10/11/2026
WHAT THE FRIDAY: BALANCING YOUR LIFEā¦ WHEN RESCUE HAS OTHER PLANS š¾ z\
WTF Part 5
our Cover Model is Mugsie who is available for Adoption
Yes, itās Sunday. What the Friday is a couple of days lateāwhich seems pretty appropriate for this weekās topic.
When I started this series, I wanted to share the things that happen behind the scenes, but also the things I wish somebody had told me before I started rescue. Hopefully, one day these chapters can become a guide for someone thinking about stepping into animal welfare.
This weekās lesson? How difficult it can be to plan your own life.
Make a dinner reservation. Buy concert tickets. Schedule an appointment. Plan a trip. Then wait for the phone to ring.
āCan you help this dog?ā
āThe hospital has a dog that needs a rescue.ā
āThe foster situation isnāt working. We need you to come get him.ā
Or one of your own dogs gets sick, and suddenly everything else has to wait.
I swear, a large percentage of our emergencies happen right before Mark and I are supposed to do something. I donāt know how the universe manages that timing, but it has gotten pretty good at it.
Weāve missed dinners, canceled dates, and given away concert tickets, movie tickets, and tickets to things we were really looking forward to.
These days, we understand. This is the life I signed up for. But Iām not going to pretend we arrived at that understanding overnight.
Especially in the first five or six years of our relationship, it was hard. Mark wasnāt always happy about another canceled plan or another evening home alone with the dogs. Sometimes I went on an adoption trip while he stayed home. Sometimes he went on a rescue mission while I stayed home.
Somebody always had to stay home.
And finding someone to watch our dogs wasnāt as simple as hiring a pet sitter. Weāve had dogs who bite, dogs who escape, and dogs who had to be kept completely separated because a mistake could lead to a serious fight.
We needed people who understood those risks and could safely manage them. It took time to find trusted, capable friends who made it possible for us to leave together.
Hereās something a new rescuer needs to think about: having foster homes does not mean you will never have dogs coming back to your house.
In our rescue, if a foster placement or adoption doesnāt work out, the dog comes back to us. Thatās the promise I make. If there isnāt another suitable foster or a boarding space available, that dog is coming home with me.
Almost every sanctuary dog at our house originally started in another foster home. Sometimes the care became too complicated. Sometimes the behavior was more than someone could manage. Sometimes peopleās circumstances changed.
There are legitimate reasons a placement ends. There are also explanations that leave you shaking your head. Either way, you still have a dog who needs somewhere safe to go.
That responsibility doesnāt conveniently wait until you get back from your weekend away.
This week, I missed the 80th birthday party of one of the dearest ladies in my life. Between everything happening with the rescue, kidney stones, and everything else, I couldnāt be there.
And that hurt.
It made me think about all the birthdays, dinners, trips, appointments, and moments Iāve missed or had to reschedule over the years. Some things can be moved to another day. Some moments donāt come around again.
We also lost three dogs this week. I donāt want this chapter to center on grief, but I canāt pretend that kind of week doesnāt affect your ability to show up for the rest of your life.
I hate canceling on people. I feel guilty. I feel terrible. Loving someone and wanting to be there doesnāt make it any easier when you still canāt go.
So the gratitude in this chapter belongs to the people I love and the people who love me.
The ones who understand another changed plan. The ones who keep inviting us. The ones who know that missing something doesnāt mean it didnāt matter to us.
Thank you. I know our emergencies affect your lives, too.
Have we lost relationships along the way? Yes, we have. Everybody has different needs, and everybody has to do what is best for them. I can understand that and still feel the loss.
If youāre thinking about starting a rescue, have honest conversations with the people sharing your home and your life. Talk about canceled plans, unexpected dogs, and what happens when one of you has to stay behind.
Build a real backup plan. Find people who can safely handle the animals in your care. Know where a returning dog can go. Be honest about your capacity before you make another commitment.
And ask yourself: How much of my time am I willingāand realistically ableāto give? What will that commitment ask of the people I love?
The dogs depend on us to show up. Once I commit to one, that responsibility doesnāt disappear because I have plans. But keeping that promise takes support, preparation, and relationships that need care, too.
I love this life. I choose this life. Some weeks, it asks a whole lot of everyone involved.
So there you have it: What the Friday, on a Sunday.
Balancing your lifeā¦ while keeping one eye on the phone.
Just my two centsā worth. ā¤ļøš¾
