We are the World: Every Dog Has Its Day - Service Learning Project Blog by Sean Elezovic

Every Dog Has Its Day

By Sean Elezovic

Humans can sometimes be over the top and selfish, thinking only as an egocentric individual, but there are many humans with donation on their mind. These individuals help out the not-so-fortunate with tidbits of love, care, and volunteering. Volunteering is not a paid job, nor is it something any human, with a conscience, can avoid their entire life without at least a thought on the matter. There are many people that show up at soup kitchens on Thanksgiving to give to those that do not get to share a meal with loved ones. There are individuals that donate time out of their busy schedules to ring a bell for the Salvation Army, during December, for the needy. There are even those that are affluent, like National Basketball Association and Major League Baseball players, whom dedicated much of their ridiculous salaries to Haitian earthquake funds and Japanese relief funds for their disastrous earthquake and tsunami. To dedicate time out of your schedule to help someone else in need of: food, water, shelter, or even time are saintly in regards to their deeds. This is a story of such an endeavor. This is a story about how every dog has its day.

Many people in the Metroplex have animals to share their love and affection with. These respective people, many of them, have jobs that take much time out of their schedules. This results in their animals getting little to no attention, walks, or playtime. What is a person to do? They cannot just up and quit their jobs to appease their dogs and cats. They need assistance. Enter the “I Love My German Shepherd” affiliation. The first and largest Facebook group for German Shepherds in the world was actually created right here in North Texas. The group also has very strong allies in the “German Shepherd Rescue of Orange County,” which is the second largest Facebook group supporting the lifestyles and health of this great nation’s German Shepherd breed. As Plato's Timaeus states from the "Question of the Animal" reading, "The Race of wild pedestrian animals, again, came from those who had no philosophy in any of their thoughts…." It doesn't take a blind man to see that the animals around us sometimes require human assistance.The “I Love My German Shepherd” group does a lot of good for the Metroplex, not just for German Shepherds, mind you, but for all dog breeds. This past week, they volunteered their time to help out many people suffering from little-to-no time to walk and play with their dogs. The Lewisville Dog Park located at 1301 S. Railroad Street, Lewisville, TX, 75057, in the Toyota of Lewisville Railroad Park, housed the adventures. Owners brought their dogs over mid-afternoon, and left them in the care of “I Love My German Shepherd” volunteers for six hours. The volunteers took in all kinds of breeds to play with and give some entertainment to. Having strong ties to the group, I jumped at the chance to volunteer, doing something I love for animals I adore. I, also, brought my own German Shepherd to play with the other breeds and on her behalf, I can guarantee that she had a blast! Owners were e-mailed, texted, and called well before the play date so that they had the time to R.S.V.P. Many of the prominent members of the group networked among their friends with known animals and also a mass e-mail was sent to the entire Facebook group to make them aware of the event, as well.

Many animals made cameo appearances from 14:00 hours until 20:00 hours. The volunteers gave them treats and balls and water and, most importantly, fun in the sun. I volunteered from beginning to end because of my roots in the group. My roommate is an administrator of the created group. The dogs jumped and played and endlessly craved the attention their poor owners didn’t have the time to give. It was a sight to befall.

Seeing the animals out there proved that human beings shouldn’t be so greedy. I’m not speaking ill of their owners, but rather people who declined invitations to join us in helping out their masters and pets get some quality fun in; not just those people either, but also the ones who refuse to ever spare some time to make animals happy. There are plenty of farms in Texas that a horse lover, for instance, could dedicate some time to the constantly busy farmer and help them bathe and feed their animals. The feeling of, not only helping out the human being in need, but also showing a philanthropic nature towards smaller, needier beings with a soul, gigantic heart, and need to exercise its muscles, is an indescribable emotion. "I know many animals do many things better than we do, but… It can even be used to prove they act naturally and mechanically, like a clock which tells the time better than judgment does…." Renee Descartes' quote from "Letters 1646 to 1649" explains far more vividly. A dog know no time, no sense of how long something goes on for, etc., but it does have a sense of urgency to use the bathroom, eat, drink, and exercise; very "naturally and mechanically, like a clock." Many dogs in the United States suffer from being obese and having failing muscles in their older years and thrive on the moment they see you grab the leash. A good way to avoid having the family pet pass away at an age earlier than potential can reward is to take it on a walk. Take it to the park and play Frisbee with it. Some even buy treadmills and train their dogs to use them -- anything to keep your pet in a stable and happy mood. Pet organizations, such as the one I volunteered for and California’s Orange County Rescue Organization, provide many good deeds for communities without any expected reward. Both of the organizations are non-profit and only expect you to drop off your dogs so that they can get some athletic action!

All groups, including the city of Lewisville’s weblink, are listed below along with the pictures. Thanks for those with an ear to listen, and I hope the thought of helping out animals has inspired you to commit time to the animals in need. As Immanuel Kant's "Lectures on Ethics" states best: "Our duties toward animals are merely indirect duties towards humanity. Animal nature has analogies to human nature, and by doing our duties to animals… we indirectly due our duty toward humanity."