Nine Days in Arkansas

20 May Nine Days in Arkansas

By Rick Cali

Last year, I was fortunate enough to accompany Last Hope K9 Rescue to Central Arkansas as they helped dog shelters in rural parts of the state in several ways, including repairing shelters, installing tubs and hot water heaters, bathing dogs, and providing medical care including vaccines and preventatives.

At the time, I was only a few weeks cleared to work after an injury to my spine the previous year, and a little over a month removed from the death of my dad. There were times when I felt I was going to have to come up with some excuse to not go to Arkansas, as the weight of everyday life was becoming suffocating. However, something in my heart kept telling me that I needed to go to Arkansas and help these animals and volunteers.

I am glad I went to Arkansas last year, and I am even more glad I was able to go this year. I know the work we do will save the lives of beautiful animals, but in many ways, the 2023 trip to Arkansas saved my life, too.

I have never felt more proud of myself, or a group of people, as I have those who helped design and build the beautiful shelter in Carlisle, Arkansas. The last time I was in the area, there was nothing in that location other than an old container and some grass. When we rolled in this year, the brand-new building literally took my breath away. It’s hard not to tear up thinking of the incredible work everyone did.

Over the course of the week, we worked tirelessly from morning through evening, framing walls, installing doors, cutting insulation, drilling holes in concrete, installing kennels, and painting a mural. There were several 7:30 am trips to Home Depot, and even more trips to local coffee and donut shops. The evenings consisted of pizza, YouTube, reflection and conversation; I could imagine no more perfect way to end a day of hard work than celebrating with pizza and talking with my best friends about the good work we’d done that day.

This is not to say that the week was without its share of hard work and frustration: as none of us are seasoned professionals, we had to learn as we went for many aspects of the shelter build, most notably the kennels themselves. However, once we found our groove and folks settled into their roles, we began to make amazing progress! (Thank you to Gator Kennels for creating an amazing system for building dog kennels that is really as easy as can be!)

I can’t wait until Carlisle’s Animal Control Officer, Lissa, is able to move the dogs to their indoor kennels and herself into her new office. The insulation alone was good for a 40-degree drop in temperature inside the building; once the air conditioners go in, the pups will have their own calm, cool spaces. They’ll be protected from the elements. They will have their own outdoor areas where they can stretch their legs. And Lissa will have a workplace that is worthy of the effort she gives to these beautiful animals.

Last year on the trip, I spent a lot of my time at the end of the day in my bed, stressing about being an interloper or not worthy of helping these animals. I felt like an outsider, and in many respects, I was. I mentioned earlier that I feel last year’s trip was a lifesaver for me, and I truly believe that. I returned home to Maine with a different level of motivation to improve myself than I ever had. I lost weight, I went sober, and by all accounts from my loved ones, I am a totally different person in all the best ways. I give a lot of credit for that to the people and animals I met in Arkansas. There are so many beautiful people involved with dog rescue operations in that part of the world… from the woman who fosters 20 dogs, to the man who spends his own money on dog food, to the inmates who reconnect to their humanity through their work with shelter dogs. (Another big shout out to Everette and the Sheridan Animal Shelter – what an incredible story and what incredible work they’ve done!) This year, I left Arkansas with more new friends than I can count, and I’m already thinking about the great work we’re going to do in 2025.

P.S. This is Bunny. I was able to adopt her from Carlisle. She rode back to New England with me and Kenny, and it’s safe to say that she’s fit right in here on the Island of Mismatched Dogs in Sanford, Maine!