When I was young I thought I would be a veterinarian, working to save the little animals that I loved so much. I knew I wouldn't have children. I never did want them except for a short, short time many years ago and it was for all the wrong reasons - so it's best that I never had them. I thought I would have a magnificient house of my own design on the beach and a mountain cabin. I also NEEDED a helicopter to fly back and forth between them.
Now I am 49. I am disabled with my heart and I having nothing but my truck. I still help animals when I can and I also do all I can to help those less fortunate than I.
So what happened...
I left college when it became apparent to me that I was not cut out for the rigors of the classes it took to become a veterinarian. I intended to transfer colleges from Ohio State to Marshall University in West Virginia. I didn't see the point in paying out of state college fees for something I could do for a whole lot less money. Even though at that point in my life, money was no object and my parents could easily have afforded for me to stay at Ohio State.
I got in trouble with the law soon after I left and I wasn't able to go to college for awhile. I did 2 years of community service at 16 and 20 hours per week and I also married. I went to beauty school and found out I wasn't cut out for that either. I worked at it long enough to pay for my student loans.
Then I found the love of my life. I got a job training greyhounds. I knew when I stood in the middle of that turnout pen the first time that I was doing what I was meant to do for the rest of my life. I helped change a lot of people's attitudes when I was in the dog business. For the most part the trainers I was around started to think of the greyhounds as animals with feelings - not just livestock. I also learned while I was training that even though I was good at taking care of injuries and sick dogs I really didn't care for it. So it was a good thing I didn't become a veterinarian afterall.
Also they were killing every dog that wasn't breedable at that time. (back in the 80's) One by one I started to give dogs away until between my ex husband and I we gave away around 2000 of them. Over the years with the sucess of my adoptions and other's in the business the attitudes about greyhound adoption changed as well. Now there are still some of them that are put to sleep and there always will be but the majority of them go into adoption programs all over the country.
After my ex and I split I tried to make it on my own in the business. Unfortunately between Bobby stalking me and a series of injuries to myself I had to leave the dog business. I got a job in a pharmacy with the intention of leaving as soon as I found something better. Although I left for better jobs several times, something always happened to bring me back to the pharmacy. Through all of this I kept saving strays and once I saved an entire puppy mill all by my lonesome.
Then one day my heart decided to fail. I've been living with heart failure for the past 5 years and a few months now. Since both the government and the doctors gave me 5 years to live I feel I have accomplished much by just being alive. I am also much stronger than I was a few years ago. My friends see the improvement I have made, unfortunately my family feels that I never lived to my full potential....
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