Wednesday, July 19, 2017

Workamping Review from Desert Haven Animal Refuge



by Melvin Williams




We have been at Desert Haven for two months now as work campers. While not knowing what to expect exactly, I did have hopes of spending a lot of time " hand to fur".....and being here has shown me how paltry my expectations were.


Each morning as we approach Dogtown the writhing, wiggling, wagging and woofing welcomes us. I'm not a morning person in general and yet every morning my face hurts from smiling! All the cats and dogs here are friendly and affectionate to everyone but over time I am learning that there is a subtle yet definite difference as they come to know you as YOU and not just the nice people with the leash or food or fresh water. As much as they love their daily walks there comes a point when to kneel down and share some loving and hugging has to happen first before they even want the leash on!!!

Of course we all know dogs (and cats) seem to exist only to love us (okay, cats are a little more independent), yet that total humbleness and vulnerability to our actions and behavior towards them makes us understand more fully the compassion and drive of Eliana to make a safe loving place for as many unwanted, unloved little furry beings as she can. Because of her dedication and great efforts to establish Desert Haven these many years ago, Mel and I, for this brief period of time, have been reveling in the affection and even joy bestowed upon us by the lucky residents of Desert Haven. Marcee and Mel"