yet. Large groups of dogs seized from homes after being neglected or living in unsafe conditions often need this help. It is difficult to explain the gratification one gets from teaching a dog to play with a toy or watching him wag his tail after learning to trust a human.

On almost every Saturday, we gather all the dogs for an adoption event at the Tualatin Petsmart. It is here that I get to help the dogs find new homes. Some families wander in to buy pet food and fall in love with one of our charges. Others have seen a particular dog on our website: www.oregondogrescue.org and want to make it a part of their family. I have the opportunity to help these pups show themselves off and make sure that the potential adopter can provide a safe and happy home. The very best part of this job is watching the dog we have nurtured walk out the Petsmart doors with their new people, knowing they are off on their next adventure. While we follow-up on each of our dogs, we often receive unsolicited emails and photos of the pets telling the stories of their new lives. We also encourage the new owners to return to Petsmart when we are there because it is always a joy to see the new bond created.

Oregon Dog Rescue, as a non-profit organization, must raise funds to pay for vet bills, food, beds, crates, and a variety of other supplies. We must also increase our visibility and maintain a reputation in the community. Once again, I have the opportunity to contribute my two cents. I have organized outreach events with the Lamb’s Markets, arranged our appearance at the Tualatin Crawfish Festival, and planned the Oregon chapter of the Million Doodle March. This was a national event to raise awareness of local shelters. I am very proud to say that the Oregon walk-a-thon drew the greatest number of participants and raised more money than any other march in the United States. I have appeared in a filmed Public Service Announcement, helped design our brochure and business cards, and served as a media spokesperson. But all of this is part of saving dogs’ lives and finding happy homes for them. I have the best job in the world. I hope Ben, the chosen “Caretaker of the Islands of the Barrier Reef” doesn’t find out about it.

Nancy Truax of Oregon Dog Rescue is a 22 year Tualatin resident. Nancy can be reached at 503-692-8241 or nancy@oregondogrescue.org