Blue Ridge Country July/August 2023 - 10
MILL CREEK STORIES
Outnumbered
Surrounded by dogs, she has no capacity to say no to even more.
by MOLLY DUGGER BRENNAN | Illustration by JOSEPH MACKERETH
I
am a professional dog trainer in Harrisonburg, Virginia.
This is my retirement job and I adore it, more
than any powerful position I've held. Of course, my
idea of heaven has always been sitting in a riot of
dogs and pups. To quote Will Rogers, " If there are no
dogs in Heaven then when I die, I want to go where
they went. "
Because I'm immersed in the world of dogs, I have a
lot of friends who are just as irrational about dogs as I am.
Totally bonkers, each and every one of us. I know trainers,
trackers, rescuers, fosters, fundraisers, all completely
smitten with everything dog. We know each other's fa10
BLUERIDGECOUNTRY.COM
vorite breeds, dogs and weaknesses. We practically know
each other's vet bill balances.
Knowing these people, most all women, has made me
a better person. These women have taught me to be more
patient, more compassionate and more giving. They're
the best, angels in comfortable shoes. If you are a stray
dog in the South, find yourself a woman in her 40s-60s.
That's who's going to rescue you. Probabilities alone,
based on foster/rescue volunteers' gender and age, should
point you right to the porch of a middle-aged woman.
I tell you all this to explain how I got " the call. " A
friend of a friend was at a nearby animal shelter to do
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Blue Ridge Country July/August 2023
Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Blue Ridge Country July/August 2023
Blue Ridge Country July/August 2023 - Cover1
Blue Ridge Country July/August 2023 - Cover2
Blue Ridge Country July/August 2023 - 3
Blue Ridge Country July/August 2023 - 4
Blue Ridge Country July/August 2023 - 5
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Blue Ridge Country July/August 2023 - Cover3
Blue Ridge Country July/August 2023 - Cover4
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